I absolutely LOVED being a High School Athletic Director. I decided one day as a Junior at Fallbrook High School that I wanted to be just like Coach Pack: a Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. I was a student intern for his 5th period “class” which was one of his Athletic Director periods.
I helped him file things, go get things or take things to people around campus, put together schedules from his computer into a handwritten document that we would send officials to make their schedules. I would confirm bus departure times from our district transportation office. That 5th Period Athletic Director Intern class was the best class I took in high school.
I went on to serve as an Athletic Director at two different schools: Capistrano Valley Christian and Excelsior Charter Schools. We had some great success in both places where we set the school record for how many League Championships we won in a single school year. I know that at least one of those records still stands more than 10 years later!
I was most proud of the fact that our student-athletes and coaches won other awards too: like the League’s Sportsmanship Award or the many Scholar-Athlete team awards.
A high school Athletic Director has a wide range of responsibilities to ensure the success and integrity of the athletic program. It is a never ending job; one where you can’t turn your phone off at night until all of the teams are back safely on campus, and where your phone starts buzzing at 6:00 am in the morning many days of the week.
Here are the top 10 priorities for a high school Athletic Director.
1. Develop your own Mission and Vision
- The first step when taking over an Athletic Director position is reshaping or designing the Athletic Department’s Mission and Vision
- The mission defines your purpose and how it will achieve that purpose
- The vision describes your future, outlining where you want to be in the future
- Read about my journey as an AD regarding Mission and Vision, and how those things led to unprecedented success at two different schools
- Share your mission and vision wide and far, put it on your walls, your t shirts, your email signature, etc. etc.
- Your Mission and Vision should guide every single decision that you make; it is the steering you to your vehicle
2. Student-Athlete Welfare & Safety
- Ensure all sports programs follow safety protocols.
- Oversee concussion management, hydration plans, and injury prevention.
- Make sure athletic trainers and medical personnel are available.
- Ensure that your coaches are all properly trained and certified in this area as well
- If you don’t have an Athletic Trainer on sight, oversee the inventory of all first aid and hydration equipment. If you do have an Athletic Trainer on site, feel very lucky!
3. Compliance with Regulations & Policies
- The number one way for me to stay up to date on these issues when I was an A.D. was through attending the California State Athletic Directors Conference each year.
- Ensure adherence to state athletic associations, district policies, and school rules.
- Stay updated on eligibility requirements, academic standards, and sportsmanship guidelines.
- Determine a system that you’re going to use to keep track of all of the necessary certifications your coaches must have. Either a strong Google document or some type of software that is out on the market.
4. Hiring & Evaluating Coaches
- Recruit and retain qualified coaches who align with the school’s values.
- Provide ongoing professional development and evaluate coaching performance.
- Here is an article I wrote called “99 Things Every Head Coach Can Do To Get 100% Buy In From His Assistants”
- Or use this article “Four Things Every Parents Want From The Head Coach”
- Evaluate them “officially” by regularly scheduled meetings and proper documentation that your district uses to evaluate coaches, and “unofficially” by watching them at practice, talking to student-athletes and parents about how their programs are doing.
- Here is an “End of the Season Evaluation” article I wrote
5. Budget & Fundraising Management
- Oversee the financial planning for athletic programs, including equipment, uniforms, and facilities.
- Organize fundraising efforts and build partnerships with sponsors or boosters.
- Build a team of invested parents, alumni and community partners to help in this area as it is far too much to do on your own.
- If you’re looking for an online fundraising option, I suggest that you check out Blast Fundraising. Fill this out, and they’ll contact you. It’s the only platform I recommend because I’ve seen such great results from them.
6. Scheduling & Logistics
- Determine your method of scheduling. Does your site already have some type of facility scheduling software? Or do you need to create something?
- Plan practice schedules, game schedules, transportation, and facility use.
- Work with other schools and leagues to coordinate competition dates. Most leagues will tell you when you are playing, you just need to fill out the non league schedule.
- Scheduling is an ART form. Who will schedule games? Your Head Coaches or the AD? This communication piece is key.
7. Facility & Equipment Maintenance
- Establish a great working relationship with your grounds people, your custodians, and staff. You’ll come to find that these are some of the MOST important people on your team.
- Ensure fields, gyms, and locker rooms are properly maintained and safe. Find a risk management document to use to do walk throughs of your facilities on an annual basis. What are you finding that may lead to a lawsuit one day if it isn’t repaired or replaced?
- Manage the purchasing, distribution, and upkeep of sports equipment. Again, I feel like I’m repeating this one: but you need to determine what type of software or documents your organization will use to keep track of the tens of thousands of dollars of equipment and supplies. There are many different software programs on the market these days to assist you with this. Much different than when I took over as an AD in 2006, and just had the good old black sharpie and excel spreadsheet!
8. Academic Support & Eligibility Monitoring
- Work with teachers and counselors to track student-athlete academic progress.
- Implement tutoring or study hall programs to help struggling athletes.
- Again, create a system that works for YOU, and within the timelines of your school and the athletic association that you’re in.
- Plan out your grade checks at the beginning of the year, literally block that time off on your calendar; each August I would go through my grade check times and block out 3 or 4 hours on those days so I didn’t get caught in a bad situation.
9. Promoting Sportsmanship & School Spirit
- Use your games as community events to help build school spirt
- Encourage good behavior, teamwork, and respect among athletes and coaches.
- Build school spirit through pep rallies, social media, and community engagement.
- Part of this strategy is your team and school branding. Check out what Blast Athletics is doing with their team spirit store. What they are doing is far better than all other online team stores I’ve seen.
10. Communication with Stakeholders
- One of my goals when taking over at both spots as an AD was “Be a GREAT communicator.” I take pride in communication, both written and verbal.
- It is important that you are willing and able to talk with people as you are strolling the hallways, out at games in the community, etc. Remember, athletics is the front porch to the school, and as the AD, you are the person on the front porch!
- Maintain strong relationships with parents, students, faculty, and the community.
- Keep clear communication channels for updates, concerns, and feedback.
Chris Fore is a veteran educator from Southern California. He has a Masters in Athletic Administration, is a Certified Athletic Administrator and has served as the President of the California Coaches Association. Fore coached high school football for 16 years (8 as a Head Coach) and JUCO football in his last year, before becoming an Administrator. He is a court-certified Expert Witness in athletically-based court cases, and is the CEO of Eight Laces Consulting. Eight Laces specializes in helping coaches nationwide in their job search process, and consults schools to fill their vacant positions. Fore has been named to the Hudl Top 100 Coaches, and the Top 5 Best High School Football Coaches to follow by MaxPreps. Follow him!
