The wait to finding ways to diversify applicant pools is over.
As a college administrator and former student-athlete, Daniel Fitzpatrick looked for ways he could help improve the disparity in college sports. After viewing statistics, he realized that there was a discrepancy of 28% student-athletes of color compared to only 13% of employees of color in college athletics. He would fittingly go on to create Depth Chart Database. The database was created to support the increase of people of color in applicant pools, specifically in collegiate athletics.
An All-American football player, Fitzpatrick looked to make game changing plays on the field to give his team an advantage. Now, as an entrepreneur and businessman he has turned that focus into making game changing plays in collegiate athletics by giving people of color more opportunities for jobs.
“We are simply asking athletic directors, conference commissioners, and other decision-makers in collegiate athletics to back up the statements they put out last year in terms of diverse and inclusive departments,” Fitzpatrick noted.
Depth Chart Database, allows people of color working in the field of athletics to join for free and create a profile that would immediately make them visible to potential employers.
Universities and other institutions will have access to view job seekers’ work experience, qualifications and other pertinent information. The responsibility is then put on athletic departments to reach out to these qualified candidates to populate their candidate pools with more diversity.
Sports are changing and taking steps towards moving the needle forward with a social justice lens. The student-athletes, now more than ever, are making their voices heard. They want to see diverse coaching staffs and administrations. They want athletic departments to show that they are valued beyond what they can do on the court or field. Depth Chart Database is the answer.
“Athletic departments no longer have an excuse that they can’t find qualified people of color. Departments are looking for ways to diversify their administration, staff and coaches to provide their student-athletes with the experience of working with people that resemble their identities and we wanted to give them a resource to do that.”
The days of simply relying on the use of networks to exclusively to hire should be put to rest. Those limited tactics have not improved diversity or allowed for specific groups of people to be present in the decision-making rooms.
According to Albert Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Word-of-mouth networking is outdated, organizations have been established and DEI designated positions have been created to help with diversity. But those steps have only worked conditionally. There is a larger issue that needs to be addressed.
“We must be intentional with the hiring process if we want to create positive and equitable change,” Fitzpatrick concluded.
Are you a person of color looking for new opportunities? Depth Chart Database is the place for you. Click here to create a profile and be added to our database.
Are you a college athletic department looking to diversify your staff? Depth Chart Database is the place for you. Click here to subscribe and get access to our database.
Join us as we change the landscape of college athletics one applicant pool at a time.