Roles of ADMIN, AD, COACH, & SCHOOL

THE ROLE OF THE ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATOR

The following section comes from “A Profile of Athletic Administration” published by The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).  Link to Publication – https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sportshub2-uploads-prod/files/sites/2192/2023/06/21140702/A-Profile-of-Athletic-Administration-1.pdf 

The interscholastic athletic program is vital to the positive social, physical, and educational development of students. The athletic administrator is responsible for ensuring that the athletic program functions as an integral part of school offerings. Athletics offer opportunities to serve others, develop good will, promote self-realization, and encourage the qualities of good citizenship. Annual participation in interscholastic athletics is approaching nine million students, and with it comes the need to ensure that the programs support the academic mission of the school. The programs are not a diversion, but rather, an extension of the regular classroom. Among the challenges facing an interscholastic school administrator is the planning, development, coordination, and supervision of extra-curricular programs.

The athletic administrator position requires a wide range of abilities to properly accomplish this role. The purpose of this document is to provide a clear description of athletic administration in today’s ever-changing school environment.

The basic role of the athletic administrator is to provide leadership to the overall athletic program, as well as to manage the details necessary for its successful day-to-day operation. The athletic administrator establishes the professional expectations based upon sound philosophy.

According to S. Rallis and M. Highsmith, “In a good school, management and leadership exist simultaneously. Management means keeping the nuts and bolts in place and the machinery running smoothly. Leadership means keeping sight of long-term goals and steering in their direction. If the machinery breaks down, the job of the leader – though perhaps not impossible—becomes vastly more complicated and difficult. On the other hand, a well-oiled machine can continue to operate without a leader, but it may never get anywhere—except by accident.” As Warren Bennis has well stated, “Managers are people who do things right; leaders are people who do the right thing.”

Good management skills yield efficient operations. The primary commitment of the athletic administrator as a skillful manager must be that of a facilitator. The athletic administrator attempts to ease the coaches’ load of administrative detail to allow each coach to focus his or her time and energy on guiding and motivating student-athletes and teams to achieve their potential.

The management role of the athletic administrator may be the most varied of all school administrators. The on-going tasks of budgeting and procuring funds, contest management, hiring and evaluating personnel, facility management, conflict management and security of events; combined with the constant interruption characterized by the job demand that the athletic administrator possess a high degree of patience and multi-tasking skills. Management competency is a prerequisite in the attainment of the credibility necessary to be an effective leader.

As we move through the early years of the 21st century, the leadership phase of athletic administration becomes paramount. Issues such as athletic specialization, alcohol and substance abuse, performance enhancing drugs, and loss of academic perspective necessitate a strong leader to keep the athletic program forthright and educationally sound within the total school setting.

To be an effective leader the athletic administrator must have a vision for the total program, with a primary focus being the student’s overall safety and development. The philosophy of the athletic program should be in harmony with the mission of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), state athletic administrator associations, state athletic/activity associations, state and local boards of education, and the individual school. That vision must be translated by the athletic administrator into program goals and high expectations for coaches, student-athletes, and administrators. These must be articulated clearly and repeatedly to student-athletes, coaches, parents, and the school community. AR

The effective athletic administrator creates a climate that supports progress toward the established goals and expectations, continuously monitors and assesses progress, and intervenes in a supportive and corrective manner when necessary. Effective leaders transform vision into reality through daily practices in which their actions underscore their words. I:

Since the athletic administrator deals with a wide variety of people and situations in decision-making, he or she must be proficiently knowledgeable in varied leadership styles. It is the athletic administrator who must be the model in standing for what is right and making decisions in the best interest of student-athletes.

Recommendations and Qualifications

The position of athletic administrator is of paramount importance in ensuring that the activities are an extension of the regular school curriculum and provide a well-rounded and meaningful educational experience. Therefore, the NIAAA strongly recommends this be a full-time administrative position.

It is also recommended that the minimum qualifications for an athletic administrator should include:

• A task-oriented individual who is committed and dedicated to the education-based athletics for all students.

• A person with a varied knowledge of sports and some experience in coaching.

• An individual with an undergraduate degree in education, as well as some measure of administrative background.

• Certification from the NIAAA is highly recommended. This would include RAA, RMSAA, CAA, CIAA or CMAA designation (see Professional Development section).

• An individual that has coursework toward an advanced degree or academic certification in athletic administration, it would greatly enhance the position.

• An individual with experience in finance, budget preparation, and fund raising would be a great addition to any individual serving in this position.

• An individual with the ability to communicate effectively with wide variety of constituents.

• A person with NIAAA and state athletic administrator association membership.

• An individual well versed in appropriate safety and security planning.

An athletic administrator has the responsibility to provide positive direction to the athletic program, and thus should be a visionary who leads and does more than simply manage.