Behind the scenes in Athletics

Karina Rodriguez | THE RIDER

UTRGV Athletics staff consists of more than what spectators see on the field or on the court.

Steven Kraus, associate athletic director for sports medicine, said he started working at UTRGV in his current position in 2020. 

“This time around, I heard the news that the managerial position … opened up,” Kraus said. “I always thought of myself possibly coming back here in that position and, sure enough, I got a phone call or two and asked if I was interested in it. I said, ‘Absolutely.’ So, from there, I just … started conversations with [Vice President and Director of Athletics] Chasse Conque and just hit it off again.” 

He held his first position at UTRGV from 2016 to 2019 as an athletic trainer and mainly worked with the men’s basketball and women’s and men’s golf teams. He left for his graduate school alma mater, Florida International University, to work as an athletic trainer. 

Kraus said his job entails working closely with athletes to help maintain their health. 

“Well, in a normal year, basically having the ability to be with the athletes at their lowest low and then help them to get back to normal, or even surpass normal … is really rewarding,” he said. 

Kraus said this year was especially rewarding since he was a part of maintaining COVID-19 protocols. 

“I think seeing our protocols work [was the most rewarding],” he said. “There was an instance where we had a temperature screen. It was elevated, [and] we isolated the person. They ended up testing positive. So, we have the variables to kind of limit and contain the spread of COVID, [and] there were times where people were exposed, and we found out with proper time, proper training and we quarantined them.” 

He plans on staying at UTRGV through the next five years.

“It’s everyone’s cliche answer but still here,” he said. “I definitely think there’s so much to build on, [and] there’s so much to grow and develop. I really want to be here in five years and look back at this year and say, ‘Wow. You know, we’ve grown so much.’ I think there’s just a lot of resources that we can tap into a lot of growth within our relationship with UT Health that I am excited to be part of and really want to build off of.” 

Victoria Peña, special assistant to Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lane Lord, said her original plan was not to work with Athletics.

“About seven [or] six months after I graduated college, I realized I wanted to get back into college athletics, and I saw that the compliance department had a position open,” Peña said. “It was for the assistant athletic director position. I was like, ‘I can be an assistant, and that’s easy.’ I understood the plans because I’ve studied criminal justice.” 

She said she left UTRGV after a semester of working to be an assistant coach at Hill Junior College then returned back to her current position in June 2018.  

Peña said working closely with players is her favorite aspect of the job.

“Definitely getting to work with the team and working with the coaches that I’ve worked with is my favorite,” she said. “You get to learn from them. Really, I mean, I really think the girls make life easier, a lot of fun [and] sometimes [are] a headache. But, mainly, it has been awesome.” 

Daniel Elizondo, assistant athletic director for communications, started at legacy institution University of Texas-Pan American as the athletic media relations manager in 2013 and was promoted to his current position in July 2020. 

Elizondo said that  inspiration in his career is his former professor and his family.

“I would have to say Fred Mann,” Elizondo said. “He used to teach at UTPA, and he was the one that got me into broadcasting initially. He always had that work ethic. He wanted to do everything he could for his students, and he worked hard to make sure we had opportunities to be able to do what we wanted to do. … I mean, my family continues to drive me every day, too.”  

He said working with his co-workers is his favorite part about being in the Athletics department. 

“I think my favorite part, you know, [is] coming to work on game day, or every day and getting to interact with my co-workers,” Elizondo said. “You know, working together to get the job done. I’ve been here long enough to really understand that we can’t get everything done without [everyone].”