University of Delaware Athletics
Photo by: Mikey Reeves
Behind the Feathers: A Monthly Communication from Delaware Athletics
9/17/2026 2:00:00 PM | Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens,
It's been an exciting start to the fall season for our Fightin' Blue Hens, and nothing compares to the energy on campus right now. Our teams are competing, our student-athletes are working hard every day, and campus is filled with students donning blue and gold as they walk to class. One of my favorite things to do is to grab lunch in the Whitney Kitchen, our student-athlete dining hall, and have the opportunity to say hello to our Blue Hens, congratulate them on a great play or big win, and ask them how their classes are going.
Being able to connect with our student-athletes is one of my favorite parts of the job. Last week I had the opportunity to go to our first Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting of the year, and also sit in on a captains' dinner, a gathering of fall sport captains. Both of these groups are filled with leaders who are committed to fostering incredible experiences for all their peers, developing their leadership skills, learning about team culture building, and becoming the best versions of themselves to help their teams win. In the SAAC meeting, I was able to hear from our student-athletes on why they came to Delaware, what they love about this place, what changes they want to see, and what their priorities are for the year as a group. In the captains' dinner, we discussed bouncing back after a loss, using emotional intelligence to lead each of your teammates in the way they individually need and transitioning from a teammate to a captain. I always leave those meetings so impressed with our Blue Hens, how they are committed to our growth and success, and how well they represent us.
SAAC and our captains leadership group are two of many ways we prioritize developing our student-athletes outside of the field of play. Developing champions is one of our key priorities, and that goes well beyond competitions; we are developing Blue Hens who are prepared for life after UD. The B.L.U.E. (Building Leaders Utilizing Education) program enables that growth. Launched nearly 10 years ago when we recognized our student-athletes didn't have the same time as other students to participate in campus-led leadership and career development opportunities, the B.L.U.E. program focuses on providing these opportunities in a flexible way that allows our student-athletes to engage and participate. Sessions focus on financial literacy (budgeting, investments, banking, etc.), mental health and well-being (non-sport identity and mental health support resources), and communication and networking (self-marketing on social media, building a professional network, and career networking events). I'm very proud of this program and how it helps prepare our student-athletes for life after UD.
Another area of immense importance for our student-athletes is our career readiness programming. I'm proud to share that for each of the last three years, over 95-percent of our student-athlete graduates have been either employed full time or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating. You can hear more from our Associate Director of Career Readiness Steven Caulfield on our most recent episode of Fightin' Words, as he shares more about the work he does and why he is so passionate about helping our student-athletes prepare for life after college.
Case in point, we had some Blue Hens with impressive summer plans. Lange Gaspar, a junior leadership major on the men's lacrosse team and the President of SAAC, got to travel to Dallas, Texas, and participate in the Conference USA SAAC meetings with other student-athletes, and spent the remainder of his summer interning with FCA Lacrosse, where he was responsible for fundraising, organizing camps, and mentoring young lacrosse players. Olivia Bley, a junior operations management major on the women's soccer team, had the opportunity to intern at the World Cup this summer in Philadelphia. She worked for sports marketing firm Octagon on a soccer-themed activation for Home Depot. Daphne Metz, a sophomore chemical engineering major on the rowing team, interned as a river steward at the Housatonic Valley Association, participating in experiences related to conservation and environmental sciences such as fieldwork and community outreach, which helped her build on her current degree and direct her future career plans. These are just a few of the many incredible things our Blue Hens did this summer, and highlight the passionate, focused, and driven student-athletes we have in Newark.
It was great catching up with so many Blue Hens fans and alumni in Nashville last weekend as we had a great turnout at our events around our football game at Vanderbilt. Football returns for a big game on Saturday as we take on Coastal Carolina at home – I hope to see many of you there! Our women's soccer program is off to a great start with a 4-1-3 record, and men's soccer has a 3-2-3 mark with its only two losses coming against #6 Georgetown and #2 Maryland. Field hockey took down #18 Monmouth earlier this season, volleyball went undefeated in the Blue Hen Invitational, and cross country finished second in its season-opening Delaware Invitational. As many of our fall programs are heading into their conference schedules, and ice hockey and swimming & diving open their seasons later this month – we have a lot of great competitions ahead of us!
We appreciate your continued support of our Blue Hens!
