AD Insider, in collaboration with the NIAAA and Human Kinetics, is proud to present an exclusive interview with Todd Olson, CMAA, Director of Student Activities for the Fargo Public School District (ND). Todd spent 14 […]
Instagram Insights for Athletic Directors with Alex Johnson, CAA and Ryan Johnson, CAA
Athletic Directors Alex Johnson, CAA (Bayless High School – Missouri) and Ryan Johnson, CAA (Indian Rocks Christian School – FL) discuss data and analysis from their individual school’s athletic department Instagram accounts. When you start […]
You Are Heroes in Every Sense of the Word with Sandy Zimmerman – Speaker / Author / Coach
Sandy Zimmerman discusses the impact that sports has played on her life. Through all the ups and downs, she has learned valuable life lessons like grit, hard work, resilience, and the confidence to chase some […]
Summer Golf Outing Fundraiser with Jason Schroeder, CMAA – North Scott High School (IA)
Jason Schroeder, CMAA explains that the summer golf outing is the last big fundraising event of the year that may draw up to 40 golf teams. The athletic department has a hole sponsor and 3-tiered […]
Use Summer as a Chance to Reset [NIAAA]
By: Dr. Mark Rerick, CMAA – University of North Dakota I recently conducted a nationwide athletic director survey aimed at uncovering the stress points of the profession as well as the desired support needed to […]
Self-Evaluation: Doing Everything I Can to Make My Coaches Better with Jamy Bechler – Jamy Bechler Leadership
Jamy Bechler highlights the importance of self-evaluation throughout the school year as an Athletic Director. He regularly reflects on his own performance, asking whether he could have been more proactive in addressing challenges and frustrations […]
Hiring Coaches: The Importance of Leadership & Communication Skills with Darryl Nance, CMAA – Greenville County Schools (SC)
Darryl Nance, CMAA explains that when he is interviewing a candidate for an open position, he wants to understand their belief structure, philosophy, and leadership statement. Everyone falls into a certain leadership style, and a […]
5 Tenets of Belonging with Anthony Thomas, CAA – San Francisco Univ. High School (CA)
Anthony Thomas, CAA states that if you want your kids and staff to thrive you need to create the conditions of belonging. Belonging is not about fitting in, but allowing people to be their authentic […]
How Exceptional Leaders Build Trust with Justin Dixson, CMAA – Decatur Central High School (IN)
Justin Dixson explains how exceptional leaders build trust and the three disciplines involved in doing so. Ethical Trust — Repeated experiences of your integrity and motives with parents, coaches, and kids Personal Trust — Repeated […]
4 Es of Impact and Influence with Reid McFadden, CMAA – Currey Ingram Academy (TN)
Reid McFadden explains how he uses the 4 Es of impact and influence to relate and connect to students and equip them for lives outside of the school. Reid discusses the 4 Es, starting with: […]
Key Characteristics of an Effective Athletic Administrator with Dr. LaTonya Goffney – Aldine Independent School District (TX)
Dr. LaTonya Goffney, the Superintendent at Aldine ISD in Texas, discusses what she feels are the key characteristics of an effective athletic administrator. Having a vision for your program is essential and it is important […]
Advocating for Additional Resources in Your Athletic Department – A Winning Action Plan [NIAAA]
By: Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan, CMAA – Montgomery County Public Schools Athletic administrators and programs continue to face fiscal challenges, as schools and school districts navigate budget shortfalls, inflation, and conflicting interests. These challenges have been […]
NIAAA Author Insights: Guidelines to Communicating with Parents and Athletes with Jeremy Schlitz, CAA – Madison Metropolitan School District (WI)
AD Insider, in collaboration with the NIAAA and Human Kinetics, is proud to present an exclusive interview with Jeremy Schlitz, CAA, Athletic Director for the Madison Metropolitan School District (WI). In this special feature, Schlitz […]
Leveraging Digital Organization Tools for Success with Missy Townsend, CMAA – Prescott High School (AZ)
Missy Townsend explains how digital organization tools can assist in organizing an athletic department, streamlining an AD’s workflow, and helping your athletes and coaches with technology. Missy will cover in detail the following and offer […]
CMAA Certification Process: Written, Oral, or QPA with Cory Aadland, CMAA – Mitchell School District (SD)
Cory Aadland explains the CMAA certification process and options (written, oral, or QPA) and which option best fits your strengths. Cory highlights the CMAA requirements for certification and explains in detail the eight elements that […]
Mental Toughness: A Skill That Can Be Developed with Dr. Colleen Hacker – Team USA / Pacific Lutheran Univ.
Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that mental toughness is a skill, and it can be developed. It is about how an individual responds to adversity, difficult situations, setbacks, and failure. Mental toughness is not required when […]
Never a Champion; But Always a Winner [NIAAA]
By: Jim Bloch - Retired Athletic Administrator How Do We Define Success? My dear friend, Doug Collins – former NBA player, coach, broadcaster, and current senior advisor to Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls – and I […]
Coach Evaluation Checklist with Jeremy Schlitz, CAA – Madison Metropolitan School District (WI)
Jeremy Schlitz discusses coach evaluations and having tough conversations. He explains the checklist he uses for the tough conversations with a coach that can involve improving practices, the program in general, or letting a coach […]
I’m Stressed and I Have the Capability of Calming Down with Dr. Colleen Hacker – Team USA / Pacific Lutheran Univ.
Watch as Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that when you are angry, frustrated, stressed, or have lost focus, your next word or thought should be “and”. Whatever the negative situation is that you need to announce, […]
Building Support for Student-Athletes with Disabilities with Joe Roberts, CMAA – Princeton County Schools (OH)
Joe Roberts discusses students with disabilities and involving them in extracurricular activities. He emphasizes the importance of building a team that includes the child’s parents, intervention specialist administrators, and the school’s psychologist. Creating a team […]
Ethics in Interscholastic Athletic Administration with Marc Haught, CMAA – KIAAA
Marc Haught, CMAA, Executive Director of the Kansas Athletic Directors Association (KIAAA), discusses the ethical implementation of policies and programs within interscholastic programs. Marc explains that polls indicate moral values are in decline nationwide, and […]
How to Effectively Delegate Your Social Media Coverage with Chris Muskopf – St. Louis University High School (MO)
Chris Muskopf discusses managing your social media coverage of all the athletic events that happen on campus as well as off campus. The goal is to let the public and students know about the great […]
Booster Club Benefits and Drawbacks with Leon Hammond, CAA – McIntosh High School (GA)
Leon Hammond explains the benefits and drawbacks of booster clubs. Booster clubs offer dedicated fundraising support and are helpful in reaching out to more stakeholders in your community. They also provide legwork and preparation for […]
Preserving Mental Fortitude: The Vital Role of Self-Care for Athletic Administrators [NIAAA]
By: Thomas Shanahan, CMAA – Athletic Administrator at Bishop Kelly High School, Idaho In the high-stakes world of athletic administration, the demands are ceaseless, the expectations high, and the pressure relentless. As stewards of athletic […]
What Types of Adversity Do Coaches Face? with Lisa Gingras, CMAA – Nashua School District (NH)
Lisa Gingras, CMAA, explores the various challenges coaches encounter, providing an in-depth discussion on key issues such as student-athletes making poor decisions, parents being either too involved or not involved enough, communities placing pressure on […]
Hazing Prevention: Know Your Staff with Dr. Ryan Miller – Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS (NJ)
Dr. Ryan Miller discusses hazing and the key to prevention is knowing your staff. As the AD, you will be supervising older coaches as well as newer coaches. The size of the staff, as well […]
Creating Culture Conviction with Cory Aadland, CMAA – Mitchell School District (SD)
Cory Aadland, CMAA, explains that to be an effective leader, you need values, principles, and a vision statement. He describes how they have taken those concepts and turned them into a conviction with the creation […]
Safety and Security at Evening Events [NIAAA]
By: Brian Silipena, CMAA, Athletic Director – Pequannock Township High School (NJ) From the point of view of an athletic administrator, their number one priority at an education-based sporting event is for spectators to arrive […]
Athletic Leadership: Developing Life Skills Through Sports with Michael Duffy, CMAA – Carroll County Public Schools (MD)
Michael Duffy explains that there are specific books available that deal with business, military, and educational leadership. However, athletic leadership’s focus is to develop life skills through sports and with the growth of students. A […]
4 Questions for Leaders with Justin Dixson, CMAA – Decatur Central High School (IN)
Justin Dixson discusses and explains 4 questions that leaders must ask themselves. #1 What mindset are you bringing? #2 What is your strategy for creating positive energy? #3 How strong are the connections you have […]