1. DIRECTING ATHLETICS THROUGH SOUND MINDS AND BODIES OF
STUDENT-ATHLETES INFLUNENCED BY COACHES
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
For the Degree of
Masters of Coaching and Athletic Administration
In
Exercise and Sport Science
by
Kenneth Edward Fowler
Concordia University Irvine
___________________________________________
Graduate Advisor
____________________________
Approval Date

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Table of Contents
Chapter Page Number
Acknowledgements PREFACE
I. Statement of Purpose 4
II. Philosophy of Coaching Athletics 7
III. Research Methods and Analysis 12
IV. Ethics and Sportsmanship 18
V. Legal Aspects and Considerations 33
VI. Program Development 37
VII. Psychology of Coaching 56
VIII. Strength, Speed, and Conditioning 62
IX. Closing Statement 67
Appendices
A. Current Resume 69
B. Course Descriptions 71
C. References 73
D. Three Recent Letters of Recommendation 76
E. Risk Management Plan 80
F. Fourteen Legal Duties 114
G. Research Methods and Analysis Final Paper 117
H. Mental Training Program 133
I. Strength, Speed, Conditioning, and Nutrition Manual 142

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Acknowledgements
Achieving my master’s in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia
University Irvine has not been without its challenges. From the responsibilities of teaching,
coaching, being a good husband and father, to the coursework and the culminating professional
portfolio, I endured changes in my emotional, physical, and spiritual health through the process,
and I find I need to show gratitude to many: God, my wife, my doctors, professors, friends, and
colleagues. My degree is a compilation of many efforts, for which I am forever gracious.
First, God, my heavenly father, has been there for me every step of the way. I cannot help
but think of James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking nothing.” Strength in these
words, faith in my God, and trust in what the future holds has given me the fortitude to persevere
and complete this process.
My wife Tiffany, my greatest blessing, for assuming a most prominent role in managing
our family and home while I tend to coursework, coaching, and teaching. Without complaints,
she lovingly cares for our two beautiful daughters, Kaya and Addison, without whom I would
not be able to maintain my focus on how to create a better future for me and my family. God and
my girls were there for me as I endured treatment for a blood clot, complicated with pneumonia;
what my doctors could only reason was, ‘bad luck’. Throughout my illness, Dr. Tim Preuss and
Mr. William B. McLaughlin provided unparalleled support for me as I worked through the
Speed, Strength, and Conditioning course and the Legal Aspects of Sport course, respectively.
These gentlemen and mentors embodied God’s grace by working with me to ensure I passed
their courses with a thorough understanding of the content.

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Mr. Jason Valadao opened my eyes to the Lord’s word through his Ethics of Sport
course, and I feel this course explained to me how my call to teach and coach was spiritual. I
feel called to lead by example as I mentor young student-athletes. My development and growth
as a coach is directly attributed to the mentoring from Mike Reardon in my Principles of
Coaching course, Vince Brown in my Sport Technologies course, and Coach Jerry Campbell in
my Theories and Strategies of Football course. Coach Campbell’s and Dr. Preuss’ courses
demonstrated my need to focus on the details in every aspect of my coaching and administration.
Dr. Curt Cattau’s Psychology of Coaching caused me to question my motives and sparked an
abundance of interest and curiosity within me. I immediately applied many of the techniques I
learned with my team. Even though I reside on the East Coast, Dr. James Staunton, Jason
Valadao, and Dr. James Forkum worked with me by communicating via phone and Skype; I felt
as if I was present on campus and these actions improved my comfort level with their courses
and the program as a whole. And in the final stage of my program, Dr. James Forkum and
Chelsea Mailhiot have not only guided my through the thesis process, but have also shown me
empathy and understanding as I balance a career and family while I completed my degree.
Last, I need to thank my thesis editor, Mrs. Jessica Kennedy-Coyne, who graciously gave
up time out of her busy schedule balancing her own career to assist me in this as well.
I am gracious and blessed to have such an experience working with Concordia University
Irvine, for their fine program catered to people like me interested in the field of Coaching and
Athletic Administration. I am confident this program will continue to impact and inspire others
as it has with me.

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Chapter I
Statement of Purpose
Introduction
As an educator, coach, and an athlete, I understand the importance of ongoing
professional development to ensure one is knowledgeable in educational trends, content area
specialization, and coaching. Athletics administrators must understand their role as a coach is
different; their team is no longer student-athletes, but rather coaches. Directing, coaching, and
inspiring coaches to improve themselves in all facets of sport, athletics directors will influence
their coaches to learn, ultimately developing student-athletes according to the vision of the
athletics program. Athletics administrators can impact sound minds and bodies of their student-
athletes through influentially educating and supporting their coaching staffs. An athletics
program must develop both the mental and physical aspects of a student-athlete, which will
result in improved performance, sportsmanship, and the ability to deal with adversity. Together,
these will prepare student-athletes for life after graduation.
Coaches Leave Life-long Impressions
Coaches will leave lasting impressions on their players, based on their communication,
expectations, supportiveness, motivation, and compassion they have for their players and their
team. These impressions can shape the student-athlete’s perceptions of life and the player’s
philosophical views. “Piggy Lambert shaped Wooden’s coaching philosophy—a philosophy
centered on fundamentals, team unity, and conditioning … he not only addressed his players’
physical conditioning but also expressed concern for their mental and moral conditioning”
(Smith, 2013, p. 3). Many argue who the greatest coach is, but most will agree John Wooden is
near the top of such a list. Coaches are not born to be coaches; athletes, whether skilled or

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unskilled, are drawn to the coaching profession. There are numerous ways the athlete may have
been drawn to the profession from accomplishing a difficult skill, to witnessing respect and
admiration a coach may have deserved, to training so intensely and doing what they thought
impossible, learning life skills, or realizing their ability to overcome challenges set forth by their
coaches. Coaches have experienced through athletics the importance of adapting and maturing
to become more crafted in their sport. Successful and ambitious coaches understand the
importance of continuous professional growth not only for strategic improvement, but also to
improve their athletes’ physical performance, mental preparedness, and ability to cope with
adversity. The question then becomes-who will be the coach for the coach? The answer is the
athletics administrator who should also be growing professionally as well, by not only attending
courses based around administering, while additionally learning new trends in the coaching
profession as it relates to physical conditioning, sport psychology, and ethics of coaching.
Guiding Coaches, Impacting Student-Athletes
Athletics administrators need to earn the trust and respect of their coaching staffs to raise
confidence of the athletics program’s vision and mission. I have experienced athletics
administrators who are unaware and out of touch with their athletics teams, athletes, and also
with the most basic of current trends in sport. Those in leadership positions have an obligation to
continually develop themselves professionally in their area of expertise, so they can maintain
respect and confidence with those they are in command of. A detailed and meaningful athletics
program philosophy should inspire coaching staffs, thus creating influence of the teams’
philosophies. If the administrator wishes student-athletes to represent the athletics program as
mature and accountable individuals, coaches need development in ethics and sportsmanship.
This training will lead to more responsible student-athletes who will not engage in frivolous

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actions that could result in legal entanglements or embarrassing publicity for the athletics
program. Philosophical expectations and ethical training of the coaching staffs, coupled with
education of current trends in sport psychology will promote the mental well-being of student-
athletes. Coaches ultimately have the largest impact on their athletes’ physical abilities,
conditioning, and skill performance, but an athletics administrator and his staff staying up-to-
date on strength and conditioning techniques and staying active in numerous sport organizations
can ensure the student-athletes are constantly being coached with cutting-edge techniques.
Ensuring coaches who not only participate in their respective organizations to stay current in
strategy and skill training, administrators can also promote professional development in strength,
conditioning, and speed training classes to ensure coaches receive and utilize current tactics and
trends. Athletics administrators will influence the minds and bodies of their student-athletes by
educating and monitoring coaches.

