In the athletic realm, most
athletic directors in high school are also the head coach of a sport. Many
large high schools are trying to eliminate that way of thinking. How important is
it for Athletic Directors to focus solely on administration?
Seeing huge success in the
college sports world with this type of split has led to many inquires if this
is the route to go. Having the AD only handling the administration, and letting
the coach focus on coaching duties can be very lucrative for a program. In Dual Role of Physical Education Teacher-Athletic
Directors in Korean Secondary Schools discussed how being a teacher,
coach, and athletic director can lead to high burnout. The AD who doesn’t worry about the coaching
side can really put their energy into building a great administration. In high school, sometimes you even see the AD
be a head coach and a teacher. In Leadership Implications and Ethical Solutions
Of Athletic Directors In Producing a Successful Division 1-A Football Program, it states the pressing need for
financial dependency of collegiate football, as well as the importance of
attracting the best prospective recruits, can be considered high stress
experiences for athletic directors. Being the head coach can add more stress on
top of that. Having a split responsibility can lead to better production on the
coaching and athletic administration side. Coaching is a very time consuming
job. When being able just to focus on that the outcome can be better. They don’t
have to worry about dealing with issues like title IX when they can just focus
on coaching. An athletic director’s job can be just as much time consuming as a
coach. To carry a double load can be very much so detrimental to one’s ability
to do their job well. It is precisely like any other thing; the more energy you
have to put into one area of focus, the better the outcome.
References
Orlando, M. (2012). LEADERSHIP IMPLICATIONS AND
ETHICAL SOLUTIONS OF ATHLETIC DIRECTORS IN PRODUCING A SUCCESSFUL DIVISION 1-A
FOOTBALL PROGRAM. Review Of Management Innovation & Creativity, 5(14),
81-87.
Ha, J., Hums, M. A., & Greenwell, T. (2011).
Dual Role of Physical Education Teacher-Athletic Directors in Korean Secondary
Schools. Physical Educator, 68(4), 221-233.
If finances would allow, it is definitely ideal to split the role of coach and athletic director. Administrative duties require a lot of a person. It is the same way for administrators who teach. A constant flow of people coming and going, calling on the phone, and wanting your attention. All of those people have nothing to do with the sport you coach or the class that you teach (depending on your situation), but as an administrator, you are obligated to deal with all of those situations. At some point, something has to give. I think that the people who are successful at filling a dual role are those who have a great support team around them and delegate responsibilities to that support team. This would also require strong leadership and communication skills.
ReplyDeleteI agree whole-heartedly with the idea that delegation and communication play intricately into the balance of a successful person in a dual role job description. I'm very biased in that I like the idea of a dual-role head coach/athletic director, but I am uncomfortable with that scenario (at the high school level particularly) when that person is not the head football coach. However, I'm aware that my bias comes from multiple things: my familiarity coming from a AA high school where many hats were worn by the same individuals, the pride in high school football that comes from growing up in Texas, and the unmatched importance I place on football as my favorite sport. When the dual-role issue comes into question, I'm reminded of the old adage that when you want something done right you ask the busiest person you know. When that is the objective, you rarely have to look past the coach/athletic director/(possibly) teacher combo.
ReplyDelete"To carry a double load can be very much so detrimental to one’s ability to do their job well." Well said, along with your final/closing sentence. I speak from personal experience, the coaching workload is enough as it is; I can't imagine the responsibility and time restraints that an Athletic Director endures. At the end of the day athletics are a foundation for future success for the youth; and if coaches are not able to contribute sufficient effort towards the teams they coach our future leaders are the one that are truly suffering. I agree 100% with you, there is no way an AD is able to put the needed effort into a team and manage administrative issue successfully.
ReplyDeleteFrom the perspective of a head coach, having an athletic director by your side taking care of administration duties is very beneficial. An athletic director can take many behind the scenes duties off the coach's shoulders ranging from coordinating weekly plans to setting up game sites to promoting your program through mass media. A prime example in which an athletic director has been an enormous help personally happens during playoff time. A coach is having to scout teams, collect video, develop a game plan, and prepare the team while additional duties during playoff time include setting up game sites for both potential opponents, dealing with others school administrators, and dealing with local media relations. An AD can take enormous anxiety off of coaches when that is his/her sole duty to the program.
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