Gabe Valenzuela
With 51 USC club sport teams to manage, Gabe Valenzuela, assistant director of Recreational Sports, has his work cut out for him. In addition to managing the 2,000 students who participate in club sports, Gabe is the head coach for both the USC Spirit Leaders and the club sport women’s lacrosse team and manages the four martial arts programs.
“I have a lot of jobs,” said Gabe. “The Spirit Leaders is a new group. It used to be called the Yell Leaders and it was an all-male team. It’s now a coed team with eight males and eight females. I have a great bunch of students who work with me. We’re getting ready to do tryouts for next year’s team.”
Balancing financial deposits for the Lyon Center and running the National Youth Sports Program are also Gabe’s responsibilities. With so much to do, he says there is no such thing as a typical day.
“Every day is different,” Gabe explains. “You have no idea what’s going to happen. I love it. I think the opportunity to be involved in so many different aspects of student life is great. I almost feel like I don’t work—I feel like I’m on vacation every day.”
The biggest challenge, Gabe says, is making sure he thanks all donors. “The programs would not be what they are without our donors. There are over 500 of them.”
Gabe’s colleagues confirm that he’s an influential member of the Recreational Sports staff and the division of Student Affairs. “Every person in Student Affairs, and possibly the university, may not know his face but have heard his voice at the Student Recognition ceremony, the Residential College at Parkside Open House and most memorably as the Master of Ceremonies at the Dancing with the Student Affairs Stars,” says Jennifer Siu, associate director of Recreational Sports. “He is a leader, a scholar, a motivator and a team player.”
Gabe earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a master’s degree in history from the University of Rhode Island, where he also worked for eight years as coordinator of club sports. The Los Angeles native has been an official for women’s lacrosse for 10 years and an executive committee member of the U.S. Lacrosse Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates. When he isn’t on the field, Gabe enjoys spending time with his wife, writing articles for U.S. Lacrosse Magazine and shopping.