In this episode we talk about the “student-athlete experience” and the misperceptions surrounding this critical element to athletics program administration. Many people consider the student-athlete experience to be the most important element of their athletics program. However, many can’t articulate what that experience is or does for student-athletes. Our research has revealed several common characteristics […]
Perspective Podcast: Why We All Can Use a Little More Perspective
Perspective on Athletics – Episode #001 In this inaugural episode we explore the concept of perspective and how important it is to the work we do. Perspective leads us to clarity, focus and strategy and enables us to keep the big picture in mind when lots of little things try and distract our attention, time […]
Faculty Friction: Caught in the Middle
One of the biggest challenges for today’s student-athletes is managing expectations of others. Most commonly, they find themselves in a no-win situation when faculty and coach expectations collide regarding missed class time for team travel. This is where athletics leadership must recognize the potential for this type of situation and develop ways in which student-athletes […]
My Communication Conundrum
A core element of leadership is effective communication, which requires skill, empathy and consistency. People around you need to know what you expect from them and also what they can expect from you. Consistent communication delivers the same message to everyone. Open and clear communication sounds easy enough, but as I learned a long time […]
The State of College Sports Today
The December 11, 2011 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education published a powerful headline on its cover: “What The Hell Has Happened to College Sports? And What Should We Do About it?” The article and commentaries came in the wake of the Penn State issues, but really was the climax of several high profile […]
Evaluating Coaches: Competitive Success
Part 3 of 3 Competitive Success: Growing into winning. So how does an athletic director evaluate coaching performance in a way that considers the less tangible outcomes? An evaluation must clarify expectations and consider more than just competitive success as a criteria. Three major components go into successful coaching: 1) Effective Program Management; 2) Positive […]
Evaluating Coaches: The Student-Athlete Experience
The Student-Athlete Experience So how does an athletic director evaluate coaching performance in a way that considers the less tangible outcomes? An evaluation must clarify expectations and consider more than just competitive success as a criteria. Three major components go into successful coaching: 1) Effective Program Management; 2) Positive Student-Athlete Experiences; and 3) Competitive Success. […]
Beyond Winning and Losing: Evaluating Coaches
PART 1 OF 3 Effective Program Management Athletics gives us one of the most objective measures of success: you either win or you lose. (Okay, soccer and a few other sports may allow ties, but we won’t go there.) Winning and losing are two concrete outcomes; they are easy to understand and evaluate. One of […]