On Friday, the 18th of October, I sat down with the University of Hartford’s new Director of Athletics and Recreation, Alicia Queally, to pick her brain as we cross into the midway point of her first fall season as a Hawk. The discourse surrounding UHart’s sports department has been clamorous during my time as a student. The last three years have brought great change. Regardless of how you feel about these changes, the fact remains that UHart sports have entered a new era. We are in a new division and a new conference. We have new facilities and new teams. Perhaps most importantly, we have new leaders.
In light of this, I thought it would be valuable to have an in-depth conversation with our new, fearless leader about the future of our school’s sports programs. For those who don’t know, Alicia Queally joined the Hartford family halfway through November of 2023. Queally was a 3-sport varsity athlete in high school, playing basketball, volleyball, and running track. She continued in college with basketball and volleyball at the University of North Carolina, where she also earned her degrees in sports management and sociology. Queally has spent time on five different university athletic administrations, including a 12-year tenure as the Deputy Athletic Director at Stetson University in Florida. She is also a graduate of the Women Leaders in College Sports Executive Institute as well as the NCAA Pathway Program. These accolades only represent a fraction of her sports administrative résumé that spans over two decades.
My interview with Alicia lasted only 11 minutes, but at that time, I was able to gather the essence of her values comprehensively.
I asked her how she came to be an Athletic Director. She said, “I’ve always naturally taken on leadership roles within my teams. For me, it’s about fulfilling the needs of people around me and making them feel good about themselves.” I continued to ask her which parts of the athletic department she puts the most of her energy into, to which she said, “I put my energy mostly behind building up and empowering our coaches and our student athletes. It’s important that they know they aren’t here to work for me, I’m here to work for them.” When discussing her competitive nature, she said, “The camaraderie that comes with winning, that spirit is unmatched. It’s important that we win.” I asked about any big projects on the horizon. She said, “The track is nearing completion. It’s a project that is going to benefit the entire university and the local community. It’s a tremendous opportunity to get people to wander over to this side of campus.”
I asked her how she measures her own success. She said, “Nobody is going to put more pressure on you than you do for yourself. Being visible and intentional were my first two goals before I walked in the doors here.” I asked her about her goals and she said, “My vision for the department is to keep raising the standard of excellence, so we never actually achieve our goals because they keep getting higher.” Finally, I asked her to send a message directly to the students. She said, “Keep reminding us as to why you chose Hartford, so we can meet you where you’re at, so you can be proud to be Hawks. We are here to make things better.”
Athletics Director Queally has made her intentions very clear. She intends to make the most of every opportunity that comes across her desk. With an emphasis on communication and a knack for perfectionism, Alicia Queally appears to be the right woman to lead Hartford Athletics into the new era.
