Athletic Directors are constantly under pressure by coaches, teachers, parents, athletes, and alumni. Preforming under pressure is key to success.
As a current HS AD for over 12 years, Paul Edwards shares with us the lessons he's learned on how to become a successful athletic director, and built a supportive community.
We asked Paul to share some advice specifically around his first few years on the job.
Paul goes on to say; "Before becoming the athletic administrator, I was the head football coach for two years as well as an assistant wrestling coach for a season. Having been involved in athletics my entire life, I have had a lot of experiences that have prepared me for this position. However, the biggest surprise for me was the variety of people and personalities that I deal with, whether coaches, athletes, parents, administrators or fans. In this job you are constantly communicating and trying to get a message out about your programs. You have to be adaptable to solve the variety of issues that arise daily."
When asked about who he leveraged as a resource during his first years, Paul mentioned attending conference meetings and his state Athletic Directors Association Conference allowed him the opportunity to meet and learn from other athletic administrators.
Paul spoke about some of the challenges he faced in his first few years as an AD, "the number of hours spent with the position is unending. With technology and cell phones, the job of an athletic director is a 24/7 position. You have to deal with issues that arise with scheduling or transportation, and situations that arise with officials or fans at games. It is vital to deal with all of these issues and let the coaches only worry about coaching their student-athletes.
When asked about what he is still working to improve on, Paul said; "One thing that I am working on improving is the communication with parents. Many parents are happy with the communication they receive from the athletic office, but we still need to improve with our efforts on game day."
If you are interested in learning more about this topic, click below for a full free guide on becoming a successful High School Athletic Director, and hear from over 5 current and former AD's.