John Planek, new director of intercollegiate athletics at Dominican University in River Forest, said one of his goals in his new job is looking for partnerships.
Just months after his hiring in November, he’s off to a good start, already arranging for the school’s Igini Sports Forum to host this month’s girls varsity basketball game between crosstown rivals Trinity High School in River Forest and Fenwick High School in Oak Park, as well as the River Forest Park District grade school basketball championships for fourth through eighth grade boys and girls March 16.
Planek comes to River Forest from Lewis University in Romeoville, where he served as director of intercollegiate athletics for 12 years, overseeing highly successful programs in men’s and women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country. While at Lewis, he was named athletic director of the year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Directors in 2016-17.
He also served for 12 years as director of athletics at Loyola University of Chicago and two years as director of athletics at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, as well as 13 years at DePaul University in Chicago, including as associate athletic director.
Coming to Dominican, a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III school, completes a trifecta of sorts for Planek. Having previously served as athletic director at a NCAA Division II school in Lewis and a Division I school in Loyola, he now has served at schools in all three NCAA divisions.
“I’m glad to be here,” Planek said, noting the position at Dominican shortens the commute for the 50-year resident of Oak Park. He said he “wanted to get closer to home” and that the new job provides “a better life balance.” He also said he applied to the school “to move the program forward.”
In addition, as a professed lay Dominican, the new job strengthens the already strong ties he has with the Dominican mission, noting that “was an important part of the context.”
According to the Dominican Life USA website, lay Dominicans “enrich the Dominican Family with their passion for the truth, their love of Dominican prayer and apostolic zeal” and have a direct role in the preaching mission.
A 1979 graduate of Fenwick, where he played baseball and basketball, Planek earned his bachelor’s degree at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago; master’s degree in sports administration at Biscayne College, now St. Thomas University in Florida; and doctorate degree in education leadership at Loyola University in Chicago.
Ironically, Planek applied for the athletic director position at Dominican 26 years ago but was not selected.
He said he was not given any specific directions for the athletic program when he was hired but is considering adding track and possibly men’s lacrosse to the school’s current offerings of baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and volleyball for men and basketball, bowling, cross country, soccer, softball, stunt and volleyball for women.
“When you come in new you want to be an observer,” he said. “All my thought processes are to get student athletes on campus to see what we offer.”
Dominican just added stunt, which is described by USA Cheer on its website as a new female sport that incorporates skills derived from cheerleading. Stunt is a head-to-head game between two teams that “removes the crowd-leading element and focuses on the technical components of cheer, including partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, group jumps and tumbling.”
Planek explained that the NCAA does not recognize stunt as a sport, but considers it an “emerging sport.” He also described the challenges of starting to offer a sport.
“Just because you are offering a sport is no guarantee you’ll fill your roster,” he explained. “Schools that can offer scholarship money have a distinct advantage” over Division III schools such as Dominican.
He also would like to bring the men’s baseball and women’s softball teams’ home games closer to River Forest. The baseball team now plays its home games at Wintrust Field in Schaumburg, home of the Schaumburg Boomers, and the softball team plays its home games at Impact Field in Rosemont, home of the Chicago Dogs.
The Dominican position is Planek’s third in 24 years, but he’s stayed in the Chicago area with each job change.
“I’m happy with my decisions and with all my job placements,” he said, adding he was never “attracted to relocating.”
Planek brings 24 years of experience to Dominican.
“Like it or not, you’re the go-to guy,” he said. “I’m used to that.”