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Thursday, August 6, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS
Interim AD Hackett talks
student experience at games
By MAX BULTMAN
Daily Sports Editor
CHICAGO — When Jim Hack-
ett played football at Michigan, he
remembers looking into the student
section, wondering what it would be
like to spend a game day there.
Now, as Michigan’s interim
athletic director, Hackett is work-
ing to improve the experience for
those who do.
“I remember going into the sta-
dium and looking over at the stu-
dent section and we used to say,
‘It would be cool to sit over there
sometime,’ ” Hackett said Friday
at Big Ten Media Days. “Because
what was happening in that corner
was so lively and
such at the tex-
ture. And I want
that back. I want
that back in a
way that chang-
es the game.”
Michigan’s
student section
will
be
sub-
stantially larg-
er this season
than last, with
a 54-percent increase of stu-
dent ticket sales. And with the
increase, Hackett wants to make
sure the experience grows too.
He didn’t go into many specifics,
but rather spoke of it as a general
goal of his.
One issue he did address was
stadium internet. He said AT&T
installed new antennas in the sta-
dium and will continue to work
toward solving bandwidth issues.
Additionally, he hopes to con-
tinue to foster growth in the
department through working with
students. Former athletic director
Dave
Brandon
created student
committees
to
help the Athlet-
ic
Department
understand the
students wants
and needs.
With
for-
mer Central Student Government
president Bobby Dishell now out
of office, Hackett is working with
new president Cooper Charlton
on design thinking, a movement
aimed at solv-
ing
problems
through
cre-
ation.
“You
jointly
solve problems
by building pro-
totypes of the
solutions,
and
then you edit
them together,”
Hackett
said
when
describ-
ing design thinking.
The goal, he said, is work
together to accomplish goals, rath-
er than being told problems and
having to figure out ways to solve
them.
Charlton’s
instruction
from
Hackett was to think about the
game day experience. And if they
accomplish their goals, perhaps
football players will once again
envy the student section, just like
Hackett did.
Hackett also spoke about the
Wolverines’ new deal with Nike
and what ways he wants to use
some
of
the
money.
According
to Hackett, the
money
Nike
gives Michigan
will be used both
on athletics and
at other parts of
the university. One such area, Rec
Sports, could see a major boost
from some of the Nike money.
Currently, students pay fees to
participate in intramural and club
sports. But Hackett would like to
alleviate some of that burden, if
possible, to make participation
more accessible.
“(Vice President for Student
Life) Royster Harper and I want
to improve diversity in the Rec
Sports,” Hackett said. “If you can’t
afford to pay to play, how can we
help you have the opportunity
to participate if you come from a
challenging environment?”
NOTES: Hackett said Friday
that the Athletic Department’s
budget deficit, reported at $7.9
million, will be much less than ini-
tially thought. Brandon’s buyout
will be lowered now that he has
accepted the CEO position at Toys
‘R’ Us, which helped to decrease
the deficit. Additionally, the sale
of football tickets fell in this year’s
revenue, which brought Michigan
closer to the black.
“What was
happening in
that corner was
so lively.”
“I want that
back.”
Shannon Scavelli
named to USA
Indoor nationals
By LARA MOEHLMAN
Daily Sports Editor
After an impressive 2014 sea-
son, rising senior forward Shan-
non Scavelli was named to USA
Field Hockey’s 2015-2016 Nation-
al Indoor Team. Scavelli, who
achieved career bests in all major
offensive categories last year,
scored seven goals and added
four assists for the Wolverines.
Just the 23rd Michigan player
to be selected to the USA Indoor
Field
Hockey
National Team
in 42 seasons
as a program,
Scavelli
made
the
cut
after
four tryouts and
beat
out
230
other players.
After
the
intense tryouts,
she
has
been
training
with
the team every two weeks in
Lancaster County, PA. since May.
“Girls from all over the coun-
try are on the team, and it’s been
a really good experience,” Scav-
elli said. “Having other coaches
and being exposed to the next
level of play has been really fun.”
However, the summer train-
ing environment can also be a
difficult one for Scavelli, mainly
because the National Team prac-
tices double as tryouts. Team
members
are
competing
for
selection to one or both of the
upcoming international “tours,”
or tournaments, one in Decem-
ber and one in January.
Scavelli said she is enjoy-
ing her time training with the
national team, despite the high
stakes atmosphere, because she
is gaining valuable techniques
that will make her a stronger
player, especially in Ann Arbor
come fall.
The senior also praised Jun
Kentwell, the newly-appointed
Women’s National Indoor Team
head coach, for her experience
and skill.
“The coach, Jun Kentwell, she’s
been really good,” Scavelli said.
“She definitely knows field hock-
ey and it’s really fun to work with
her and be in a new environment.
Having played for Michigan for a
while, it’s good to go somewhere
else, get new exposure.”
Kentwell told MGoBlue.com
she was equally impressed with
the talent possessed by members
of her team.
“It was pleasing to see so many
quality players,” said Kentwell.
“I am looking forward to work-
ing with this talented group of
players
and
creating a com-
petitive
envi-
ronment which
will raise the
level of every-
one’s game. I
have
identi-
fied a couple
of
important
areas
which
need develop-
ment, and we
will work hard to build a struc-
ture to enable us to compete at
the international level.”
After working at Michigan’s
field hockey camps earlier this
summer, Scavelli is now spend-
ing her spare time working at
several camps in her home state
of New York.
“I really love sharing the game
with younger girls and teaching
them how to play,” Scavelli said,
adding that learning the game
can improve girls’ confidence
levels.
Last season, Scavelli had two
multi-goal performances in addi-
tion to three consecutive game-
winning goals against Central
Michigan, Providence and VCU.
Scavelli is looking to use the
skills she gains on the National
Indoor Team to help her lead
Michigan into a successful sea-
son this upcoming year after fin-
ishing last season with an overall
record of 13-7.
“It’s great to be able to get
that training in,” Scavelli said.
“it’s good to have that and then
coming back, (with) the skills
I’ve learned, I can help my team-
mates.”
FIELD HOCKEY
“Being exposed
to the next level
of play has been
really fun.”