Earlier this year, we announced the launch of our proprietary Assessment Certification Program. Our Athlete Interest Inventory and Next Play Pro Assessments have been completed by more than 10,000 athletes at various levels of competition – high school, college and professional – to help with major selection, career exploration, and identity transition. The certification program, which is offered to all existing Game Plan customers, provides information on how to facilitate conversations on assessment results with athletes.
“This program is a direct investment in the administrators we work with at our partner organizations,” said Dr. Tayler Onion, Game Plan’s Head of Curriculum Development. “This cohort was really engaged over the course of our two-day program, and their willingness to share ideas with their peers will no doubt help them have meaningful conversations with athletes on their campuses.”
In September, the first official cohort of administrators were certified. Over the course of two hour and a half sessions, participants were educated on the history of the Athlete Interest Inventory and Next Play Pro assessments, as well as typical talk tracks for discussing results with athletes. Participants also took part in scenario-based learning to better understand how to create dialogue with athletes based on their results, major, career aspirations, and more.
Information and dates about the next Assessment Certification Program are slated to be announced later this year.
Fall 2022 Cohort Roster
Chad Allen, Director of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Cincinnati
Peter Antognetti, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Andrew Carter, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete High Performance & Development at Campbell University
Cassidy Clements, Career Readiness Coordinator at the University of Virginia
Madison Dunker, Coordinator for Student-Athlete Development at the University of Illinois
Lorenzo Guess, Director of Athletic Performance at Michigan State University
Kiersten Klekner-Alt, Assistant Athletic Director at Youngstown State University
Tyler Mettille, Assistant Director of Compliance at Youngstown State University
Emily del Real Montanez, Program Coordinator at Texas A&M University
Heidi VandeHoef-Gunn, Career Readiness Coordinator at the University of Virginia
ABOUT THE ASSESSMENTS
The Next Play Pro Assessment was created exclusively for Game Plan in 2015 by Dr. Nathan Wiita and his team. After a two-year research period where Dr. Wiita and his team examined the athlete identity transition, they were able to create the Next Play Pro assessment. The assessment aims to provide personalized insight regarding the most difficult aspects of the post-athletic transition and includes potential strategies to effectively adjust to life and work after an athletic career.
Through their research, the team identified eight categories which athletes identify most strongly with their athletic experiences. Those categories include Identity, Structure, Support, Status, Stewardship, Camaraderie, Competition, and Feedback.
The Athlete Interest Inventory is based on the RIASEC framework, developed initially by Dr. John Holland. Dr. Holland’s theory has been used in career development since the 1950s, and it is widely used to categorize personality types, work environments, and fields of study. The theory states that:
Game Plan’s Athlete Interest Inventory codes personalities based on interests and suggests potentially satisfying college majors, career fields, work environments, and job titles.
ABOUT GAME PLAN
Game Plan’s comprehensive software platform integrates mobile-first eLearning as well as virtual mentorship and career services, uniquely designed for athletic organizations. Game Plan has over 300 athletic organizations with over 240,000 courses completed yearly. Our eLearning courses provide student-athletes ultimate access and flexibility while equipping both athletics departments and the conference office management tools and insight to ensure outstanding experiences and outcomes. To learn more about Game Plan, please visit wearegameplan.com.
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