Lori Runksmeier, Director of Athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), would be quick to agree that for Division III leaders, very few responsibilities are out of scope. “Right now I have sports supervision over all of the sports and support staff, budgeting, hiring, evaluations—all those pieces ultimately rest with me.”
When so much falls on one person’s shoulders, it’s impossible to be everywhere all at once. “My coaches are probably the closest to the ground and are the first people who really notify me about big items that are hitting,” says Runksmeier.
Staff and coaches, however, only represent part of the athletics community. When Runksmeier needed a better way to stay connected to ECSU’s student-athletes, she turned to RealResponse.
About Eastern Connecticut State University
Founded in 1889, Eastern Connecticut State University provides a strong liberal arts education to 4,300 students across 41 majors and 65 minors. The Division III Warriors athletics program encompasses baseball, basketball, soccer, cross country and more.
Leveling the field between student-athletes, coaches and staff
In 2019, ECSU became one of the first Division III institutions to adopt RealResponse. For Runksmeier, the need for a centralized, anonymous reporting platform was about more than compliance.
“I wanted to have documentation,” she explains. “But I also wanted to give my student-athletes an opportunity to really voice concerns. Hierarchies and power differentials are a reality in athletics departments—whether it’s coaches and athletes or an athletics director and athletes. Often, someone might not want to say anything because they could be jeopardizing playing time (among a hundred other reasons).”
The platform provided a lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Runksmeier would use it to easily communicate (quickly changing) guidance across her staff and players. Today, she pushes personalized monthly check-ins through the app, encouraging student-athletes to share feedback about anything happening within their teams—both positive and negative.
“It’s not always just a complaint about the coaches. There have also been shoutouts to specific athletics trainers. There have been student-athletes who were concerned about teammates based on behaviors they had observed. So it can be almost anything really.”
Reports submitted through RealResponse are automatically flagged for ECSU’s Title IX Officer, Dean of Students and the Vice President of Student Affairs. This all-hands-on-deck approach ensures that leaders campus-wide (not only within the athletics department) have visibility into all potential issues and input.
The invaluable impact of giving student-athletes an outlet
Over the last few years, RealResponse has become an always-on resource for ECSU student-athletes looking for support. Unlike ad hoc surveys and other formal check-ins, the platform is there whenever a member of the Warrior athletics community is in need.
“It isn’t just at the end of a season when an athlete might have something they want to say,” says Runksmeier. “Whether it’s positive or not so positive, it doesn’t mean that it just happens on March 7 after basketball season is done.”
For ECSU coaches and athletics staff, RealResponse offers peace of mind. Team concerns and constructive feedback can only be addressed when they’re known—and the platform ensures anyone can share that input anonymously, without fear of retaliation. With enhanced visibility into internal challenges, ECSU leaders can mitigate larger crises or reputational damage before they occur.
As Runksmeier sums it up, “Athletes need to feel heard. And if they don’t feel heard [within our community], they’re going to feel heard somewhere else.”
Photos courtesy of Eastern Connecticut State University.
