University of Kentucky College of Education
University of Kentucky College of Education
Q & A :
KYLE WATERSTONE
UK Sport Leadership Grad Enjoys Challenge of Career in Athletic Compliance
Kyle Waterstone got his start as an intern for the NCAA and is now a Director of Athletic Compliance at the University of Southern California . Between the two jobs , he came to the University of Kentucky College of Education , where he earned his master ’ s degree in sport leadership in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion .
Waterstone admits he was not thrilled about going back to school , but mentors at the NCAA suggested taking a look at UK .
“ I was young and ambitious and thought I was ready to hit the ground running in my career in athletic administration ,” he said .
Instead , he received a graduate assistantship with UK Athletics and enrolled in UK ’ s sport leadership master ’ s degree program . The NCAA internship had shown him that an advanced degree would further his career opportunities . Despite his initial hesitation , Waterstone persisted in higher education and , in addition to the degree from UK , he recently earned a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California while working there in athletic compliance .
“ As I began to attend class and engage with the research and pertinent issues surrounding higher education , I became absolutely fascinated with the subject matter of the program ,” Waterstone recalls of his time at UK .
The Michigan native did his undergraduate work at Hope College , where he studied secondary education . Upon moving to Lexington , he found UK to be a second home . UK even turned out to be where he met his wife .
“ I made lifelong friends and colleagues , grew personally and professionally , and established the educational foundation from which I would build my career and I hope to stay connected to the university for many years to come ,” he said .
At USC ’ s Office of Athletic Compliance , Waterstone educates and monitors internal and external constituents and , when necessary , reports infractions and oversees the imposition of any remedial actions . He drafts policy , procedures , and legislation as well as mitigates any potential legal or safety risk associated with managing an athletics department .
Waterstone did not have a prior background in compliance work prior to interviewing for the job in California .
“ I ultimately got the job because I had a good network of colleagues who believed in me , my personality , my
work ethic , and my ability to shorten the learning curve ,” he said . “ That ’ s what got me into athletic compliance . However , the challenge and pace of the work has kept me in athletic compliance . The job requires so much skill and finesse both intellectually and politically . I love a good challenge , and athletic compliance never fails to deliver .”
— Kyle Waterstone
In his own words , Waterstone offers advice to others considering entering the world of athletic compliance .
Q : What advice would you have for a student interested in athletic compliance ?
A : I speak with a lot of young people looking to break into the industry and I always give the same advice : 1 ) be willing to be uncomfortable and 2 ) we ’ re all in the customer service business .
Being uncomfortable is a sign of being challenged . I think for someone to be a successful athletic administrator , he / she needs to embrace challenges and thrive on finding solutions . Specifically , within athletic compliance , a new challenge presents itself everyday , sometimes more than one ! And our job is to creatively navigate those challenges for the betterment of the athletics department while upholding the tenets of amateur , intercollegiate athletics .
And in case you didn ’ t know , tensions can run high in the world of intercollegiate athletics , especially at the high major level . Typically , athletic compliance administrators are put in the unenviable position of managing difficult and sometimes contentious situations . No matter how heated the situation may get , I am going to have to work with that individual ( s ) tomorrow and the next day and the next year . Treating people with the utmost respect is an absolute priority . Athletic compliance is a customer service industry . We don ’ t provide goods ; we provide a service , ensuring our athletics program is in compliance with NCAA , conference and institutional rules in order to foster competitive equity and fair play . Sometimes the guidance we give is not what someone wants to hear . But being a successful athletic compliance administrator
18 | COE COMMUNICATOR | FEBRUARY 2017