Interview with DJ Preston, Director of Recreation and Wellness at Radford University (Radford, Virginia).
Interviewer: Aubrey Kelly (class cohort 63).
Focus: career path in recreation, leadership insights, daily operations, challenges, and perspectives on diversity and inclusion.
Early life and entry into recreation
DJ Preston is a Virginia Tech and Texas State University graduate with about 15 years of campus recreation and recreational sports experience.
Entered recreation after an injury from football; sought an outlet to stay active and competitive.
Recruitment entry: Virginia Tech posted a campus bus ad seeking officials; family background in officiating (father was a referee and coach), which influenced his interest.
Initial exposure to officiating led to refereeing, running leagues, and eventually a graduate assistant opportunity.
Education and degree
Bachelor’s degree: Resource Management (described as business from the bottom up, focusing on consumer support and processes for everyday people).
Motivation for graduate study: wanted to stay in sports; pursued sport management as a related field.
NRSA conference experience during senior year opened opportunities for graduate assistantships.
NRSA stands for National Intramural Recreational Sports Association.
At NRSA conference, he submitted resumes to ~20 schools; received ~12 interviews and ~5 offers for graduate programs.
Ended up at Texas State University for graduate school; Texas State is about 30 minutes south of Austin.
Structure: Two intramural GAs in the office; year-one GA and outgoing year-two GA.
Supervisor emphasized “room to fail,” enabling learning through trial, error, and damage control.
Key lessons: decision-making, how to recover from missteps, performance management, hiring student employees, program growth, and learning office dynamics.
Experience reinforced enjoyment of recreation’s pace and culture; observed a laid-back yet productive environment.
Transition: athletics vs. recreation
Internship experience with men’s basketball operations during graduate program (athletics track).
Reason to pursue recreation over athletics: while ATHLETICS can be appealing, entry-level rec positions often offered higher pay and more opportunities for growth.
Despite initial interest in D1 athletics, Preston chose to stay in recreation due to long-term alignment with interests and better entry-level opportunities.
Post-Texas State: returning to Virginia and broader opportunities
Market: job offers elsewhere were not aligned with desired locations or roles; declined several offers in other regions.
Returned to Virginia and engaged in substitute teaching and coaching; started an AAU basketball program to help high school students transition to college opportunities and to teach life skills through sport.
Virginia Tech recruited him back about a year later for a sport club coordinator role.
Tenure at Virginia Tech: 7 years, during which he progressed from Sport Club Coordinator to Senior Associate Director (through roles including Sport Club Coordinator, Assistant Director for Club Sports, Associate Director, and Senior Associate Director).
Virginia Tech experiences: ups, downs, and growth
First full-time role required adjusting to office dynamics and politics, unlike the GA experience.
The initial supervisor significantly influenced growth; different leadership styles required adaptation.
Navigating university politics and office culture taught him to balance process changes with respect for established practices.
Key challenges included:
Building relationships with student-athletes, coaches, and broader university stakeholders.
Learning the political landscape and how to implement changes without disrupting relationships.
Managing a budget and staffing in a way that aligns with university priorities.
A bridging-funded position example: a new role costing around 70,000 total; the university budget office provided 40,000 while the remaining amount had to be generated through revenues or other means. This required strategic fundraising or revenue generation to sustain the position.
Cultural emphasis: created a positive departmental culture emphasizing fun, teamwork, and strong relationships; leveraged Tech’s strong reputation to attract partnerships and professional development.
Noted value in external interest: other programs reached out to learn from Virginia Tech’s club sports, fitness, and overall recreation operations.
Move to Radford University
After seven years at Virginia Tech, Preston transitioned to Radford University as Director of Recreation and Wellness.
Current tenure at Radford: about 6.5 years (six and a half years).
Roles encompassed:
Overseeing Outdoor Programs, Sports Clubs, Intramurals, Facilities, and Wellness initiatives.
Mentoring and supervising staff, serving as a leader and supervisor.
The broad scope requires balancing multiple areas, ensuring cohesive program delivery and staff development.
A typical day and time management
He emphasizes there is no truly “typical day.”
Preferred rhythm (when possible):
Start with email and quiet time in the morning to address pressing items and set priorities.
Reserve afternoons for meetings, approvals, and decisions that require collaboration.
Allocate time for projects and strategic work to move initiatives forward.
Empower staff to make decisions, delegating authority to avoid bottlenecks and maintain momentum.
In practice: mornings can be quiet (e.g., arriving by 7:00 AM for a few uninterrupted hours), while afternoons are filled with interruptions and approvals.
Campus realities: smaller campus means more frequent interruptions and a need for deliberate calendar management.
What brings him joy and what drains him
Most joyful: seeing former students achieve success (e.g., placing graduates in graduate assistantships or first jobs in recreation; noted several pathways into rec careers).
Noted source of pride: over the past six years, about six former students have moved into graduate assistantships or entry-level rec positions via his supervision or programs.
Other joys: organizational achievements, staff recognition, and department accomplishments.
