Dr. Carlos Vergil Cave, CMAA, RIAA, CIC retweetledi
10 things Athletic Directors can do this year
The AD job can be overwhelming. If you are an AD looking for new ideas, here are 10 things the AD can do in 2025...
1. Create Athletic Department "Awards"
Give out monthly awards from the Athletic Department. These do not have to come with anything other than a social media shout-out and a congratulations. You can video interview the winners or post a picture of them. Great way to highlight the good things happening! Here are some examples:
- Student-Athlete (Male & Female)
- Positive Athlete (Male & Female)
- Multi-Sport Athlete (Male & Female)
- Booster Club of Month
- Assistant Coach of Month
2. List Accomplishments
While this may seem really trivial and simple, it is something I have found many ADs do not do well. Keep a running list, update it at each season, and ask the coaches to add to the list. It may seem like this is not the most important thing as you will be extremely busy, but when you need to promote your Athletic Department and each sport, this list is it! It is easy to forget some of the great things each sport is doing (on and off the field). You must find ways to write the positive narrative about your Athletic Department and each sport this year! Here are some things to include:
- On-Field Accomplishments (Team & Individual)
- Community work done by team
- College Scholarships
3. Have a Student-Athlete Council
Choose two student-athletes from each team with the help of the Head Coach to form a Student Athletic Council. This group will meet 2-3 times per year with the Athletic Director and discuss overall athletic department issues. This shows care, compassion, and student involvement. Take this group to the Elementary Schools and read to the students on Read Across America day in March. You will get some great ideas from the student-athletes when you involve them and ask questions!
4. Track Participation Data
You should have all information on participation for the year by April or May. Get information from middle schools and high schools. Put it in a chart so you can see the gaps in various grades and gender. Compare the participation data to the data from previous years as well. Shining a light on the feeder groups and lower number areas will inherently make everyone pay more attention to participation.
5. Begin a Community Council
Choose at least one person from each sport that is a booster club leader or community leader to represent their sport in the Community Council. This group can meet twice a year to help bridge the gaps that occur when there is not communication among the sports in the community and with parents/booster clubs. Have a clear agenda and get some input from all sports on decisions. Involvement will help with the relationships. Relationship building leads to trust. Trust leads to success.
6. Make a "Review" Schedule
It's very important you take time to reflect, evaluate, and review all the aspects of the program. Some of the things that are not specifically supervised by a head coach can slip through the cracks. Divide up the following and get it done at some point in the year:
- Title IX Compliance Review
- Strength & Conditioning Program Review
- Safety Review
- Emergency Action Plans
- Athletic Training Program Review
- Financial Review
7. Have a detailed Procedure Manual
Create an Athletic Department manual that has as much detail as possible. Make it user-friendly and something that coaches can use as a resources to find answers. You may can use a google sheet that can be a "hub" with links to frequently asked questions. You need plans for Physicals, athletic forms, eligibility, calendars, shared folders, bus requests, officials, gatekeepers, admin coverage, security, injury protocol, maintenance requests, facility usage, inclement weather, emergency action plans, rescheduling, technology, signings, banquets, senior nights, lettering, awards/honors, depositing money, paying bills, purchase orders, booster clubs, summer camps, and more! Also include lists of all Coaching Assignments with names and contact info that other coaches can reach them, social media accounts for teams, and an annual Athletic Department Calendar. The more things you can answer for coaches in your manual the easier it will be to do the rest of this list.
8. Have an AD "Message of the Month
"Divide up the "reminders" you need to tell coaches and have 1 focus each month. Send an email with links, procedures, etc. for 1 thing each month that can help keep something on the coach's mind that can slip away if not checked. Make a calendar and have a "message" for each month. Send it out at the beginning of the month.
Here are some examples of messages you can use:
- Where do I find.... (list all the places to find answers in the school, district, and state shared folders and sites) Facility Usage policies and procedures
- Supervision
- Hiring personnel procedures
- AED locations
- Purchasing policies and procedures
- Tips on branding your program
- Emergency Action Plans
9. Have a plan to show "thanks"
I believe that EVERY Athletic Director is grateful for the people that help the athletic department. The best Athletic Directors have a plan to show their appreciation for all the people that make these seasons possible. A lot of good things happen when you just take time to write thank you notes or get them a small gift....they will want to continue helping in the future! Use a calendar, reminders, etc. to make sure you do something to show appreciation to all of the following (and more):
- Maintenance & Custodians
- Transportation
- Coaches at all levels
- Parent Volunteers
- Administration
10. Make a REAL post-season survey
There are basic principles to a great athletic department. It is important you constantly cultivate these principles:
- Continuity in Coaching
- Work with levels above and below
- Promote Programs
- Communication
- Participation
- Production
The best way to constantly work on these things is to receive feedback. You need a user-friendly, honest assessment. Coach Surveys, Parent Surveys, Staff Surveys, Athlete Surveys, etc. All of these can be used to tweak your vision and plan for all of these aspects constantly. The best Athletic Directors are always looking for ways to improve these basic principles. You survey will be your biggest tool to check the pulse of each program.
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