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Chapter II
Philosophy of Coaching
Introduction
Athletics administrators produce athletics programs by maintaining sound ethics, morals,
and values in which they have faith. Such grounding in the aforementioned may remain fluid,
just as one transforming and developing throughout a career. As Martens (2012) states, “…
develop your philosophy by learning about yourself and thinking through issues … The most
important ingredient of a philosophy is that you own it,” (Location No. 676), reinforcing the
importance of constant and consistent reflection of one’s philosophy and integrating decisions
and experiences as one matures in their profession. Developing through youth athletics,
secondary athletics, collegiate athletics, possibly professional athletics, coaching, and
administration of athletics, athletics administrators experience varied and often unique situations
influencing the development and growth of his or her philosophy ultimately resulting in a richer
and more meaningful philosophy as they progress through their careers.
Missionand Vision Statements
Influenced by one’s personal philosophy, an administrator must develop a mission and
vision statement encompassing every facet of an athletics program from organization to
expectations, to how coaches develop and forge their student-athletes. ‘An athletics program is
focused on developing the minds, bodies, and souls of our student-athletes through
transformational coaches and a transformational athletics staff whose attention to organizational
detail, conviction to prosperous student academic performance, expectation of maximum
physical effort and performance, exhibition of personal ethical and moral behavior,
communication through positive reinforcement, and perception that a student-athletes belief in

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faith should be embraced and encouraged.’ The mission is fortified by a vision, revealing what a
successful student-athlete displays upon their graduation and exit of the athletics program, ‘To
foster an environment where men and women feel needed, respected, and valued for their
contributions to the athletics program, exiting the program as self-confident and empathetic
graduates whom display integrity as beneficial citizens, employees, mentors, and parents in
society.’ Impacting all student-athletes in an athletics program through the coaching staff as an
athletics administrator can be a less daunting task than it first appears; an athletics program based
on moral values and constructive, empathetic communication between coaches and athletics
administration is vital to reaching the mission and vision statements. John Maxwell (2003,
Location No. 246) states in Ethics 101:
One of the first rules in human relations is to seek common ground with others. That’s a
good guideline whether you are exploring a new friendship, meeting with a client,
teaching a student, connecting with children or arguing with your spouse. Comparing
similar experiences and discovering shared beliefs can pave the way for successful
relationships. The Golden Rule can be used to create common ground with any
reasonable person.
Creating common ground and empathy on the part of the athletics administrator, coaching staff
knows their concerns and issues are heard, which then fosters acceptance and integration of the
athletics program’s mission and vision statements to impact the student-athletes.
Core Values and Communication
Anyone having been a parent, coach, or physical educator should believe in the phrase ‘It
takes a village to raise a child’ and feel it applies to developing not only children, but also young
adults, young men and women at the collegiate level, and professionals. Realizing all of the

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pressures and challenges facing high school and collegiate student-athletes, athletics
administrators should feel responsible for ensuring the student-athletes continue to stay grounded
in moral values as they spend more time with their coaches and teams and less time with their
parents and mentors. Lumpkin, Stoll, and Beller give examples of what moral values are and
how these values should impact individuals, “moral values as honesty, justice, fairness,
responsibility and respect, whereby if we violate any of them, we violate people directly” (2003,
p. 23). The athletics administrator needs to inspire the teaching and coaching of core values to
student-athletes by the coaching staffs because the athletics program and the educational
institution are the village aiding in the growth of the student-athlete’s character. The ‘Golden
Rule Philosophy’ becomes the pillar of communication, affecting the dissemination of
information, incorporation of mandatory professional development, and constructive criticism
from the athletics administration to the coaching staff for the betterment of the student-athletes
and athletics program. Conferencing with the coaching staff and gaining information about the
needs and challenges of the student-athletes, the athletics administrators must integrate
professional development focusing on the current needs of this coaching staff and these student-
athletes presently.
Influencing Transformational Coaching to Foster Positive Growth
Fostering an environment where student-athletes can develop both their minds and bodies
through athletics can be achieved from the administration down by employing transformational
coaching and transformational administering. Ehrmann, (2011, p. 6) offers,
A transformational coach is dedicated to self-understanding and empathy, viewing sports
as a virtuous and virtue-giving discipline. Transformational coaches believe young

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people can grow and flourish in sports in a way that is more liberating and instructive
than can be achieved through almost any other activity.
Transformational coaching is reflective in its nature, more so than an actual style of coaching
such as a command or cooperative style of coaching. As such, one can employ qualities from
both styles. Athletics programs should favor coaches utilizing a cooperative style of coaching,
allowing players ownership of the team, yet the command style is also necessary and should be
supported when making time sensitive decisions and relaying information such as strategy.
Organizing professional development sessions where coaches’ styles are self-assessed
and peer assessed, coaches can reflect on which style to apply when they are coaching whether it
is the command, cooperative, or submissive style of coaching. Utilizing data from coaching
assessments, the athletics administration and coaches can produce a plan to integrate the
transformational behavior into a coach’s coaching style. Furthermore, the integration plan
developed by both the coach and the athletics department will ensure the coach is guided to use a
transformational base with his or her coaching, which ultimately molds the mind of the student-
athlete. Given a transformational style of coaching resembles more a behavior and not a style,
the athletics administration staff of the institution can utilize this style by supporting the student-
athletes off the field in academics, mental struggles, time management, and classes on the
challenges facing student-athletes.
Administration Reflective of Coaching Styles
Coaching styles should be reflective and evident in adminstration styles as well. Hiring
the proper coaches is an important aspect of incorporating the best employees for the position,
but not every hire will be the right choice. With this being said, the cooperative and command
styles are utilized similarly to how they are incorporated with the teams becasue the athletics

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director needs to gain confidence in newly hired coaching staffs. Incorporating new coaching
staffs in the decision-making process will allow the athletics director the opportunity to assess
the decisions and thought process of them. Some material, decisions, and concepts must be
dictated to the coaching staffs by the athletcis administraion, while other situations may allow for
a more cooperative approach. Athletic adminstrators through their education and mission and
vision statements realize the importance of transformational behavior and the effect it has on
student-athletes, which is why coaching staffs should feel a sense of empathy and understanding
from the administration. Encouraging coaching staffs to support one another in their profession
will strengthen the staff itself, while also demonstrating the importance of cooperation and
backing which the adminstration expects of them with their teams.

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Chapter III
Research Methods and Analysis
Introduction
After careful analysis, one can determine the following research not only affects the
success of a team within an athletics program, it impacts how student-athletes grow mentally and
physically. Athletics administrators are tasked with demanding everything they can out of their
coaches; however, some coaches demand more of themselves, leaving only the administrator to
step in and determine when the efforts meet or exceed expectations. The research (See Appendix
G) questioned whether head high school football coaches in schools varying in size experienced
a larger number of divorces than that of the national average. Some may say this topic does not
impact the student-athlete, however, it is generally accepted professionals allow their personal
lives to influence their work and vice versa. An athletics department should create an
environment where a sense of family is fostered throughout all of its department, where student-
athletes also feel as if they are part of this family. Furthermore, athletics administrators must
ensure their coaching staff is working toward professional expectations while not sacrificing
their personal lives. This effort by the administration will result in employees who are more
focused on their student-athletes when they are at work and less likely to be focused on the strain
coaching can cause a marriage.
Statement of the Problem
Do head high school football coaches from schools varying in size have a divorce rate
higher than the national average divorce rate? Head coaching at the high school level can be
extremely demanding because of the lack of resources and staff compared to a head collegiate
coach. Conversely, a collegiate head coach can argue recruiting and public functions absorb

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more time, even if the resources and staff are present. The coaching profession at all levels and
all positions requires a great deal of time away from one’s family. “Unfortunately, many people
in our culture seem willing to set their families aside because they think they must in order to get
ahead in their careers. The divorce rate bears that out” (Maxwell, 2003, p. 74). What are
coaches to do when they know their jobs, futures, and ultimately their family’s financial well-
being hang in the balance of their success within their sport? Late nights breaking down film
and off-season training are just some of the tasks coaching football takes away from family time,
yet many of these tasks are now required of many sports. This puts a great deal of stress and
strain on a coach’s home life and family. “Every 32 seconds, a child sees his or her parents
divorce” (Marx, 2003, p. 203). With a staggering statistic like this, there is no question as to
why a coach’s marriage is at greater risk for divorce. Given the stress the coaching profession
places on a coach, the growth of the student-athlete will suffer in the end.
Review of the Literature
The literature reviewed illustrated there is a lack of information when isolating the
divorce rate to the football coaching profession, but there is concrete data for the divorce rate of
collegiate basketball coaches. This data illustrated the divorce rate for head NCAA Division I,
II, and III basketball coaches as influenced by the amount of time weekly spent away from the
home and how many days were lost per year. As Burgess and Masterson (2006) recall, “Fisher
also asked if coaches believed that the pressure they face contributes to marital difficulties or
divorce. An overwhelming 80% of those surveyed responded yes” (Para. 23). In addition to the
basketball coaching data, the literature researched also provided data on the overall divorce rates
and how the national overall divorce rate is currently trending.

