Cameron Bates – UC Davis Campus Recreation Interview Notes

Background and Career Path

• Cameron Bates is the Assistant Director of Recreation Sports and Adaptive Recreation Racing at UC Davis.
• Early interest and shifts in athletics career:
  • Initially wanted to be a sports agent during undergrad/early graduate years.
  • Shadowed a sports agent and realized the field felt like a dog-eat-dog environment; concerned about integrity and enjoyment of sport.
  • Moving away from the idea of a traditional sports agent, he pursued broader sports roles instead.
• Education and early professional experiences:
  • Pursued a sports management master’s degree in Missouri (Linwood University).
  • Internship for Sports Floors Direct and Regal Cool (California): sales and marketing of gym flooring and turf; major clients included CrossFit figures in Tennessee and the LA Dodgers’ gym.
  • Observed campus recreation while in Missouri and noted the lack of intramurals during undergrad; this inspired interest in campus recreation later.
• Early intramural initiative and programming:
  • In prior work as a housing director, a supervisor suggested adding intramurals; given a $1{,}000 budget, Cameron developed and ran a new intramural program with creative, low-cost approaches.
  • He connected this early experience to later innovations at UC Davis, such as adding non-traditional competitive activities like spelling bee as a sport.
• Transfer to campus recreation and observing others:
  • While earning his master’s, he observed campus recreation and intramurals at universities (notably the University of Idaho) and reflected on how programs are run.
  • Took a role at the University of Idaho in intramurals/campus recreation before moving to UC Davis; he had also experienced government recreation as a stop along the way, which was not as positive.
• Summary of trajectory:
  • A non-linear journey through private sector sport flooring, graduate studies, observation of campus recreation, and roles at multiple institutions, culminating in leadership at UC Davis.

Imposter Syndrome and Interview Mindset

• Impression of impostor syndrome:
  • Cameron does not feel impostor syndrome in campus recreation; he has a long history officiating sports (high school and middle school basketball) and believes in living authentically.
  • He emphasizes honesty about what he knows and where to seek help from supervisors when needed.
• Interview philosophy:
  • He views interviews as a two-way process: assess both the organization and fit with mission/culture.
  • He advises students to be authentic and to interview places as well as be interviewed.

Challenges, Turning Points, and Accomplishments

• A challenging period and call-out for balance:
  • In his second year at UC Davis, he managed 43 different sports with about 10{,}000 participants as the sole coordinator for those duties.
  • Lacked Fusion Play software at that time, relying on older systems; it contributed to stress and mental health strain.
  • A colleague confronted him about burnout, which he credits with prompting a shift in approach and reliance on better tech to manage workflows.
• Major accomplishments:
  • Earned a master’s degree in sports management.
  • Leadership Award in his undergraduate class (one student in the graduating class received it).
  • Completed an Iron Man event, highlighted as a personal milestone beyond daily responsibilities.
  • Other ongoing professional improvements include building a program that can be a model nationally and sharing successful practices with other schools.
• Personal takeaway:
  • He values humility and learning from mistakes; he notes that even missteps can translate into stronger ethics and better decision-making going forward.

Typical Day and Handling the Unexpected

• Daily routine:
  • Wake at about 05:30, commute starts around 06:15–06:30, and arrive on campus around 06:45–07:00.
  • Morning workout of roughly 1.5 hours, then work starts at 09:00.
  • The daily schedule varies with the quarter; early fall includes opening training for new students and setting up sports calendars with many questions from staff.
  • Frequent email management and scheduling tasks; training sessions for officials occur in the evenings.
• Managing urgency and priorities:
  • When something is high priority/urgent, address it immediately; otherwise, weigh what is most important and what can wait.
  • Maintains a consistent routine to ensure personal schedule (e.g., workouts) is not disrupted.
• What brings joy vs. drains:
  • Joy: watching students enjoy competitions, seeing officials perform well, and seeing a moment where everything clicks for participants.
  • Drains: excessive or redundant safety trainings and administrative processes that reduce time with students, plus disliked elements like self-evaluations and aging software systems.
• Pain points and critiques:
  • Frustration with certain mandatory trainings that seem to steal time from students’ on-field experiences.
  • Discontent with self-evaluations, which feel pointless because raises are often determined by departmental policies rather than individual self-assessments.
  • Frustration with outdated software (CES, 1998-era) and a desire for modern, reliable systems.

Budgeting, Hiring, and Leadership Style

• Budgeting approach:
  • Primary goal is to stay under budget; compares to managing a personal bank account.
  • Uses a capital assets plan for expensive purchases; prioritizes needs over wants; if funds remain near the fiscal year end, asks staff what is needed now and what can wait.
  • Equipment is treated as a variable/essential cost depending on programming needs.
  • Hiring staff budgets: overspending can be acceptable if it is justified by higher participation and successful programming.
• Hiring philosophy:
  • Typically hires 85–90% of applicants; decisions are guided by staff input and alignment with program needs.
  • Supports staff, allowing individuals to learn through experience rather than micromanaging; encourages self-reliance and learning from mistakes.
• Teaching style:
  • Willing to teach in multiple ways but allows individuals to learn from their own methods; provides support when asked.
• Leadership style:
  • Describes himself as laid-back and non-micromanaging, but to the point: if performance is good, he stays off their backs; if not, he intervenes.
  • Open-door policy, compassionate and empathetic, tailored to individual staff needs.
  • Sees criticism from officials as constructive and something to build upon.
• Building trust and culture:
  • Strives to be authentic and approachable; aims to build trust by showing vulnerabilities and strengths, and by creating a welcoming environment.
  • Believes in constructive feedback and treating criticisms as opportunities for improvement.
  • Views goal as helping staff become better, even better than him, through mentorship and autonomy.
• Specific steps to cultivate culture and motivation:
  • He solicits staff input and treats ideas as valid; decisions are made with team consensus where possible.
  • When a sport was removed, he weighed staff opinions and observed outcomes to decide whether to replace it; emphasizes collaborative decision-making.
  • Focuses on making staff feel valued and part of a team, rather than as mere workers.
• Measuring success and growth:
  • Success is partly measured by participation numbers and waitlists; examples include waitlists of up to $20$ teams indicating strong demand.
  • He emphasizes that numbers do not lie and that growth over time is a sign of success; also values the ability to pilot new ideas and adapt if they fail.
  • Believes in striving for continual improvement and being willing to fail and learn from those failures (the “spaghetti at the wall” approach).
• The “angle” and future trajectory:
  • Aims to remain as an assistant director for the foreseeable future, valuing direct student engagement and opportunities to train officials.
  • Sees potential to move to higher leadership later, but still wants to maintain some student interaction.
  • Interested in sharing successful practices with other institutions and speaking publicly about innovations.
• Personal and side pursuits:
  • Officiating lacrosse as a newer sport; hopes to become a top high school lacrosse official; cautious about moving into college lacrosse officiating.
  • Hosts a sports podcast (active for ~5 years).
  • Interested in long-term financial planning, including saving and real estate investments.

What Success Looks Like in His Role and Future Goals

• Success indicators include:
  • High levels of participant satisfaction and engagement during events.
  • Efficient operation of programs and effective official trainings; positive feedback from staff and participants.
  • Quantitative indicators such as numbers of participants and waitlists; expansion or replication of successful programs at other institutions.
• Future goals:
  • Improve and innovate within UC Davis’ recreation and intramurals; become one of the best programs in the nation in recreation and intramurals.
  • Continue to experiment with new ideas, present findings nationally, and help other schools adopt proven practices.
  • Maintain a balance between leadership duties and direct student engagement (training officials, officiating, and mentoring).

Reflections on Mistakes and Learning

• If given a chance to redo things:
  • He would likely do things the same overall because mistakes offered important learning experiences.
  • Example from undergrad: a social media comment about cheerleaders became a major incident; he views it as a catalyst for learning about ethics and accountability rather than a regret that overrides growth.
  • He acknowledges past job moves that didn’t work out but considers those experiences valuable for understanding what he does and does not want in future roles.
• Core philosophy:
  • Humans will make mistakes; what matters is learning from them and not repeating them.
  • Morals and ethics remain central; maintain integrity while pursuing professional growth.

Quick Reference: Key Numbers and Facts

• Number of sports overseen: $43$
• Annual participants: $10{,}000$
• Annual budget for new intramural program start: $1000$
• Year associated with outdated CES software (to be upgraded): $1998$
• Addressing time commitments: typical day includes a work window from $09:00$ to $17:00$, with evening official trainings and potential late days (up to around $22:00$) depending on events
• Undergrad peers in commencement context: $400$
• Exposure to waitlists and capacity growth: waitlists up to $20$ teams
• Personal milestones: completed a first-ever Iron Man event; completed a master’s degree; 5-year podcast history
• Growth-oriented metrics: growth in participant numbers and program offerings over time (e.g., introduction of new sport formats and expansion of officiating programs)

Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance

• Authentic leadership and psychological safety:
  • Cameron emphasizes authenticity, openness to feedback, and vulnerability as leadership tools to build trust.
• Budget discipline and strategic trade-offs:
  • He balances budget constraints with program growth by prioritizing needs, seeking approvals for capital assets, and evaluating whether excess spending correlates with higher participation.
• Employee development and learning by doing:
  • He avoids micromanagement, encourages autonomy, and supports staff with guidance when needed—believing that practical experience builds capability.
• Measurement and adaptability:
  • Uses both qualitative (joy, culture) and quantitative (participation, waitlists) indicators to assess program health.
• Ethical and practical implications:
  • The discussion on impostor syndrome, burnout, and the ethics of coaching and officiating highlights the importance of mental health and integrity in leadership.
• Real-world relevance:
  • The interview illustrates how campus recreation programs operate, how budgets and staffing are managed, and how innovative ideas (e.g., spelling bee as a sport) can transform student engagement.