Drains/exhaustions: political environment and office politics on a small campus; changes happening quickly with many stakeholders and priorities; difficulty with policy shifts and bureaucratic constraints.
Preference: would opt out of politics if possible, but acknowledges the need to navigate them effectively to advance mission and programs.
Prioritization, balance, and delegation
Clear priorities: Outdoors, Esports, and Well-being are the core focus areas guiding decisions.
A new university initiative (a new position) will be a high-priority item to ensure successful rollout.
Facility maintenance: essential as the “face” and “body” of the recreation program; a well-maintained facility supports recruitment and retention.
Recruitment and optimization: ensure that the facility and programs appeal to current and prospective students.
Staffing strategy: six direct reports; the director’s structure includes an Associate Director (right hand) and an Office Manager (left hand) to streamline operations.
Hiring philosophy: hire people whose strengths complement and fill gaps in the team rather than mirroring the director’s strengths; aim to place “aces in their places” to maximize efficiency (e.g., tasks that take a staff member a few seconds instead of a minute for the director).
Leadership approach: empower staff, check in, stay cohesive, and create a sense of value and belonging so people want to come to work and perform.
Time management tool: calendar and scheduling are crucial for staying organized and ensuring follow-through.
Leadership style and interpersonal approach
Leadership style described as flexible, common-sense, and adaptable to individual staff needs.
Varies by staff: some require frequent touchpoints (e.g., 3 times per week), others once every 2–4 weeks; adaptability is key.
Emphasizes tailored management to fit each supervisee’s needs.
Most challenging situations: policy and external drivers
The toughest decisions involve policy: navigating federal (DOJ), state (Virginia), and university-wide policies and executive orders.
An ongoing need to stay ahead of policy changes to ensure alignment with university policy, state policies, and applicable orders.
Approach to policy: pause and interpret what a policy says and means, then plan how to align programs and operations accordingly.
Example of policy friction: multiple policies that may not align with the department’s preferred practices, requiring careful management and compromise.
Philosophy: control what you can control; manage what you cannot; find ways to align with overarching policy while maintaining program quality.
Diversity, inclusion, and representation
The interviewer asks about diversity and inclusion from the perspective of an African American male in this high-level recreation role.
Transcript ends mid-question; the actual response to the diversity question is not included.
While the response is not provided, several implicit themes emerge:
The importance of representation in leadership roles.
The potential for broader inclusion in program staffing, student engagement, and partnerships.
The need to address potential barriers and create pathways for underrepresented groups in recreation leadership.
Key numbers and factual references (LaTeX-formatted)
Number of years in campus recreation and recreational sports: approximately 15 years.
Years at Virginia Tech: 7 years.
Years at Radford University (current role): about 6.5 years.
Virginia Tech tenure progression (positions): Sport Club Coordinator → Assistant Director for Club Sports → Associate Director → Senior Associate Director.
Virginia Tech graduates and education:
Bachelor's degree: Resource Management.
Texas State University: Graduate Assistant in Intramural Sports; described as a high-paced experience with two intramural GAs.
NRSA conference interview-and-offer process:
Submissions to about 20 schools is referenced (folders).
Roughly 12 interviews obtained from those folders.
Approximately 5 offers received from those interviews.
Staffing at Radford: six direct reports (six is denoted as 6).
Connections to broader principles and real-world relevance
Pathways into recreation vs athletics: career decisions may hinge on personal interests, growth opportunities, and financial considerations; recreation roles can offer broader impact, leadership development, and sustainability.
Growth mindset and “fail fast” philosophy: early GA experiences emphasized learning from mistakes and adjusting approaches accordingly.
Mentorship and leadership development: the importance of a supportive, enabling supervisor and a strong team structure (associate director and office manager) to scale operations on a smaller campus.
Change management and policy literacy: in higher education, leaders must navigate evolving policies and orders while maintaining program excellence and staff well-being.
Diversity and inclusion in leadership roles: acknowledging the importance of representation and inclusive practices within recreation leadership and program development.
Ethical, philosophical, and practical implications
Balancing transparency with political navigation: maintaining integrity while operating within a complex institutional landscape.
Responsibility to staff development: prioritizing staff growth, equitable workloads, and recognition of contributions.
Resource stewardship: bridging-funded positions require strategic revenue generation and accountability to the university budget.
Student development as a core mission: placing graduates into further opportunities reflects a commitment to long-term student success.
Community-building: fostering a positive departmental culture that emphasizes fun, teamwork, and collaboration as core values.
Summary takeaways
A career in recreation can arise from personal resilience (injury), family influence, and proactive engagement in campus opportunities (e.g., NRSA, internships).
Early experiences in GAs and supportive supervisors can shape leadership style and organizational culture.
On a smaller campus, leaders must be highly adaptable, using a people-centered approach and strategic delegation to manage multiple programs.
Policy and external mandates are constant pressures; proactive policy literacy is essential for operational success.
Diversity and inclusion are critical considerations in leadership conversations, though specific discussion points may require direct input from individuals.