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The literature also provided pertinent background information for consideration, such as
much of the information gathered was from a male coaching point of view, with the wife caring
for the home. However, the literature also indicated there are a large number of women coaching
as well. Furthermore, the literature stated many housewives find their families cannot survive
off of one income alone, thus forcing them into working a full-time job in addition to fulfilling
home duties. The review of the literature validates the need for research on the topic of coaching
and increased divorce rates.
Methodology
For athletics administrators to predict possible marital problems associated to the
coaching profession, head high school coaches from Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware,
Virginia, and Pennsylvania were surveyed online to compare data versus the national divorce
average.
Terms and assumptions.
The research presented a misleading term as it relates to the United States divorce rate,
the national average. This is misleading as there are six states in the United States that do not
report their divorce statistics. The term ‘varying school size’ was utilized when defining the
research group, so future researchers would not assume highly populated schools were only
targeted. The divorce rate cannot be assumed just based off of the yearly census numbers
because these statistics do not take into account marriages from years earlier.
Population and sample.
The population for the research was based on all high school head football coaches in the
surrounding Maryland area because all of the data could be compared to the ‘national average
divorce rate’ since these states report to the Census Bureau. The sample group reached over 500

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responses, allowing for random sampling from low submissions of multi-state population or
stratified random sampling for states with high submissions.
Researchdesign.
The research design utilized was a cross-sectional/survey design to answer the research
question and prove or disprove the hypothesis, asking both quantitative and qualitative questions
in an on-line questionnaire.
Data collection.
Data collection consisted of closed questions, including prompted questions about
children and previous divorce leading the coach to additional questions, while also consisting of
open questions where the coach would give his or her thoughts on whether coaching affected the
outcome of that question. For a listing of these questions see Appendix G.
Instruments.
By utilizing an online survey from Survey Monkey, the research allowed for anonymity
for the coach being surveyed and a higher response rate versus traditional mail; moreover, the
on-line questionnaire included additional benefits of real time statistics and custom reporting,
which will have reduced the time spent checking and dealing with missing data.
Reliability and validity of the instruments.
The instruments used to conduct the research are both reliable and valid, since the
response rate to online surveys is higher than those conducted by mail and coach’s anonymity
was protected because the only identifying factor will be the state in which they coach. The
instruments of this study could be used in the future by another researcher.

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Reliability and validity of the methodology.
The methodology was both reliable and valid, meeting both face validity and content
validity. Pertaining to predictive validity, if the sample was larger, the research effort could
predict with confidence the divorce rate for the states not reporting to the Census Bureau. The
research design and methodology of this study could be used in the future by another researcher.
Data analysis.
The data analysis was broken down using a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
(SPSS) integration and custom reporting offered by Survey Monkey and then the data was
examined as it related to the specific state where the coaches are employed, additionally being
examined overall to determine whether one can predict this data nationally.
Anticipated Findings
The research performed, for as to whether or not the divorce rate was higher than the
national average for high school head football coaches, revealed expected findings while also
suggesting possible findings in other parts of the country. The divorce rate was higher for head
high school football coaches and will be higher than the national average because the data
displayed valid reasoning for these anticipated findings.
Implications for the Profession
As one searches for ways athletics administrators can influence the minds and bodies of
student-athletes through coaches, there must be a conscious effort made to reduce the impact of
the profession on the coach’s home life. While some coaches have extremely supportive spouses
who don’t mind their significant other being away from home all the time, an athletics
administrator cannot assume all of their coaches are in this situation. Athletics administrators on
both the high school and collegiate levels need a vision and mission statement that incorporates

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the importance of detail and organization to help reduce the time management anxieties coaches
find themselves experiencing. Counseling, family gatherings on campus after practices,
marriage workshops and support groups for the spouses of coaches would demonstrate support
for and recognize those at home who are sacrificing so much. Mirroring how mandatory
exercise is promoted in the coaching profession for coaches whom say there is not enough time
to stay healthy, the athletics administrator could promote a mandatory mid-day break maybe
once or twice week where the coaches would have the opportunity to go home, have a meal, and
relax with their loved ones. Promoting and explaining the mid-day break to student-athletes
would increase their awareness of the importance of family as it relates to one’s profession, thus
resulting in the player’s growth mentally. The athletics program that focuses on supporting their
coaches’ home life will have a more productive coach who will be able to focus more on his or
her student-athlete’s mental and physical growth.

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Chapter IV
Ethics and Sportsmanship
Introduction
Winning a championship in the aftermath of a tragedy such as those at Columbine or
Joplin, allowing the team’s manager with special needs to suit-up and play in the basketball
game, carrying the opposing team’s player around the bases on her ‘homerun trot’ because she
sprained her ankle rounding the base, or an athletics administrator or coach caring for one of
their student-athletes as if he or she were their own child are all examples of the wholesome and
heartwarming traits athletics has to offer. However, alleged sexual relationships between coaches
and players, illegal drug or alcohol usage by athletes, domestic abuse and sexual assault by
athletes, or cheating during either sporting events or in the classroom often dull the brilliance
athletics offers. While many celebrate the joys of sport and competitiveness, the
competitiveness, as a ‘win at all cost’ mentality has enticed many to cheat by using performance
enhancing drugs or to become overly aggressive. An athlete under such pressures or influences
can lose rational thought, and this was exemplified in the case of Luis Suarez when he bit the
shoulder of his opponent in the 2014 World Cup. The present challenges in sports center around
team unity, negative off-field incidents, and selfish athletes fueled by greed which all outweigh
the positive stories of a team overcoming adversity or the selfless athlete who gives everything
up for the team. An athletics program supporting and guiding these teams, coaches, and players
has a responsibility to maintain and instill the positive values athletics offers, not only those
involved with the program, but also the public supporting the program.

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The Needfor Ethical Structure
There is a need for ethics and sportsmanship in athletics competition and athletics
administration. “As winning increases in importance because of financial payouts, status, and
symbolic rewards, many players choose to use any means at their disposal, even violence, to
attain victory” (Lumpkin, Stoll, & Beller, 2003, p. 70). The problem with the lack of ethics and
sportsmanship in athletics resonates from the public’s view of winning and the expectations
placed on human beings. However, increased displays of ethics and sportsmanship could
directly impact the future of athletics as a whole. With this being said, “Must we not have
trustworthy coaches and wise administrators as well as honest performers all of whom keep the
sporting faith; the spirit of the game?” (McNamee, 1998, p.161). When administrators and
coaches begin applying, displaying, coaching, and educating with ethical standards as a focus,
athletes and young people will observe the true essence of athletics and competition. Athletics
administrators comprehend the importance of impacting athletes’ morals and values through
their coaches, so aside from just developing their coaches’ awareness of having ethics in mind as
they coach, administrators should present themselves morally in decision-making and actions
taken by the program. Athletics administrators and coaches need to remain focused on their
morals, values, and ethics as they adapt to different players through the years with the unique
styles and culture these players bring to the athletics program.
Modeling with morals and beliefs.
As previously stated, modeling morals and beliefs is the most important part of educating
athletes, especially when these ethical actions may present an unwanted outcome. One example
of modeling morals and beliefs came when a varsity football coach felt there was a need for
emphasis on morals and beliefs during his coaching assignment, and he wanted to make sure it

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was addressed in the mission statement of the football program. The coach felt the lack of
morals and beliefs correlated to the underachievement and submission of his players during
times of adversity because the players lacked faith and trust. The coach’s attempt to nurture
players’ beliefs in faith via the mission statement of the football program; however, as the school
was a public institution, the coach was forced to remove the statement, ‘Through support of our
players’ belief in faith whether it is religious faith or faith of team/family/friendships.’ The
principal advised the coach ‘religious faith’ was a problem with the mission statement, as well
as, the use of ‘faith of team/family/friendships’. Although the coach knew this may have been a
problem, he made an attempt to incorporate support of all religions and to influence moral
grounding for his players. Integrity has always been a mainstay of the football coaching staff at
Northeast High School, and the coaches constantly practiced this philosophy, even when the
truth about a situation may have been difficult for the young men to hear. Although the head
coach and football staff maintained such integrity, the administration did not, and thus the
division ultimately led to many questions regarding the future of the program and career of the
coach. Athletics administrators must practice honest communication and demonstrate integrity if
they are to influence not only their coaches, but also the student-athletes.
Ethical Dilemma
An example of an ethical dilemma took place in North Andover, Massachusetts when a
senior volleyball player was suspended for five games and divested of her captain’s title because
she drove to pick up a friend from a party who was too drunk to drive. The player had just
returned home from work when she received a phone call from a friend who was at a house party
and too drunk to drive home. The player drove to the party and soon after she arrived the police
arrested several students for underage possession of alcohol. The volleyball player was not

