Corsair

Issue date: 6/2/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Marilyn Taylor SMC Corsair Field is set to undergo renewal this summer. The plan involves replacing the field with an artificial surface and resurfacing the track itself.

On any given day of the week, Dr. Rhonda Hyatt can look out the window of her second floor office overlooking the Corsair Field and see her athletic department busy at work. She can see Coach Aaron Benditson lead his women's soccer team in practice. She can gaze down as conference-winning pole vaulter Eric White trains hard to make up for what he calls a lack of "natural talent."

When Santa Monica College athletes aren't using the field, she can watch neighboring community members run the track.

On a rainy Friday afternoon in late May, the only action on the field worth watching is a light drizzle watering the grass for what might be the last time before an artificial turf is installed this summer. Altogether, it's a very pleasant view.

The truth is, entering her fourth year as Director of Athletics at SMC, Dr. Hyatt doesn't have much time to stare out the window.

Luckily, she had just enough time to talk with The Corsair about some of the changes taking place this summer, and what it means to be an athletic director. Dr. Hyatt is 48 years old, but looks much younger. She commutes from Santa Clarita, where she lives with her husband and favorite dog, a springer spaniel named Rascal.

Ever the outdoors enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, gardening and biking. Growing up in Las Vegas, Hyatt played volleyball and softball, two sports she'd probably hope to see improve at SMC in the coming year. (The women's softball team has won only one of their last 59 games due to their season being cancelled.)

When discussing her duties as athletic director, Hyatt uses words like "cyclical," "routine" and "goes in phases." She says her department has done a good job of establishing a foundation, specifically with regard to core coaches holding positions that are normally a "revolving door" at two-year colleges like SMC.

At a four-year university like Cal State Northridge, where Hyatt spent six years as athletic director before coming to SMC, it's easier to retain star athletes. This is a big challenge for coaches at the community college level pursuing successful seasons. While certain sports have done well historically, like men's basketball, most teams tend to peak for only a few years when they have a particularly strong roster and enthusiastic coaching staff.

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