Starting a Student Athletic Council in Your School

What is the best way to strengthen your athletic department? One step is to always make sure to include the voice of students. What better way to make student voice than to make student leadership? But it doesn’t just happen. You must get to that starting point.

The first step is to set up an outline of what you hope to achieve. Make sure you make that outline in pencil, as it will change over and over as you start jotting down ideas. Once you have the outline, the hard part is done.

Every school has outstanding and dynamic students. All you need to do is get word out that you would like to start a student- athletic leadership team. Publicize it and make an application process. Utilize criteria that fit the needs of your school. Decide what you want as your basic criteria.

Some examples of possible criteria for student leaders would be multi-sport participation, outside clubs, grade-point average, disciplinary background, grades, sports teams, etc. Once you determine criteria, the application process can begin.

Make sure you notify your coaches to have them encourage their players to apply. Allow some time for applications to come in and then make sure to set a time to thoroughly look at the applications. One helpful hint is to never look at names until you get through the initial selection.

After you do your first screening, then start looking at names to gather input from head coaches. That process will solidify members as well as start to separate the applicants. Be very mindful to include as many different sports as possible and offer equity during your selection process. Having multiple perspectives and points of view are the most valuable for your team. When the group has been selected, it’s time to let the students take ownership.

The first meeting agenda needs only two topics: 1) What do you call the group? 2) Take nominations for the major roles (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer). These roles are important as these individuals will work to set the agendas for all future meetings. The administration can still guide agendas, but you really want the students to come up with the agenda. Have an election and then you will be able meet with the new leaders by the next meeting.

These four leaders are full of ideas and are driven by their sport to want to provide the best for the team. Once they meet with you, the amazement will begin. They will be full of enthusiasm, ideas and not scared to fail. They will shoot for the moon and remind you of when you got into the field. You will feel very nervous but trust the process and allow them to bring the ideas to the majority. Then, when you have your first meeting, it will take off.

Patience is a basic requirement. It will not happen from the first minute. It’s a lot like the first day of class. However, once they start getting ideas out there, others chime in and it will be hard to keep up.

Ideas should range from student voice to community outreach programs. You will be amazed at what they want to do and how committed they will be. The students are so driven, it becomes inspiring. They will set agendas, run meetings, get community involvement, run special events for your school, hold each other accountable and change the culture of your programs. All it takes is you to become motivated to start the process, and your outcomes could be endless.