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arrested by the police because she was not drinking nor was she in possession of any alcohol,
although they did advise her she would be summoned to court for drinking.
Two weeks post-party, the volleyball player was summoned to court, where she presented
a written statement from an officer on the scene vouching for the volleyball player’s sobriety.
As a result, at the mid-point of her senior season, she was suspended five games and stripped of
her captain’s title. The player was devastated for doing what she thought was the right thing by
helping a drunk friend not drive drunk. Her mother, equally irate, enlisted the help of their
family attorney to file a lawsuit against the school district in the local District Court. After
initiating the lawsuit in hopes to clear her daughter, the mother appeared on the television show
Good Morning America, to give a formal interview on the state of her daughter and the case,
while also presenting a statement from the family attorney. Both the mother and attorney’s
comments were similar, referencing how the volleyball player was very upset, they were worried
about the mental state the volleyball player was in and how the situation sends a bad message to
children about how they should not get involved when someone drunk asks them for a ride as if
to say they are better off to let their friends drive drunk. The lawsuit aimed to change the
school’s decision, but failed to do so for the judge ruled the court had no jurisdiction over the
situation, thus the superintendent’s ruling stood.
The volleyball player served out her suspension and stayed on the team, completed her
senior year of volleyball amid her mother’s continued attempts of legal intervention, which
included challenges of sexism and Title IX offenses against the school district. Within weeks of
the initial reports and the conclusion of the volleyball season, there were a few other reports on
the internet stating the volleyball player had lied and she actually did consume alcohol at the
party. As the volleyball player was 17, the information to confirm that she actually confessed in

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court to the possession and consumption of alcohol is hard to corroborate. What is known is an
adolescent child was drunk at a party and her friend, a volleyball player, was also there and
formally punished for being there whether she was drinking or not.
Choices for Those Directly Involved
There were several choices for the behaviors and actions having been taken by those
directly involved in the dilemma. The individuals or groups directly involved include the
volleyball player, the friend at the party, the volleyball player’s mother, the lawyer, the police
officer, the superintendent, and the coach. The individuals will be addressed according to the
following groups-those defending, enforcing, and prosecuting those involved in this matter.
There are a multitude of actions that could have been taken by the volleyball player
which could have kept her from not only going to the party, but from going into the house where
the party was taking place. The obvious and probably most responsible, although not popular;
would have been to immediately contact the friend’s parents, guardians, or family members to
advise them of the situation so they could go pick up the friend. Even less popular than
contacting the parents, the player could have contacted the police about the party. In addition to
traveling to the party to get the girl, the volleyball player could have called a taxi service to pick
her friend up. Even if the player felt like there were no other possibilities than picking up her
friend, she still had options. First, she could have had her mother or father drive her to pick up
her friend from the party, so she would have had someone to not only verify what she went to the
party for, they could have walked up to the door with her to get her friend. The volleyball player
could have also told the friend if she did drive to pick her up; she was not getting out of the car,
or even if she did drive to pick up her friend, she did not need to go into the party because she
could have had whoever answered the door go and get her friend. The last option is probably the

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most unethical showing the least value for a human life which includes allowing her friend and
teammate to simply drive herself home, thus endangering many lives.
The mother is another person in the ‘defending’ group because she pursued legal action
on behalf of her daughter. A parent should always be aware of their children’s actions and
whereabouts, because it is a God-given responsibility to raise and nurture one’s child as taught in
Proverbs 22:6 (Bible Gateway) “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he
will not depart from it.” The mother should have conducted her own thorough investigation
prior to contacting a lawyer and taking the family’s story to a national forum. Furthermore, the
mother could have taken her daughter to the school district office to speak with the
superintendent to personally present their case and appeal to the good nature of the
superintendent. Since advising is one of the main roles of a lawyer, the lawyer should have
advised the mother to not appeal to the request of the national network to appear on, Good
Morning America, until all the facts of the story was revealed and all of the parties had appeared
in court. The lawyer should have also advised the mother to reach the superintendent and school
officials in a more discreet manner, so the superintendent and school officials would not have
had to feel so defensive because cooler heads may have prevailed.
Arresting children and breaking up the party was probably quite the task. The police
officer had to know it was possible his keen sense of smell could have been wrong in
determining whether or not the volleyball player consumed alcohol. Even though he was
examining the physical traits of all the party goers, there was no solid evidence whether or not
the volleyball player actually consumed alcohol at the party. The perfect opportunity presented
itself when the mother arrived to pick up her daughter because had the officer gotten permission

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from the parent to perform a Breathalyzer test on the volleyball player, all court proceedings
following may not have been necessary.
The final group to be analyzed is the prosecuting group, those parties who levied the
punishment. Duggan (2013, para. 13) reported the superintendent’s statement, which reveals
options due to their policy:
We do not have a ‘zero tolerance policy.’ Each incident is fully investigated and decided
upon based on the individual facts and circumstances. Our administrators are tasked with
applying the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) rules pertaining
to student-athletes and alcohol in a consistent and fair manner.
The first option would have been to personally invite the volleyball player and parents in for
meeting to discuss the entire situation and present all of the facts of the case so justice is evident
on both sides. Another option for the superintendent would have been to allow the police
officer’s statement to have a greater impact on the situation and emancipate the volleyball player
of all penalties. However, the superintendent could have made an even larger example of the
volleyball player by forcing the school to remove her from the team. The last option the
superintendent could have used would have been to reduce the punishment of the player to say
maybe one game and she could have retained her role as captain.
Missing from this scene is the coach. As information pertaining to the role of the coach
in unknown, the coach also had a few choices of action which he could have taken. First, the
communication a coach has with their team and their parents is of the upmost importance, so the
coach should have contacted the player and parents for a meeting with the coaching and
administrative staff to discuss the situation. The coach could have served as a mediator between
all involved parties. Furthermore, if the coach believed his player and parents, the coach could

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support his player and fight for the repeal of the punishment or even sit out in solidarity with the
athlete for the duration of the punishment. If the coach believed his player and parents, but felt
the player should have made a better decision such as calling the friend’s parents, then the coach
should lessen the punishment of five games and losing the captain’s title to maybe one game and
retaining the title of captain.
However, if the coach agreed with the school district even after believing the player and
parents, they could uphold the punishment and use the incident as a teachable moment. But if
the coach felt as if they were lied to by the player and parents, a release from the team may be
necessary for the incident brought unwanted attention to the program. Thus, coaches should do
three things: fight for the players they believe in, take everything into consideration ethically
when making a decision, and always remember they are helping to make better human beings
whether they agree with the outcome.
Choices for Those Indirectly Involved
There are options and choices for behavior and actions can be taken by those indirectly
involved in the dilemma. The individuals or groups indirectly involved include the volleyball
team, the principal, the athletics director and the friend’s parents or guardians. The volleyball
team could have chosen to support their teammate, which they did by raising money for her legal
defense and publicly supporting her; moreover, they could have decided to sit out as a team in
protest or go to school district as a team and fight for their teammate’s right to play. The other
option they had was to ask for a heavier punishment from the school district because she was
supposed to be a team leader and her actions cost the team heavily. The principal and athletics
director, much like the coach, have managed to stay out of this story, but all of the options
expressed previously about the coach apply with the exception of sitting out with the team. They

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were in a position to establish the same communication as well as conducting the research to
base their decisions. There are a couple of other options the administration should have
considered: made the entire team forfeit a game, fire the coach for the bad publicity for the
school or cancel the remainder of the season to deter other teams at the school of making the
same mistakes. Finally, the people who are responsible for a large portion of this are the friend’s
parents and guardians. Where were they? Did they know where their child was? Have they
discussed the effects of alcohol and drugs on an adolescent’s body? The friend’s parents should
have made it known to the friend if the friend was ever in a predicament where he or she was too
intoxicated to drive, no matter what the parent’s should get a call from the friend. These parents
and guardians should have been the first people fighting for the player’s right to play and stay on
the team, yet there is no reference about them. Better parenting would have prevented this
situation.
Considerations: Social, Emotional, Physical, Academic, and Spiritual
This ethical dilemma may be analyzed with respect to five considerations: social,
emotional, physical, academic, and spiritual. The five areas of consideration not only affect
those directly involved, but they also affect those indirectly involved and the world around them.
One social consideration for this dilemma includes sending the wrong message about picking up
an intoxicated friend from a party who would otherwise drive drunk and a person’s good deed
can cost a team. By enforcing such a harsh penalty for what was an act of kindness, the school
district could end up deterring this situation in the future, which in turn could lead to a drinking
and driving accident. The decision also penalizes an entire team for what was basically a good
deed done by a child to protect a friend, losing a key player for five games during the season.
Another social consideration is that a police officer’s written statement in court supporting a

