While staying on with the Silver Knights, assistant GM Katie Arend is taking on an FCBL role with league alumni and current players. (Twitter photo)

NASHUA – The future is now as far as Nashua Silver Knights assistant general manager Katie Arend and the Futures Collegiate League are concerned.

Arend on Tuesday was named the first ever FCBL Director of Student-Athlete Development and Alumni Engagement.

While doing that job, she will continue on as the Knights assistant GM, a job she was promoted to a year ago.

“This is kind of what I went to school to do,” Arend said, “to be in student-athlete development. While we’d love all our players to be drafted, that’s not going to happen. We realize players might not have resumes set up, etc. If we kind of bring (ideas, plans) to them, they’re forced into it. … They need to have a plan in place.”

Arend said she was discussing ideas with FCBL Commissioner Joe Paolucci ways to get Futures League alumni involved in the league and its players. And having them talk to current players is one way to do that, as well as sponsorships, etc.

“Some of these guys, since the league began in 2011, are already established in their careers,” Arend said. “It’s really a win-win operation.”

Arend has a Bachelor of Science in business administration with minors in coaching and special education from the University of Vermont. She also has a Master of Science degree in Sports Management from Florida State.

“Katie’s education and experience make her a perfect fit for this role,” Paolucci said. “Student-athlete development is just another way tht we can help service our players.

“While some will go on to professional baseball careers, most will become professionals in something else. We want to help them be as prepared as possible for that.”

And, in Paolucci’s mind, Arend is the perfect person to coordinate all that.

“Katie’s education and experience makes her perfect for this role,” he said.

Arend will coordinate the launch of what the league is calling The Diamond Program. The program will focus on the areas of communitey engagement, professional development, and a leadership mentoring program involving former FCBL players.

The Silver Knights still get to benefit from Arend’s front office talents as well. She played a key role working with general manager Cam Cook in the league champion Knights being named the FCBL’s Organization of the Year. It was the second time the team earned such an honor.