Articles
1. Your most important job is not paperwork. The important daily details of running an athletic program are critical; however, we must not get caught up in the daily tasks to the point that we miss impacting the lives of those with whom we work.
While I was athletic director at Tigard High School outside Portland, Ore., I would often head to a practice of one of our teams just to get my balance. It might have been a tough day, and seeing student-athletes and coaches doing their thing seemed to right all wrongs in my world while reminding me why I do my job. I also looked forward to my twice-monthly meetings with our Student-Athlete Leadership Team. In this environment, I got to know athletes on a one-on-one basis and connect with them about their lives outside of sport.
2. Don’t focus on wins over life lessons. Life skills will leave an indelible mark on those in your athletic program if they learn them on purpose rather than by accident. Coaches in our programs need to make life skill lessons a part of everyday practice plans. We spend hours on strategy and athletic skill-building, which we should, but our top priority must be lifelong impact.
We took up to six months at Aloha High School in Beaverton, Ore., to develop the following mission statement: “Teach life skills to Aloha Warrior student-athletes.” It became our mantra, and we encouraged each other by sharing great life lesson stories with each other on a nearly daily basis.
Citations: Staff, AB. “Common Mistakes Made by High School Athletic Directors.” Athletic Business, www.athleticbusiness.com/high-school/common-mistakes-made-by-high-school-athletic-directors.html.