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child’s good deed is not valued. Using this situation and the topic of drinking and driving, the
school district could have really used this situation to not only reinforce their policies, but also to
offer a public campaign on options for friends and families who experience these same
situations.
The emotional considerations for this dilemma affect many people. The first of which is
the emotional state of a child who thought she was doing the right thing. Now faced with the loss
of her captain’s title, a five game suspension from the team during her senior season, public
humiliation in the media, and the fact she has let her team down, the student-athlete could slip
into a depression or develop anxiety. Another emotional consideration is the good-hearted
attempt by a child to take care of one of her friends to ensure they did not drive home drunk. In
addition to the player, the mother should not have let her anger get the better of her by going
public so quickly with the situation. The regret and appreciation from the friend and the friend’s
parents and guardians should have also been considered because maybe she could have dealt
with some of the punishment for the player. The player’s good will, although thoughtful and
responsible, displays to teammates and classmates in the school more thought should be given to
a situation before acting on it.
The physical considerations for this dilemma are serious, if not fatal. The actions of the
player driving to pick up a drunken friend could quite possibly have saved the friend’s life along
with other innocent bystanders. However, the player also put herself at risk by driving near a
party with alcohol, which heightened her chances of being in a car accident with a drunk driver.
Playing without a team captain, the volleyball team suffered physically from the loss of one of
their senior leaders and teammate on the court. Denying the team their captain and teammate for

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the five games, the message is clear children should involve adults when such situations arise or
deal with the punishment to themselves and their teammates.
The academic considerations for this dilemma can be far reaching, not only to the
students at the school, but also the state and nation for years to come. For instance, the player
could lose athletic scholarship money or the chance to be recruited. The school district has the
perfect opportunity to promote and educate positive decisions for situations involving friends
having had too much alcohol and want to drive or do not want to drive. The school should also
consider any uprising by the student body during the school day, such as a walk out or sit in to
protest the decision. The player possibly loses a scholarship, while the school could lose order,
but taking the opportunity to educate could open students’ eyes everywhere to why the school
district made the decision they did.
The spiritual considerations for this dilemma include looking out for one another and
child rearing. As the New Testament states in Philippians 2:4 (Bible Gateway), “not looking to
your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others,” guides one to think it is their
responsibility as a follower of Christ to not let a friend put themselves in danger if they have the
ability to change it. The New Testament verses of love and caring for one another are
paramount, which would influence anyone in the same manner as the volleyball player. The
other spiritual consideration relates to all of parents involved directly and indirectly with this
situation. As previously stated, the Old Testament discusses the responsibility of parents in
Proverbs 22:6 (Bible Gateway), “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old,
he will not depart from it.” The parents of the player, friend, and homeowner should be
considered at fault as well and suffer some of the punishment the player is receiving for not
preparing their children to deal with such situations as contacting a friend’s parents and

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guardians, drinking alcohol underage, and being responsible for one’s home. Spiritually, the
parents should share in the blame, which in turn would change the views parents have of giving
their children so much freedom, forcing them to worry about what could be the result for them if
they encountered any of these situations with their children.
Precedents for the Future
The choices and actions taken by the coach, athletics director, principal, and school
district will set precedents for the future. Penalizing in the way they did, the precedent has been
set if an athlete is caught at a party whether they were drinking or not it will result in a loss of
captain status and playing time. Players on future teams at North Andover will know what is
expected from their student-athletes, referencing parties involving alcohol or drugs; furthermore,
the actions taken by the coach, administration, and school district paint a clear picture on what is
not acceptable and what the outcome will be.
Ethical Considerations
The ethical considerations for this dilemma center on the precious gift from God, the life
of a child, as stated in Psalm 127:3 (Bible Gateway), “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the
fruit of the womb is a reward.” The coach, administration, and school district have a moral
responsibility to take care of children as much as possible because this is the nature of their
profession. The rules and decisions they make should reflect the value of a child’s life, and if the
path they have chosen deters children from drinking or drugging at parties or driving near said
parties then they have fulfilled their responsibility. Brown (2003, p. 55) states, “Coaches should
demand discipline from their players, in direct proportion to the amount of love they have for
their athletes and the game they coach.” Another ethical consideration for this dilemma is to
teach young people how to be self-disciplined, so when they are faced with dilemmas in life they

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will look at the big picture and not just do what is attractive in the moment. Levying the
punishment as they did, athletes will most likely consider more actions and possibly make the
hard decisions of calling someone’s parents to pick up their child.
Implications for the Coach and Athletics Administrator
Coaching a team and supervising an athletics department comes with many
responsibilities, with the main responsibilities being to ensure student-athletes develop socially,
morally, and physically, while also protecting the student-athletes’ best interests. The role of the
coach is to teach and lead their young athletes in many aspects of life from their performance on
the field to their interactions with authority figures, to the development of their decision-making
by instilling character and modeling The Golden Rule. By referencing Psalms and Brown, with
respect to a child’s life and the importance of discipline, a coach should always realize they have
an ability to reach children daily in a way not too many people can with lifelong effects. The
coach made the right decision by going along with the punishment handed down from the school
district, but the punishment should have been lessened. The coach needs to realize a child (the
player) was looking out for another child, giving spiritual and ethical credit to the player.
Nevertheless, the player did put themselves at risk as well. Even with the best intentions the
player failed to evaluate all options, a common in most adolescent decisions. The player should
have received a two to three game suspension, while still losing her captain title, but the player
should have had the ability to retain her captain status after the suspension and remorse of her
actions.
Athletics administrators should feel obligated to advocate for their coaches and student-
athletes when ethical dilemmas arise in which they may not be directly involved. As a leader,
the athletics director should have been in constant contact with all parties involved to ensure the

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best interests of his or her coach and student-athletes was being taken into consideration. This is
a perfect example of when doing the right thing may not always be the easiest thing because
taking a stand publicly for your coach and student-athletes would probably be more stressful than
letting others influence and make all of the decisions as to the penalties to be handed down. By
taking an active part in the disciplinary process, the athletics director would have been sure the
proper decision was made both morally and ethically. Following the ethical considerations
would have placed the blame on the player; blame also needs to fall onto the parents involved.
Code of Ethics
A code of ethics for a sports program should include statements of how a program
expects its athletes to perform both on and off the field, as well as how the athlete interacts with
teammates and anyone else on and off the field. “Sensibility, or ethic of care, requires coaches to
think critically about the assumptions and knowledge they bring to any problems they might
encounter,” (Denison & Avner, 2011, p. 210). By critically thinking about problems which may
be encountered, coaches and athletics directors can have established guidelines for many
different situations and problems that may arise when dealing with athletes both on and off the
field. “Respect for others, reverence for women, recognition of the weak, truthfulness,
faithfulness and honesty, courage and honor are what are often lacking today,” (Cynarski, 2014,
p. 7), exemplifies the basis for a code of ethics in sport because they display the values of
character should be expected by student-athletes. Lumpkin, et al., (2003, p. 37) states, “The four
values supported in sport are honesty, justice, responsibility and beneficence,” mirroring and
basing these values in a code of ethics will allow coaches and athletic directors to focus in on
how these values should be demonstrated by the athletes in their programs. A code of ethics
should be a reflection of Maxwell’s “Golden Rule Philosophy,” because the code of ethics

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should guide the actions and interactions of athletes in the classroom, on the field, and the code
of ethics should be based around what is good for everyone. Maxwell (2003, Location No. 374)
states, “If you don’t have trust, there can be no open and honest interaction, and the relationship
will be only temporary,” with this being said a code of ethics with a high focus on honesty will
last and also instill a value carrying over to the playing field, court, mat, and later in life. With
an established Code of Ethics, coaches and athletics directors not only create a guide for student-
athletes to follow, but also have the base to make decisions easier, as in the case in North
Andover, Massachusetts.

