Eastern Connecticut State Athletics Director Joyce Wong might not have made her mark on college sports had she not connected with a high school physical education teacher years ago who steered her toward a career in physical education and athletics.

Before that, Wong aspired to teach math. And even when she took time to indulge her athletic talents, she didn’t think it would last.

“When Title IX came around and jobs in coaching and administration began opening for females, I entered the field with the idea that it would be a five- to seven-year commitment. I could always go back to teaching,” she said. “Well, five to seven years led to 21 to 30, I guess.”

Wong, one of the few ethnic minority woman ADs in college sports, likely would have been a top-flight math teacher if not for the attraction to athletics.

At her alma mater, Bridgewater State, she excelled at field hockey and continued to compete in the sport at the club level after graduation. She also has been a field hockey, softball and basketball official.

Despite being so athletically oriented, Wong had no idea she would be a trendsetter in college sports. But she’s always loved working with student-athletes.

“It keeps you young in terms of being able to provide them with opportunities that weren’t available to everyone when I went to high school and college. That’s the enjoyable part, to see them have those opportunities and flourish,” she said.

Wong also knows that with opportunity comes responsibility. She said ethnic minorities in senior leadership positions feel the need to prove themselves every day.

“It’s the hardest stigma to avoid – the notion that we got the position only because we’re a minority – when in fact we deserved the position because we earned it through hard work,” she said.

Wong has been the athletics director at Eastern Connecticut State since 1999.

“I wouldn’t give athletics administration up for anything. It’s been a great experience for me,” she said.” I’m in this purely for the educational aspect. It’s been a satisfying reward for me in terms of my profession.”