Go Hens,
Jordan Skolnick
It's been an exciting start to the fall season for our Fightin' Blue Hens, and nothing compares to the energy on campus right now. Our teams are competing, our student-athletes are working hard every day, and campus is filled with students donning blue and gold as they walk to class. One of my favorite things to do is to grab lunch in the Whitney Kitchen, our student-athlete dining hall, and have the opportunity to say hello to our Blue Hens, congratulate them on a great play or big win, and ask them how their classes are going.
Being able to connect with our student-athletes is one of my favorite parts of the job. Last week I had the opportunity to go to our first Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting of the year, and also sit in on a captains' dinner, a gathering of fall sport captains. Both of these groups are filled with leaders who are committed to fostering incredible experiences for all their peers, developing their leadership skills, learning about team culture building, and becoming the best versions of themselves to help their teams win. In the SAAC meeting, I was able to hear from our student-athletes on why they came to Delaware, what they love about this place, what changes they want to see, and what their priorities are for the year as a group. In the captains' dinner, we discussed bouncing back after a loss, using emotional intelligence to lead each of your teammates in the way they individually need and transitioning from a teammate to a captain. I always leave those meetings so impressed with our Blue Hens, how they are committed to our growth and success, and how well they represent us.
SAAC and our captains leadership group are two of many ways we prioritize developing our student-athletes outside of the field of play. Developing champions is one of our key priorities, and that goes well beyond competitions; we are developing Blue Hens who are prepared for life after UD. The B.L.U.E. (Building Leaders Utilizing Education) program enables that growth. Launched nearly 10 years ago when we recognized our student-athletes didn't have the same time as other students to participate in campus-led leadership and career development opportunities, the B.L.U.E. program focuses on providing these opportunities in a flexible way that allows our student-athletes to engage and participate. Sessions focus on financial literacy (budgeting, investments, banking, etc.), mental health and well-being (non-sport identity and mental health support resources), and communication and networking (self-marketing on social media, building a professional network, and career networking events). I'm very proud of this program and how it helps prepare our student-athletes for life after UD.
Another area of immense importance for our student-athletes is our career readiness programming. I'm proud to share that for each of the last three years, over 95-percent of our student-athlete graduates have been either employed full time or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating. You can hear more from our Associate Director of Career Readiness Steven Caulfield on our most recent episode of Fightin' Words, as he shares more about the work he does and why he is so passionate about helping our student-athletes prepare for life after college.
Case in point, we had some Blue Hens with impressive summer plans. Lange Gaspar, a junior leadership major on the men's lacrosse team and the President of SAAC, got to travel to Dallas, Texas, and participate in the Conference USA SAAC meetings with other student-athletes, and spent the remainder of his summer interning with FCA Lacrosse, where he was responsible for fundraising, organizing camps, and mentoring young lacrosse players. Olivia Bley, a junior operations management major on the women's soccer team, had the opportunity to intern at the World Cup this summer in Philadelphia. She worked for sports marketing firm Octagon on a soccer-themed activation for Home Depot. Daphne Metz, a sophomore chemical engineering major on the rowing team, interned as a river steward at the Housatonic Valley Association, participating in experiences related to conservation and environmental sciences such as fieldwork and community outreach, which helped her build on her current degree and direct her future career plans. These are just a few of the many incredible things our Blue Hens did this summer, and highlight the passionate, focused, and driven student-athletes we have in Newark.
It was great catching up with so many Blue Hens fans and alumni in Nashville last weekend as we had a great turnout at our events around our football game at Vanderbilt. Football returns for a big game on Saturday as we take on Coastal Carolina at home – I hope to see many of you there! Our women's soccer program is off to a great start with a 4-1-3 record, and men's soccer has a 3-2-3 mark with its only two losses coming against #6 Georgetown and #2 Maryland. Field hockey took down #18 Monmouth earlier this season, volleyball went undefeated in the Blue Hen Invitational, and cross country finished second in its season-opening Delaware Invitational. As many of our fall programs are heading into their conference schedules, and ice hockey and swimming & diving open their seasons later this month – we have a lot of great competitions ahead of us!
We appreciate your continued support of our Blue Hens!
Go Hens,
Jordan Skolnick
Wednesday, May 10
Tuesday, May 09
Tuesday, May 09
Monday, May 08