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Chapter V
Legal Aspects and Considerations
Introduction
Supervising an athletics program presents numerous possibilities of legal entanglements,
therefore athletics administrators face possible litigation from injuries, Title IV compliance, and
foreseeable negligence. Whether at the high school or collegiate level, administrators must be
aware of every aspect of the athletics program as it relates to communication, supervision, and
interactions between the athletics staff with student-athletes, parents, boosters, and school
districts. As the director of the athletics program, continuous education and reinforcement of the
obligations and expectations of the athletics staff is crucial for limiting any litigation against the
athletics program or school. All too often, the media is reporting on sanctions being imposed on
universities due to inappropriate booster conduct with athletics teams or unethical academic
misconduct coordinated by athletics staff, which sometimes does not involve direct student-
athlete contact or involvement. Student-athletes should not fall victim to penalties, resulting
from a lack of diligence or supervision by the athletics director or his or her staff.
Risk Management Plan
The athletics department must not fall victim to sanctions or litigation which could have
been otherwise prevented through a well thought out Risk Management Plan (RMP). Cotton and
Wolohan (2013, p. 278) combine the old and new definitions in their description of a RMP
depicted as:
Ammon defined risk management as ‘controlling the financial and personal injury losses
from sudden, unforeseen, unusual accidents and intentional torts’ (Ammon, 1993) … One
of the most recent definitions (Spengler, Anderson, Connaughton & Baker, 2009) defined

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risk management as a ‘course of action designed to reduce the risk (probability or
likelihood) and loss to sport participants, spectators, employees, management and
organizations’.
Both the old and new interpretations of a RMP revolve around the concept of reducing the risk of
litigation by preparing for expected risks and reducing the risk for unforeseen accidents, which
could be prevented through a well thought out plan of action. The athletics administrator
comprehends the importance of the implementation, comprehension, and execution of the RMP
for the athletics department, which must address the organization description, personnel, conduct
of activities, general supervisory practices, facilities, crisis management, emergency action plans,
and insurance coverage of the athletics program. An example of a RMP on a smaller scale than
what an entire athletics program would resemble is presented in Appendix E, but the premise and
structure of the RMP would be the same with the addition of all sports, staff, and facilities. With
respect to creating a RMP at the collegiate level one would include a great deal more with
respect to staffing, booster involvement, interactions with high school student-athletes and
coaches, and travel, just to offer a few examples.
There are benefits and challenges present in an athletics program’s or athletics team’s
RMP at any level. First of all, developing a RMP requires the inspector to be thorough and
detailed as it relates to every aspect of the program, which makes the athletics administrator or
coach aware of many things regarding the program and ultimately impacting the student-athlete
with improved physical safety. In addition to the knowledge gained of the program, athletics
administrators and coaches can be constructively critical of one another with respect to liable
situations the other may have overlooked. There are two challenges present in regard to the
RMP and one could say the first challenge may also be another benefit. The first challenge is the

36. 35
need for continuous evaluation and revisions to the RMP as the athletics program changes with
new staffing, facilities, and equipment. The second challenge would be the need to incorporate
additional inspectors, especially at the collegiate level, to ensure there is never a single detail
overlooked. Incorporating additional inspectors will not only demonstrate diligence in the plan,
but it will also ensure the athletics program and its administration have taken the necessary steps
to account for all possible negligence on their part with respect to athletics support staff trying to
conceal costly needed changes.
Legal Duties of the Athletics Administrator
The 14 legal duties of the athletics administrator and coach are the base for ensuring all
steps are taken to prevent possible litigation of negligence (See Appendix F). One can advocate
two duties would be sufficient and athletics directors should actively practice the ‘Duty to Plan’
and the ‘Duty to Supervise’ because when these two duties are performed, they encompass all of
the other twelve duties through a well-planned and supervised athletic department. May and
Reinkens (2011, p.11) state, “When coaches don’t properly and progressively train their athletes
for game action, they are putting those athletes in an unsafe situation and are also putting
themselves at legal risk.” This validates planning and supervising of everything from the first
parent meeting to the last day of equipment return and through all of the off-season workouts
there has to be a detailed plan carried out by the coach or athletics director. There can be a solid
case made saying every legal duty of athletics personnel is equally as important as the next, but
planning and supervising are present in all of the legal duties, which confirms these two duties
are necessary for the development and existence of the other 12 duties.
The Duty to Plan is the base of an entire athletics program because without a plan there
will never be any information to disburse, athlete to prepare, place to play, readiness for an

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emergency, or coaches to work with and develop. Athletics programs should have a yearly
calendar set up, starting with the end of each season, to allow the coaches and players to have
direction in the off-season and so preparations for training, information, and development of the
program can occur. Planning can be thought of as developing responses to possible problems
which may occur or preventing foreseeable problems based off the previous season’s mistakes or
mishaps, so the work put in to establishing a plan will give one the paper trail to support any
evidence one may need to argue liability or negligence.
The second legal duty is the Duty to Supervise and it is equally and proportionately as
important as the first. The athletics department at Northeast High School, more precisely the
football program, performs a sound mission of supervision as it relates to all aspects from
inspection and management to education and observation. The Duty to Supervise is based off of
the Duty to Plan simply because supervising is being present and fulfilling ones duty as it relates
to the established plan. A well devised plan allows for the athletics department, coaching staff,
and training staff to be prepared not only for injuries, but the prevention of foreseeable injuries
due to preparedness of all those involved by training, conditioning, and observing players
properly; preparing and maintaining facilities and equipment, and through the education and
training of the staff. Through proper planning and supervising by the athletics administrator,
student-athletes will be influenced both mentally and physically by their coaches with prevention
of litigation at the forefront.

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Chapter VI
Program Development
Introduction
The athletics administrator focusing on influencing the minds, bodies, and souls of the
student-athletes within their athletics department through their coaches must initially assess and
frequently reassess the athletics program they created or currently manage. Ensuring the
development of the student-athletes requires organization, communication, and engagement of
many individuals from the student-athletes themselves to their coaches, parents, teachers, and
administrators, athletics boosters, and the community. “The athletic director must be a beacon of
light that always points in the proper direction for all parties. That light should always be
positive and focused on the needs of the student-athletes” (Evers, 2015, p. 18). Staffing and
evaluation of all athletics personnel, program-wide discipline expectations, facility usage and
maintenance, budgeting and funding of teams and equipment, are just a few examples of the
areas to be covered when developing or managing an athletics program. Even with all of these
responsibilities, Evers (2015, p. 19) reinforces:
It is the job of the athletic director to push and nurture coaches to greater heights. This
should not be a negative mind set, but a very positive one. Working with coaches and
providing resources to reach new heights should be a collaborative effort, but should be
guided by an innovative and highly motivated leader. This can be done as a collaborative
effort between coaches and athletic administrator. As always, such movement should
always be guided by principles that put the student-athlete first.

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Keeping student-athletes’ first, in respect to how the program is developed and maintained, will
ensure all of the steps are implemented or revised must be of paramount concern for the future of
the program.
Organization of the Office
An organized office of athletics develops the minds, bodies, and souls of student-athletes
by establishing specific duties to the various positions within the office to reach the outcome of
development. Whether at the secondary or collegiate levels of athletics, the athletics program
must be led by an athletics director responsible for the philosophy, vision, appearance, and
general reputation of the athletics program. Depending on the size, funding, and support of the
athletics program to be organized, the differences in the number of employees and staff are
expected to vary. For example, a typical public high school with limited funding may be limited
to an athletics director with one assistant director and the coaching staff, however, a public high
school with greater funding and support such as those one might find in Texas may resemble
more of a small to mid-sized collegiate athletics office with numerous assistant directors and
specified support staff. Just as a large, well-funded high school, small to mid-sized collegiate
athletics offices require numerous assistant and associate directors with titles ranging from
business manager to compliance manager and information facilitator. Larger, NCAA Division I
universities offer funding and support providing the opportunity for many individuals to be
employed within the office of athletics. Furthermore, one can expect to see individual sports
with their own information directors, compliance officers, budgeting analysts, player
development officer, recruiting manager, and equipment managers, while the athletics
department as a whole is still managed by associate directors resembling more a Chief
Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Purchasing Officers (CPO) of a major corporation.

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Although funding, support, and size will allow for more employees within the office of
athletics to accomplish specific tasks, small colleges or high schools will still need to accomplish
these tasks with less ‘manpower’, and this is where the organization of an athletics department is
demonstrated. As previously stated, the athletics director will oversee the entire department, but
delegation of many tasks, such as those not requiring the full attention of the director such as the
maintenance of an athletics department website, could be a responsibility of the assistant
athletics director. If the director is only fortunate enough to have an assistant, delegating more
team specific matters such as budgeting, purchasing, supervision, and communication can be
managed by sport specific head coaches, with approval for additional specific tasks from the
athletics director. An athletics director can be creative when delegating roles to a head coach
when there are assistant coaches within the building or campus because now the director can
increase the amount of delegation without increasing the size of the athletics department.
Establishing roles with specific tasks for everyone under the athletics director should be
presented in an athletics manual. The manual will explain what the position expectations are for
the assistant director or coach and how they are to be performed and communicated to the
director.
Communication
There are two concepts of communication for effective leadership: the need for
communication and the need for organized communication.
Importance of communication.
Effective communication prevents unwelcome defensive outbursts, praises incredible
achievements, increases the amount of funding or fundraising for the athletics program, and
enhances student-athletes’ character. Ultimately, misunderstood communication can single

