Equipment Ace Wins Coveted Glenn Sharp Award
LAWRENCE, Kan. – His attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond for his teams made it no surprise when Larry Hare was bestowed with the Glenn Sharp ‘Equipment Manager of the Year’ Award by the Athletic Equipment Managers Association for 2013-14. The award was presented at the AEMA’s national convention in Jacksonville, Florida last week.
The Kansas Athletics’ Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Services, Hare joined the staff in 2005 and has been a staple among all of the Jayhawk teams ever since. His responsibilities ensure that he has a hand in every sport, including overseeing equipment and apparel for all student-athletes, coaches and staff while also being the primary point of contact for the adidas contract. Although the list goes on, Hare gets his biggest rewards from the six different teams he works with on a day-to-day basis: softball, volleyball, tennis, men’s golf, women’s golf and men’s basketball.
“Working with the kids, both the student-athletes and the student-managers, is why I do this,” Hare said. “They make the work so rewarding and there isn’t a day I’m not reminded of that. It’s an incredible feeling to love what I do, but to be recognized for it is both overwhelming and humbling. I am grateful to the AEMA for this honor, especially when it comes from a group of friends and colleagues for whom I have the utmost respect.”
The purpose of the AEMA is to promote, advance and improve the equipment managers’ profession in all of its many phases, giving the Glenn Sharp Award a special meaning as it was voted on by Hare’s professional peers. Each district submits a nominee, the district directors then present the nominees to the executive board along with a resume documenting the nominees’ contributions to the association. The executive board and the active past-Glenn Sharp award winners then determine the three finalists.
“The proudest moment of the award presentation was to have my wife, Jennifer, and my children, Mason and Elizabeth, present,” Hare said. “Their support and understanding has made my success in this profession possible. I was also very proud to have over 10 former assistants and student-managers currently working in the profession in attendance for the presentation, as well.”
Hare began his career as a men’s basketball student-manager at Boston College from 1992-96. After two years as an equipment manager at Northern Arizona University, Hare spent seven years as the Director of Equipment Services at the University of Connecticut before coming to the University of Kansas.
ABOUT THE AWARD
Since its inception in 1974, the AEMA has emphasized the importance of service, leadership, and excellence in the profession of athletic equipment management. The AEMA has worked to advance, engage and inspire equipment managers through their conferences, workshops, publications, certification and its continuing education program. In 1978, the AEMA awarded its first Equipment Manager of the Year award to Glenn Sharp. The awards tradition allows the distinct privilege of honoring the best in athletic equipment management. What is most important about these awards is not the recognition they bring, but what they represent; a tradition of leadership and service to the AEMA.
Glenn Sharp was known as the “Father” of the AEMA organization. Glenn was a long time equipment manager at Bowling Green. He and a handful of other equipment managers first met in June of 1973 in Atlanta, Georgia to get the ball rolling. Glenn, and his wife Helen, started the AEMA office in 1974. Glenn went on to be the first Elected President of the organization in 1979. He was named the Associate Executive Director in 1983 and held that position until his death in on October 1, 2000. Glenn was the first recipient of the Glenn Sharp award that still bears his name today.
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