Dear Hampton Athletics Community: 

I hope that this message finds you well and that you are all enjoying your summer with your family and friends. Since returning to my alma mater in February, it has been an incredibly busy but fulfilling time serving as your Director of Athletics. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome "home" you have offered to me and my family.

Perhaps most gratifying of all, has been the incredible relationships that I have built as well as rekindled with so many of you already—student-athletes, coaches, staff, faculty, alumni, donors, and fans. All of you have a great passion for Hampton, as do I, and are not shy about sharing a favorite memory!

As we close out the year and look ahead to 2023-24, I want to share with you just some of what we have been up to as a Department since my arrival, to better fulfill our mission and serve our student-athletes. Many of these enhancements and changes are the result of hundreds of conversations and input from so many, as well as my own observations.

·        We have reorganized the Department, changing reporting structures and creating new positions, to better address areas of need, to better support our student-athletes, and to modernize operations.

·        As part of a renewed commitment to our student-athletes, we have renegotiated our medical services agreement with Sentara to enhance the resources and support for the health and well-being of our student-athletes. The new agreement includes four additional athletic trainers bringing our total to ten; additional physician coverage at our home games, specifically in the sports of Men's Lacrosse, Men's Basketball, and Women's Basketball; and the addition of mental health and nutrition resources.

·        We created a fueling station pick-up area for our student-athletes to grab salads and other fueling snacks to eat during the day between meals.

·        Our internal technology to support our student-athletes has been upgraded, renewing our agreement with Teamworks, a comprehensive platform that allows student-athletes to easily access all information and communication regarding scheduling, compliance, team operations, etc. through a centralized portal on their mobile phones. We also have added Retain Academics, a web platform that streamlines the student experience and allows the academic support staff to be more efficient in their work. For example, student-athletes are now able to view their study hall schedules, tutor and mentor appointments, and course information, among many other functions, with the click of a button. Finally, we have partnered with Arms, an essential tool that helps elite sports organizations streamline the recruiting process, create operational efficiency, and mitigate the risk of costly compliance violations.

·        In this new era of intercollegiate athletics, especially Name, Image & Likeness (NIL), we developed and implemented in partnership with INFLCR, a platform for student-athletes to take advantage of NIL opportunities.

·        We are in the process of adding premium seating at Armstrong Stadium. Read more: Hampton University to build premium seating at Armstrong Stadium. [pilotonline.com]

·        We are currently upgrading our ticketing software, which will better serve our fans.

·        We have partnered with Leona Marketing to evaluate our external operations, including the potential to add an outbound ticket sales and multimedia rights partner.

·        We were able to secure a very generous and transformative $1 million commitment from TowneBank. Read more: TowneBank Pledges $1 Million Gift to Hampton University - Hampton University Home.

·        We are in the process of restructuring the vehicle to improve, upgrade and increase philanthropy to the Department of Athletics.

While you will notice some of these changes, many are intended to enhance our efficiency, the student-athlete experience and help address our financial challenges. I look forward to sharing more changes in the months ahead.

And as our work has continued, let's not forget the incredible achievements of our student-athletes this spring, including sophomore Dugion Blackman [hamptonpirates.com], who earned second-team All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Mike A. Meyers Stadium in Austin, Texas. This comes after Dugion won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship in the 800 meters.

This summer will be busy as we prepare for the fall seasons and as many of our student-athletes are back on campus, taking classes and training.

I cannot wait to see all of you on September 9^th in Armstrong Stadium as we kick off our home football slate against Norfolk State on Alumni Day.

Sincerely, 

Anthony Henderson Sr.

Director of Athletics