By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

ORONO – Karen Brown walked aimlessly through the corridors of Lengyel Hall.

Trying to register for classes late into the college year at the University of Maine, Brown had already been thwarted by two other advisors. They had too many students already.

So the Pittsfield native tried another office. Whether it be instinct, pure luck or fate, Brown couldn’t have made a wiser choice.

“I popped my head into Walter Abbott’s office,” said Brown. “He didn’t know me. I’m like, Excuse me, sir.’ He turns and scares me – oh, he just bellows out something.

“Anyway, he agreed to be my advisor, and I was desperate because I needed to register for classes.”

That fateful meeting could play a role in the landscape of sports in this state. Abbott not only helped steer Brown toward graduate school, but also was a vital link in Brown becoming director for Maine’s Center for Sport and Coaching (MCSC), a statewide coaching education center headquartered in Orono.

Brown will be a driving force for Sports Done Right. The federally-funded report, produced by a Maine initiative and select panel over the last year, is now in the hands of Brown and the MCSC. She will work closely throughout the state with pilot sites, including school departments in Lewiston, Auburn, Poland and Winthrop.

“My job is to carry on their work,” said Brown of the select panel, which included Abbott, an associate professor of physical education at Maine. “My job is to not let them down, in my eyes, and not let the state of Maine down. I’m the main contact, and if I don’t do my job, this won’t succeed.”

Brown is an engaging and enthusiastic spokesperson for the cause.

She was a point guard, shortstop and striker in three sports at Maine Central Institute. The energy and resolve she had as an athlete is now utilized as she rushes headlong into greater pressure and responsibility.

“It’s my first year, and I’m taking on the biggest project the university has ever done,” said Brown, who earned a Kinesiology and Physical Education degree at Maine and received the Wesley D. Jordan Athletic Service Award, presented for dedication, loyalty and perseverance in the name of Maine athletics. “Nothing but pressure.”

When asked how large a monster Sports Done Right presents, “Godzilla” is her answer. She sees the monumental task ahead, but also sees the opportunity.

“What I see the Center becoming is a national resource,” said Brown. “Yes, we love Maine and Maine pride, but the people of Maine will serve as a great example for the country. So I feel my role will be to help the Center become that resource center for other organizations. It has already started, but it’s a slow process.

“It will be, by the end of my time, a prominent organization in the country, in my opinion.”

The MCSC (www.mcsc.umaine.edu) was originally the creation of Keith Lancaster in 1992. It has provided on-site and ITV training at the basic and instructor levels and helped 7,000 Maine coaches meet eligibility standards. Its primary focus was coaching education and coaching development.

When Lancaster retired last year, Brown was at the University of Richmond working in marketing in the athletic department. After graduating from Maine in 2002, Brown, with Abbott’s push, earned a master’s degree in Recreation Parks and Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also worked in its athletic department as an events coordinator.

“I thought I was in higher education, and thought I would be working closely with student athletes and making a difference,” said Brown. “In all reality, it wasn’t what I expected it to be. I felt what I was doing wasn’t meaningful to me.”

At a bit of a crossroads, she called upon her longtime advisor – Abbott, a Rumford native and legendary coach. He mentioned the MCSC opening.

“When he told me about the position, I was like, “This is it,'” said Brown, who took the job last fall. “This is what I want to do.’ It was in athletics, which is what I love and what I want to do, but it’s the education aspect. It’s not the business aspect. It’s perfect for me.

“It’s so rewarding,” she said. “Everyday I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. I have yet to question the work that I’m doing. It’s refreshing to be able to look forward to everyday and look forward to six months from now.”

With Brown, the MCSC has continued the coaching enrichment aspect but has tried to expand the vision.

She oversees the online coaching eligibility course, which helps teach aspiring coaches. Rather than the American Sport Education Program courses that are widely taught, the focus has turned to curriculum developed by the university. They are more cost efficient and also unique to the University and Maine.

“We want to continue to develop courses that may not be requirements but would be beneficial for coaches to take at any level,” said Brown. “We don’t want to limit it to the high school level either. We want middle school opportunities as well as volunteer coaches and out of school sports.”

Ideally, the MCSC will become a resource, providing a research center with databases and a wealth of information for all levels of sports and its participants. The Web site already provides links and information for a variety of sports.

Right now, it takes up about 80 percent of her time, but the work is already paying off. Since the report’s rollout in January, the MCSC has been more visible. It’s Web site went from 36 hits to 2,000 in a month. Brown has already heard from 17 other states regarding the report and the MCSC. National Public Radio featured a report on Sports Done Right recently.

Being part of something so fresh and groundbreaking is certainly exciting, but Brown knows the journey has just begun.

“Sports Done Right is a process,” said Brown. “It’s going to take years. It’s not something that’s going to be implemented in a year and never looked at again. It’s going to be a continuous process with continuous updates.”