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handedly destroy the reputation of an athletics program or destroy the positive environment
needed to be successful. Ehrmann (2011, p. 184) asserts, “Clarity in verbal communication
means conveying intentions, plans, and requirements as precisely as possible. Discipline in
communication is required if we are going to remain mindful of the effects of our words, deeds,
and demeanor”. Coupled with the necessity to be clear and cognizant of one’s verbal and non-
verbal communication, the athletics director must employ empathy when communicating with
their support staff, student-athletes, parents, fans, and boosters because if the director cannot
grasp their point of view, then he or she could overlook an important issue he or she is blind to.
Incorporating clarity, discipline, and empathy into communication will foster an environment of
credibility, mutual respect, trust, openness, valued inputs from all, and increase enthusiasm for
the athletics program (Williams, 2010, p.152-153). Communication will immediately impact the
athletics program where the director is attempting to influence the minds, bodies, and souls of
their student-athletes through their coaching staff because first impressions are crucial to
influencing a mission and vision for the program.
Incorporating a chain of command.
Organizing communication is nearly as important as understanding how to communicate
with others. Without such a process, intercepting all thoughts and complaints regarding athletics
could absorb nearly every workable minute of the athletics director’s day. This results in the
need for a chain of command when relaying information or comments to the athletics director.
The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) (2008, p.21)
established such noted topics be discussed and the expectations for communication by the coach,
parent, and player and furthermore, the article was closed with this thought:

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It is hoped that the information in this document will help the athletic administrator
improve the experience for both athletes and parents. The thoughtful establishment and
maintenance of a solid athletic chain of command will not eliminate conflict, but will
provide a tool for consistent management of communication between parents and
coaches.
At the high school level, the athletics chain of command is crucial to reduce the time spent by the
athletics director trying to solve non-emergent issues which they may not have full
understanding of or issues which could have been resolved through communication at a lower
level. An example of an athletics chain of command for a high school with a limited athletics
office would resemble the following in ascending order: Parent or player addresses, Position
coach, Junior Varsity coach (if applicable), Head Varsity Coach, Assistant Athletics Director,
Athletics Director, Administrator who oversees athletics, Principal of school, County or District
Coordinator of Athletics. This chain of command should be established, explained, and listed at
the first meeting with parents and it should also be on the school’s athletic website. With respect
to a collegiate athletics program, the layers of the athletics chain of command would be increased
before reaching the athletics director because many programs have quality control coaches and
administrators directly associated with the particular sport.
Staffing
There are many layers to the staffing of the athletics department, which include but may
not be limited to advertising for positions, the interviewing process, hiring of candidates, and
termination of positions. These layers seem rather normal to every profession, but the athletics
director also needs to decide what individuals he or she wants to be a part of this process. For
instance, will the process include: a committee, student-athletes, coaches, or faculty? See

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Appendix E for an example of an application for employment, which addresses equal
opportunities for all applicants.
Advertising of positions.
There are a few key points an athletics director should be aware of when advertising
positions. First and foremost, the athletics director needs to contact the administrator whom they
report to and human resources regarding the position to be advertised. Researching accredited
and respected websites in regard to the position needed (i.e. coach, athletic trainer, etc.), so the
candidates who are exposed to the positions are most likely qualified applicants. Also include a
detailed description of what the tasks and expectations of the position are and what qualifications
the candidate should have before applying.
The interview process.
There are many facets of the interview process which requires the athletics director to be
thorough so the best candidates are hired. The first step in the process is to determine whether or
not a committee is necessary for the interview; utilizing an interview committee or panel is often
required for head coaching vacancies, while assistants and athletics support staff could be
interviewed by the director of athletics with the cooperation of the assistant director, head coach,
and or the assistant principal in charge of athletics depending on the importance of the support
position. DiColo and Mitzel (2012) stress the importance of the athletics director heading the
interview committee so he or she can explain to the panel the expectations with respect to their
responsibility in interviewing the candidates, not selecting the candidates. Selection should
occur after the athletics director and principal or dean review the candidacy. Depending on the
maturity level of the student-athletes within the program, the committee should include at least
one or two players from the team, so there is also sense of ownership of the process. The

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athletics director must have a plan for the interview, create an outline for introductions, and
questions from each member present, have a set list of open and close ended questions, and
incorporate questions regarding the mission and vision statements of the athletics program.
Hiring and firing.
After the interview process, the athletics director will go through the selection phase of
the staffing process. Bravo, Won, and Shonk (2012, p. 65) remind the reader of Chelladurai’s
two perspectives in reference to staffing:
Chelladurai (2009) noted that staffing can be seen under two perspectives: the person-
task fit in which the emphasis is to find applicants who possess the right technical skill to
do the job; and the person-organization fit in which the emphasis is on finding an
individual who most shares the organization’s values.
Given how the athletics director influences student-athletes through their coaches, the person-
organization fit would work best for the athletics program, yet the athletics director cannot
disregard the person-task because if the candidate embraces the mission and vision during the
interview then they should be willing to adapt their style.
The firing of an employee, unless it entails a code of conduct altercation (i.e. caught
sexually harassing a student, etc.), should be done with due diligence by the athletics director.
Evaluation should be conducted with respect to their job performance, and should include
changes the employee should implement. Developing employees should be the goal of
evaluations because an assessment of an employee without making suggestions for
improvements can be viewed as unconstructively criticizing them, which will negatively impact
the student-athletes. Once the employee shows they cannot improve after a few attempts of

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correcting their actions, the athletics director has a responsibility to the student-athletes to make
a change and release the employee.
Department Meetings
Just as the athletics director’s time during the day is precious, all of the coaches and
support staff are experiencing the same feeling of ‘if I only had another hour, I could have done
this.’ Department meetings can be viewed by many as just a waste of time, but they are a
necessity, and a well-planned meeting with input from invited attendees can add value to the
meeting. The responsibility of the athletics director is to coordinate with the head coaches and
athletics support staff to create a set schedule for meetings with each specific sport and
department, inquire about issues they would like addressed on the agenda, and determine the
time for the meeting. Each head coach will meet with the athletics director for a pre-season
meeting (within three weeks prior to the start), completion of the first third and second third of
the season, and post season (within three weeks after the end). Departmental meetings,
especially at the collegiate level where there are larger athletics offices, will occur at the
beginning of the week on a Monday or Tuesday right after a departmental lunch with all
department heads, and the athletics director will meet bi-weekly on Thursdays with individual
departments.
Parent Engagement
High school athletics programs in particular will always rely on parent involvement.
There are two outcomes an athletics director should prepare for: how to involve or use the
parents and how issues should be dealt with as they occur. First of all, the athletics director
should only be involved with the assignment of or selection of parents to which the director will
have direct contact with the parent, such as concessions coordinator or team photographer. The

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director should encourage the coaches of the sports to advertise to their parents the needs of the
team at the first parent meeting, so the coaches can choose the best candidates and spread
responsibilities among the parents. Supporting the coaches as a reference or tie breaking vote,
the athletics director can offer their thoughts to the coaches should they run into any problems
deciding among the parents. As the athletics director interacts with parents at events, the
suggestion should always be made for the parents to join any team or school booster club if the
parents are looking for a way to be involved.
The aforementioned athletics chain of command and the forth coming codes of conduct
should be explained and publicized to the parents at the first parents meeting to deal with future
issues. Referencing both the chain of command and code of conduct, the athletics director must
ask the parents if they have gone through the proper steps and reviewed the codes to uphold the
structure their coaches have established for communication. If all of the steps have been taken to
address the issues before reaching the athletics director, a meeting between the coach and
director should occur as soon as possible for the athletics director to have an idea of what the
complaint is about, followed by a meeting between the director and the parent and ultimately
between all three parties. Every effort should be made by the athletics director to keep the
student-athlete who the meeting is about out of the conference because the athlete should never
be put in a position where they have to stand up for one side or the other nor should they be
exposed to what can sometimes be a heated conversation which revolves around them.
Discipline and Codes of Behavior
The secondary and collegiate educational athletics fields have many disciplinary
parameters already established through codes of conduct or policies (See Appendix E) regarding
the behavior and actions of the students and faculty. Incorporating a stricter set of guidelines for

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student-athletes in regard to team membership or additional disciplinary actions, athletic
directors should seek the approval of the principal, dean, or district supervisor of athletics before.
Student-athletes should be taught the behavior expectations the athletics office has for them;
moreover, the student-athletes should be part of an annual review of the policies and
expectations, so their voices and ideas can be heard in reference to the established guidelines.
Ownership of any additional discipline policies above what a standard student would receive for
the same altercation would result in greater acceptance by the student-athlete body. Athletics
teams should also have their own team rules outside of the expectations of the athletics
department where the team captains and coaches can devise sport specific expectations with
comparable consequences. The execution of discipline for team related altercations will be
conducted by the coaching staff and overseen by athletics administration, but any altercations
which may possibly involve the coaching staff or faculty will be investigated by the athletics
director and appropriate school supervisor.
Since the athletics director is relying on the athletics employees and coaching staffs to
influence the moral character of the student-athletes, coaches, like their athletes will be held to a
higher standard of conduct. Referencing the educational systems policies for employees and
investigating state or local laws regarding employee conduct and discipline, the athletics director
needs to ensure approval from his or her superiors and possibly incorporate a lawyer’s review of
the policies to reduce any possible litigation. Any investigation into an employee should be well
documented and all interviews should be done in the presence of a third party witness.
Performing these steps will support due process and add value to the findings. Depending on the
preference of the school administration, the athletics director will levy any discipline with
supervisors present.

