Witt welcomes senior women’s administrator role in her Club Sports responsibilities
2/1/2023 8:08:00 PM | General
Liberty University Club Sports Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Angie Witt added another responsibility to her title in late November, that of Club Sports senior women's administrator. She assumed the role that was previously held by Associate Athletic Director Tatiana Payne, who is working remotely from home as a new mother.
"It is important to have someone on campus to work with the women student-athletes in Club Sports," Witt said. "It's a role that I'm ready to embrace."
She said Payne, who recently relocated to New England, recommended her for the promotion.
"She said it was a good fit for me, since I already have so much interaction with the student-athletes, and even with the coaches, through athletic training," Witt said. "It gives me another way of interacting with them and helping them with their problems. Tatiana did a great job of representing the females in our department and I want to continue to add to that and be a presence, someone who's known that takes action, if it's in my power to do so. I want to be an advocate and someone who gets things done, but with love and compassion, as well."
Wednesday marked the 37th annual National Girls & Women in Sport Day, a day dedicated to celebrating female achievement in sport, as well as the confidence, strength, and character gained through participation and interaction in sports that helps women such as Witt become strong leaders in life.
She gladly accepted the added responsibility on the Club Sports staff as a calling from the Lord.
"Sometimes God just likes to lay things in your laps and opens doors you were completely unaware of," Witt said. "I didn't go looking for it, but God said, 'Hey, I want you here,' and I'm grateful for that and I am willing to go through whatever doors God opens up for me to impact people and to have an impact for the Kingdom."
Witt's familiarity around campus has eased the transition to the senior administrative position.
"I have been here long enough to know a lot of people, so I have connections and it just gives me a different role and another seat at the table in representing our female athletes and getting them what they need," she said.
Witt still oversees Sports Medicine and Sports Performance as an associate athletic director for both of those Club Sports departments, and will work with the Office of Equity and Compliance to help resolve any Title IX issues regarding treatment of student-athletes on any of the 22 women's Club Sports.
"As senior women's administrator, I will handle all of the Title IX-type of issues with our coaches, staff, and student-athletes and work with those situations," she said. "Any female issues come straight to me before they go to someone else, and hopefully, I can solve them without too much help, but I have the Title IX office and the Student (Counseling Services) office that I can send it on to as well."
She has claimed 1 Peter 3:15 as her life verse as she steps into this new role.
"That verse has been on my heart lately," Witt said. "It talks about honoring Christ, and always being prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within us but doing it with gentleness and respect. I want to honor Christ in everything I do as a senior women's administrator, and as a mom and a wife. First and foremost, our primary responsibility is to honor Christ, and second is to share the reason for the hope we have with others, for eternity and in Jesus, with love and respect."
Witt, who earned her B.S. in Physical Education and Exercise Science at Liberty in 1997 and served as an athletic trainer with the women's basketball team in 1998 before later joining the Club Sports staff as head athletic trainer in 2010. She completed her M.Div. in Christian Ministries with a Leadership emphasis last year, which prepared her for this new area of responsibility.
"That has brought out the shepherding and mentoring side of me, and while this is more of an administrative type of role, for the hard cases, there will be one-on-one mentoring and counseling involved to see them through some of their issues," she said. "I am not a licensed counselor, but them knowing they have someone they can talk to and will listen and provide godly advice to the best of my ability is helpful."
Witt took on her new role while serving as the Lady Flames' Division I women's hockey team's primary athletic trainer on the Dec. 27-Jan. 6 trip to Finland.
"It was as much relationship-building with our girls, as well as ministry," Witt said, noting that the players confided in her more than their coaches. "I have a way with athletes, and they do look up to me. I've been told I'm a little intimidating, but I want to let them know that I'm there to help. The girls on hockey team said, 'Actually you're really fun and cool.' I want to do that with a lot of our girls in Club Sports, to go on road trips with a few of our teams," and get them to see her in a different light.
"I want to get to know all of our women's student-athletes in a personal way, and have them honor and respect me for being a person who loves and cares about them and wants to see what's best for them," she added.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer