Navigating the Winds of Change

As we head into summer, our society appears to be at yet another crossroads. The initial shock and response to the COVID-19 pandemic has come and gone and now a general malaise blankets our nation. As many states and countries begin to loosen restrictions and parts of what we used to know begin to reappear, there is no mistaking the winds of change are blowing.

We inherently know the world will never be quite the same, but we are not sure exactly what that means for our daily lives. We beckon for a future direction on essentials – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This challenge has tested our will and masked our collective foresight for what may be next.

While food, health and shelter are the tenants of our existence, sports often offer a salve for the wounds of day-to-day life and valuable nourishment for the emotional soul. So, it is only natural that as we begin to explore our way in what has been exhaustively branded as the “new normal,” we also consider what impact it will have on the future of sports.

As student-athletes in the Southeastern Conference and around the nation have begun the process of returning to campus this month for voluntary workouts, there remain far more questions than answers. The gradual return to campus is the first step on a path where footholds are still being poured just a few strides ahead. The only thing that is abundantly clear is that things will be different. The looming unknown and anticipation of our new reality understandably generates trepidation for many of us. It will be an enduring part of everyday life, as we face what at times can be a daunting future.

As I personally reflect and prepare for what lies ahead, I continue to draw on lessons learned from what, at first, may seem like an unlikely source. More than once during the past few months, I have reflected on what legendary football coach and longtime director of athletics Coach Frank Broyles might have thought about the new challenges we are facing. Coach Broyles died in August 2017 at the age of 92, after more than a half century of service to the Razorbacks, our University and the state of Arkansas.

It is easy to fall into the trap of mistaking longevity for inflexibility. In some cases that can be true. However, at the very essence of longevity is the ability to adapt and change. After spending more than 26 years around Coach Broyles both professionally and personally, I was blessed with a front row seat to watch him captain the Razorback ship time and time again amidst the winds of change.

For a man, whose accomplishments could fill up multiple lifetimes, Coach Broyles spent precious few moments reflecting back. As others reminisced about great memories of the past, Coach Broyles would graciously engage them and validate their personal experiences, but often gently ease the conversation to his latest passion. He was always focused on working toward what was next. It was a script that played out time and time again in his personal life as he continually reinvented himself as a star athlete, football coach, athletics administrator, broadcaster and Alzheimer’s care advocate.

Coach Broyles was a visionary in every sense of the word. His ability to look past the immediate obstacles to see the possibilities of the future was a guiding force throughout his career. From deftly leading Arkansas from a once-proud, but eventually fledgling, Southwest Conference to the oasis of the Southeastern Conference had the Razorbacks securely positioned by the time the avalanche of conference re-alignment dominoes fell. His continuous focus and commitment to facility enhancement helped meet the growing needs of the program and proved vital to attracting quality coaches and student-athletes to the University of Arkansas.

Sometimes the winds of change could feel more like howling gusts from a brewing storm. More than a few coaches through the years were caught in the vortex of Coach Broyles’ weather report. As he would often say, “I will support our head coach, until he is not our head coach.” He was true to his word. For Coach Broyles, there was no dipping a toe in the water. When the time came that he believed a coach was not a part of the program’s future, it was time to make a change.

While many bristle at even the thought of change, Coach Broyles forged straight ahead in a new direction even while others were charged with figuring out the details. For those who work with visionaries, at times, it can feel like you are assembling a sports car from a single grainy photograph without any semblance of tangible guidance, much less a set of step-by-step instructions. Nimbleness often became the number one tool to be deployed.

In other ways, Coach Broyles appeared to be a walking contradiction. In one breath he would bellow in his thick Georgia drawl, “There’s no substitution for great preparation.” Moments later he would turn our course on a dime based on his evaluation of the changing conditions. While seemingly contradictory at the time, only later, did I realize that the two concepts are not always opposed. Recognizing the winds of change and adjusting at the helm is not a sign of weakness, it is the pillar of strength.

Fortunately, just as we have had in the past, we have strong leadership in place to help us navigate. Although their leadership styles are born of different generations, Broyles and Yurachek share the ability to communicate with authenticity to the Razorback Nation. Communication is never more important than in challenging times.

As we prepare for the months and years ahead, we will need to begin to loosen our collective grip on the anchor of the Good Old Days. Masks, social distancing and other precautions will continue to be a way of life for the foreseeable future, including more than likely at sporting events. In the coming weeks, we will learn more about the reality of attending sporting events amid the continuing threat of COVID-19.

For me personally, those minor inconveniences are worth the reward of returning to a life that includes sports. However, I recognize that even amid the unity of the Razorback family, others reside at differing locations in their own personal resolution.

Our focus moving forward should not be on those degrees of difference, but rather our shared resolve. Just as we have stood together for generations to Call the Hogs, we must now rise together to meet our latest challenge.

One of Coach Broyles’ favorite quotes to share was “If you can’t change your situation – change your mind.” It was sage advice that served him well and remains pertinent today as we prepare to move forward. After all, the hardest part of any uncharted journey is the first step.

Razorback Road is a column written by Senior Associate Athletic Director for Public Relations and Former Student-Athlete Engagement Kevin Trainor (@KTHogs). Trainor is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and has worked for Razorback Athletics for more than 25 years.