Greatest Challenges Facing High School Athletic Directors

An athletic administrator’s professional life is filled with numerous tasks and responsibilities. It also gets more complicated as hurdles and challenges arise. Change is a constant, and new developments, issues and concerns continually appear which increase the complexity of the position.

According to Lefteris Banos, athletic director at Haddonfield (New Jersey) Memorial High School, “One of the most significant challenges is the heightened level of parental involvement and expectations surrounding student-athletes. Youth sports have become increasingly competitive and commercialized, and families invest significant time and money into them. Also, parental expectations often carry over to high school sports.”

Kati Johnson, director of athletics at the Latin School of Chicago in Illinois, concurred: “Travel and club programs have created year-round involvement, significant financial investment and heightened expectations. Even though the education-based mission is different, parents bring these expectations with them to high school programs. And social media has amplified criticism and made it easier for frustrations to become public.”

Doug Marchetti, athletic director at Norwalk (Connecticut) High School, pointed out that finding and retaining coaches has become a major problem.

“Teachers who are new to the profession or the district don’t always have an interest in coaching,” Marchetti said. “While our stipends are competitive, they no longer match the time required with a year-round commitment. Often, these individuals can work in other positions at a significantly higher pay and much less stress.”

Johnson noted that shortages of coaches and officials are also a concern.

“Both officiating and coaching require a significant investment of time and emotional energy, but the conditions have not kept pace with the demands,” Johnson said. “Many enjoy working with young people, but struggle with adult or fan behavior at our surrounding games."

We have to clearly define expectations and enforce them consistently. Communication before a season begins is essential, and our coaches need to feel supported when faced with inappropriate behavior or misguided parental expectations. The education of parents and spectators needs to be ongoing and framed around the education-based concept.

“The retention of coaches also has to be prioritized. Mentoring can improve early experiences, and it can be helpful if you can build pipelines with your alumni and former athletes.”

Interestingly, Banos coined his approach to finding coaches as “grow your own staff,” by developing a pipeline of his alumni, and creating internship opportunities for college students to gain experience. Marchetti believes that celebrating the high-performing coaches already on staff is a step in the right direction to retain coaches.

“We acknowledge quality coaches in any and every manner possible, and we emphasize the positive student experiences and successes they have contributed to in our education-based program.”

Marchetti said certified coaches in Connecticut have to take five hours of continuing education over a five-year period to maintain their certification. He said to help defray some of the costs, his schools provide first aid and CPR courses and other coaching modules. This assistance does help to retain coaches.”

Missy Townsend, athletic director at Prescott (Arizona) High School, is fulfilling the responsibilities of being both an assistant principal and athletic director.

“I live at the intersection of academics, athletics and community expectations, Townsend said. “Maintaining a healthy balance of my responsibilities and navigating the growing negative impact of parental behavior on coaches is demanding and difficult. The complexity of both positions, the scrutiny, legal considerations and mental health concerns have increased dramatically, and schools are expected, at the same time, to do more with limited resources.”

Banos mentioned that budget constraints can be a major challenge.

“School districts in New Jersey are dependent upon local taxes,” Banos. “This may occasionally mean having to cut back or eliminate some of their sports offerings. As a result, athletic administrators have to continue to build partnerships with booster clubs, pursue corporate sponsorships, and explore other fundraising opportunities; however, athletic directors have to also emphasize that athletics is an essential component of the educational experience to justify adequate funding.”

“I try to be realistic with my budget requests and provide documentation to support any needed increase, Marchetti said. “Even though we have been fortunate to have good financial support from our administration, our coaching staff has also done a great job to pitch in to fill an occasional void or need.”

Along with balancing dual roles as an assistant principal and athletic director, an additional challenge for Townsend is keeping her work-life alignment in check.

“With games, supervision, email, crisis responses, your professional responsibilities often extend late into the evening and through weekends. Our profession is built on service, and it is easy to justify constant availability because we care deeply.

“My solution is based upon personal discipline, and to schedule family time, prioritize my children and husband, and protect time for reflection, exercise and faith. It also means building a supportive leadership team that can operate effectively in my absence.

“Despite the pressures, I try to maintain a positive outlook and watch students grow, learn accountability, and develop leadership skills. These moments anchor me even when it can be overwhelming and burnout is ever a possibility.”

“If or when you may be asked to assume additional duties, this could add more stress and lead to possible burnout,” Banos said. “You always need to remember that the position is extremely rewarding and you can have an enormous impact, but you also have to take care of yourself. The work will always be there, but you have to focus on your family, friends and yourself – and don’t feel guilty about it.”

The challenges that athletic administrators face – whether it be the behavior of parents and fans, retaining coaches, funding your program, or maintaining a work-life balance – are significant, but there are solutions.

“They are solvable with consistent leadership, communication of clear expectations, and a continued focus on education-based athletics,” Johnson said.

“The work is about influence, it is about creating environments where students become better people because they participated in athletics. The challenges are real, but so is the purpose. When we lead with clarity, boundaries and conviction, we can navigate complexity.”

Dr. David Hoch is a former athletic director at two high schools in Baltimore County (Maryland) for 16 years. He has 24 years of experience coaching basketball, including 14 years on the collegiate level. Hoch, who has a doctorate in sports management from Temple (Pennsylvania) University, is past president of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association, and he formerly was executive director of the Maryland State Coaches Association. He has had more than 800 articles published in professional magazines, as well as four textbook chapters. Dr. Hoch is the author of five books: Coaching within the Education-Based Athletics Concept; The Parents’ Guide to Education-Based Athletics; Leading an Education-Based Athletic Program; A Lifetime of Memories from Education-Based Athletics: Humorous, Inspirational and Occasionally Sad; and Refocusing on Education-Based Athletics – A Call to Action. Hoch is a member of the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee.