Working with Athletic Department Support Staff, Volunteers

Working with support staff and volunteers is crucial to maintaining a successful athletic department. Key topics such as recruitment and retention, incentives, ownership, duties and expectations, student groups, communication, and training can significantly impact the effectiveness of support staff and volunteers.

Athletic administrators Eric Albright of Midland (Michigan) High School and Jenny Wagner of Centennial (Nebraska) Public Schools discussed these topics at the 2024 National Athletic Directors Conference this past December in Austin, Texas. They provided advice on how to implement support staff and volunteers into a gameday experience.

Recruitment and Retention
Recruitment and retention are key to avoiding constant turnover in volunteers. Albright and Wagner recommended fostering a positive culture with coaches to encourage involvement in events beyond their specific roles. Coaches who form strong relationships with others may be more willing to help with other tasks. They also suggested including parents who are already attending games to help with tasks such as being part of the chain crew during football games.

“The thing that I find that has been the most successful for me is that it is kind of the culture that we have built around our athletics program, and that people want to be a part of that culture,” Wagner said. “When you have something really good that people want to be a part of, that’s how we’re able to get that recruitment and retention and keep people around.”

If schools are struggling to find volunteers for specific roles – like at the scorer’s table – there are apps that can fill the gap. Albright and Wagner mentioned Virtual Announcer, a service that offers a virtual public-address announcer for high school sports. They also recommended Neptune, an app that helps manage music in the arena when a DJ or band is unavailable.

Volunteer Recognition
Incentives for support staff and volunteers were also a key part of the discussion. Albright and Wagner emphasized the importance of showing appreciation for their hard work. They suggested a variety of incentives, such as event passes, team gear, meals, gift certificates, volunteer hours for students, thank-you notes, awards, social events, and public recognition on social media or websites.

Wagner provided some specific examples of how to show appreciation, including graphics thanking bus drivers, custodians, food service providers, and secretaries. She also suggested student section awards, new apparel graphics for purchase, and offering concession coupons for later events.

“Retention comes with that culture,” Wagner said. “It’s the way you treat people, and the way you give back to them.”

The final point both speakers made about appreciation was including your “Mary” in your culture. Albright shared an example from his school — someone always helping at athletic events, a familiar face people expect to see.

“Everybody has those “Marys” in their school,” Wagner said. “Make sure that you include your Mary, and you point out your Mary making sure you thank them and let them know that they are appreciated and that you couldn’t do your job without them.”

Duties and Expectations
When it comes to duties and expectations, both speakers highlighted the importance of having a checklist for coaches. This checklist ensures that coaches are certified, all positions are filled, and important information, such as emergency procedures and state and national policies, is communicated effectively. Albright and Wagner emphasized that proper planning and clarity regarding duties are essential for ensuring smooth operations during events.

Additionally, two articles were recommended in the presentation. One, by the company Bound, offers a comprehensive checklist for athletic directors. The other, from the NFHS, is titled “Effective Planning of Athletic Contests – Key Step in Controlling Crowds.”

Student Involvement
Student groups can play a vital role in supporting athletic programs. Albright and Wagner suggested using student-athletes, leadership groups or clubs to help with event setup or to run the concession stand. This can provide an opportunity for these groups to raise money for their teams or clubs while contributing to the success of the event.

For students interested in media and communication, the speakers suggested involving them as social media managers for teams. Managing a team or school’s social media offers students opportunities to develop skills like photography, graphic design, editing and creating advertisements.

“We’re in the day and age of social media and that’s huge, so utilizing that for the positive and show those people that are doing great things to help us run successful activities,” Wagner said.

Effective Communication
Effective communication with support staff and volunteers is crucial for smooth event execution. Albright and Wagner noted the importance of providing regular updates and reminders. A weekly update email can help keep everyone informed about upcoming events. Additionally, creating a gameday document outlining event timelines and locations helps ensure that everyone knows where they need to be and when.

“Communication is key in order to be able to help these people feel confident in whatever job that they’re going to be doing,” Wagner said. “And I think that constant communication is important and communicating beforehand what are the expectations for each role.”

Training and Development
Training and development were the final topics covered by the speakers. They recommended preseason workshops, shadowing and instructional videos to help prepare volunteers and support staff. Wagner even added that she personally is willing to train any support staff or volunteer who wants to work at the scorer’s table, from working the clock to handling the scorebook.

Effective collaboration with support staff and volunteers is essential to running smooth and successful athletic events. By focusing on recruitment, communication, incentives and training, athletic departments can foster a positive, well-supported environment that benefits both the staff and the participants.