Shaun Richard is a senior associate athletic director in the Ohio State Department of Athletics and has been involved with the Sport and Society Initiative since 2015. 

 

Richard has worked in the sport industry since 2005, and worked at Colgate University, a small Division 1 school before arriving in Columbus. In his role with the Athletic Department at Ohio State, he currently works with all student athletes and coaches to help them succeed, but focuses on field hockey, men’s soccer, men’s hockey, women’s gymnastics and baseball. 

 

When the Sport and Society Initiative began to take hold in 2015, Richard was approached to be a part of the organization for his ideas and connections in the industry. When current SSI Director Nicole Kraft took the helm in 2018, Richard began to take a larger role in the organization, and became an official member of the board. 

 

Among his high-profile involvement was serving as moderator for the session on “Equality and Athletics,” held in the fall of 2018.

 

“SSI is an amazing organization,” Richard said. “We can provide such great life lessons for student-athletes, which is a resource that very few schools have.” 

 

Richard values the impact athletics has on and off the field, which like most things right now, are constantly changing. Many large and small colleges have had to cut sports due to the financial losses of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the world of athletics changes daily. 

 

“We are really helping and teaching young people grow into themselves and to be successful,” Richard said. “The ultimate goal is to still be able to provide all of our athletes with that resource.”

 

In the end, Richard wants to see how SSI can research and dive into the effects of this pandemic on sports. 

 

“I want to be able to put a positive spin on athletics, and I definitely think that’s something SSI can accomplish,” he said.