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Scheduling of Athletics Facilities
Due to the expanding size of schools and their facilities at all levels or vice versa,
scheduling is a task which impacts student-athletes, parents, coaches, and coaches’ families
immensely. The athletics department on the high school level should have an annual schedule
manageable by only the athletics administration at the school, while at the collegiate level the
annual schedule of facility availability can be managed by the facilities coordinator with
assistance from the athletics administration An approval must come from the athletics director
or assistant in charge of scheduling before any and all changes are made to the schedule,
followed immediately by the director or administrator contacting all affected parties via email.
The approval process must also guarantee Title IX compliance with respect to facility usage.
The annual schedule should be accessible by everyone involved with the athletics staff, and each
facility and sport should have their own annual schedule, which is easier to view for anyone
outside of the scheduling process. In addition to the yearly schedule, a weekly and daily
schedule should be made visible in the locker room areas, outside of each facility, and in the
lobby of the athletics building or student center for college or universities.
The indoor facilities such as the gym and weight room can create the largest problems for
scheduling, especially with smaller schools or larger schools lacking multiple gyms or weight
rooms. During the winter season, athletics administrators at the high school level need to
account for gender equity in regard to the gymnasium, but also ‘family equity’ meaning the
junior varsity teams and their coaching staffs should not always be stuck with the latest practice
times creating strains on their families and not the varsity families. Family equity will
demonstrate to parents and families of coaches the importance of making sure all teams get a
chance to practice right away and get home earlier with their families. The high school level also

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falls victim to out of department requests for usage of the facilities, so in these instances all
requests must be made through the athletics director. The weight room schedule can be
regulated and accounted for by the assistant athletics director, but at the collegiate level and
larger secondary schools the strength and conditioning coach can help account and regulate the
usage of the weight room.
Team scheduling should be the responsibility of the head coach of the sport in
coordination with the athletics director or assistant athletics director at the high school level,
while the scheduling should involve the administrator assigned to the particular sport at the
collegiate level and athletics director if necessary to close a financial agreement. The athletics
director needs to emphasize the following steps to the athletics staff who are scheduling games
for both home and away contests: check the SAT calendar for complications, confirm the date
and time, inquire about bus parking regulations, length and location of warm-up periods, start
time, admission fees, tournament or entry fees for the team, and any sanctioning requirements
(NIAAA, 2016). These steps should be conducted over the phone and a verification email
should also be sent or received. The scheduling of facilities, verification of availability for
events, and updating of all schedules will display a well-organized athletics department to the
public, while influencing confidence and comfort from all those impacted by the schedule.
Coach Evaluations
Evaluating coaches and athletics support staff should be conducted in nearly the same
manner by using an annual evaluation. The evaluation is supported by an established rubric
which has been explained and shown to the employee, two updates should be given to the
employee within the season or year where positive comments and constructive criticism are
relayed, a post season or end of the year self-evaluation, and the post season conference

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evaluation. Coaching evaluations should be utilized by athletics administration to mentor and
develop coaches, not observe reasons to terminate a coach’s position.
The rubric should be comparable to what one would find in the field of teaching.
Willenbrock (2015, p. 16) uses a comprehensive rubric with five major domains supported by
detailed sub-headings to evaluate coaches in the following categories: presence of a real team,
direction and culture, enabling structure, support system, and expert coaching. Each of the
subheadings support the overall outcome of the domain and the scoring for each point total is
detailed, so there is no question as to how one would score in a certain area. An athletics
director should research various rubrics from teaching and coaching before they develop their
own because a personalized rubric will mirror the mission and vision of the athletics program,
impacting student-athletes’ minds, bodies, and souls through the standards expected of the
coaches.
Maintenance of Athletic Fields, Courts, Weight Room
The maintenance of athletic fields, courts, and fitness centers is one of the 14 legal duties,
which an athletics administrator is responsible for since, duty three states the importance of
providing and maintaining a safe physical environment.
Outdoor athletic fields.
Outdoor athletic fields at the secondary level, especially with respect to public schools,
may be maintained by local government recreation and parks groundskeepers, the school’s
custodial staff, the athletics office, or the coaching staff. In addition to maintenance of the field,
outdoor natural practice fields also pose the issue of who will paint the lines for practice, which
would be handled in the same manner as the maintenance. Determining the safety of a field
regarding the ability to play on it, the athletics director and head coach will assess the playable

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condition of the field. Furthermore, in the event of a head coach being absence, the athletics
director and assistant athletics director will assess the condition of the field and the athletics
director will relay the information to the head coach for a joint decision to be made. Establishing
the expectation all coaches should provide a safe practice field, the athletics director will stress
the importance of coaches inspecting their fields prior to practices.
Indoor athletic facilities.
Maintenance of the various gyms and practice areas of the school will be the
responsibility of the custodial staff of the school, however, maintaining a gym or wrestling room
goes just beyond keeping it clean. Written into the expectations of indoor coaching staffs, all
coaches using courts should be required to have the court swept with a dust mop before a
practice begins to ensure the safety of the court because sometimes the gym may have been used
since being cleaned by the custodial staff. Wrestling staff members will be obligated to confirm
the mats have been disinfected before every practice and match to reduce the spread of infection;
moreover, if the mats are stored uncovered in a gymnasium where physical education classes
take place, then the accessible portion of the rolled mat should be wiped down after it is rolled
up. Maintaining a weight room combines the importance of regular cleaning in between uses
like the preparation of a court, but there is also the need to reduce the spread of infection
compared to wrestling by making sure equipment is wiped down after it is used. There should be
a concerted effort by the strength and conditioning coach, coaching staffs, faculty who use the
weight room or teach in it, and the custodial staff to clean, monitor, and demand cleanliness of
the facility. Maintaining the athletics facilities will result in the physical development of the
student-athletes, while ensuring their safety as well.

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Team Equipment and Supplies
Duty five refers to the obligation of the athletics staff to provide adequate and proper
equipment for the student-athletes. Taking into account Title IX compliance, all of the team
equipment purchases must have the approval by the athletics director, the assistant in charge of
finance or the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and or the budget compliance officer at the
collegiate level. The head coaches of the various sports will be encouraged to seek out team
equipment from numerous dealers to prove fiscal responsibility, but coaches also need to made
aware of purchasing policies regarding bid lists and partnerships made by the school district or
university with specific vendors having exclusivity. Maintaining inventory and upkeep of the
team’s equipment will be the responsibility of the head coach and his or her coaching staff with a
detailed report submitted to the athletics director pre and post season; At the collegiate and larger
secondary or at a private high school level, an equipment manager or equipment staff may be
available to manage the equipment. The athletics director will distribute funds from the athletics
budget for supplies, which directly impact the athletics teams and the athletics office like weight
room equipment and supplies, athletic trainer supplies, office materials, and field paint.
Boosters and Fundraising
Considering budget cuts to athletics departments and the need to prioritize needs and
requests of the various teams, athletics programs rely heavily on the donations and fundraising of
boosters and the fundraising efforts of the student-athletes. Whenever individuals outside of the
athletics staff and faculty are involved with monetary undertakings, trustworthiness with funds
raised and transferred becomes an obvious concern. The first step the athletics director has to be
aware of are the regulations, which the school district or university has in place regarding booster
organizations. Just as all of the teams reside under the athletics program as a whole, booster

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organizations should reflect this umbrella type model by having an all-inclusive booster
organization with individual booster clubs for teams underneath. Dicolo (2015, p. 20) outlines
what should be required of a booster organization to be recognized, which is common practice
for many school districts who request: proof of non-profit status, constitution and bylaws,
financial plan, executive committee and contact information, and minutes from all meetings.
Even with these requirements, athletics directors may still feel nervous about not having constant
face-to-face contact with the booster organization as they would with their athletics staff, so it
becomes imperative for the athletics director or compliance officer to maintain constant
communication with the president and treasurer of the booster club. To increase the confidence
in the booster club by the athletics program and provide further transparency, the athletics
director should receive notification of all funds disbursed and he or she should be given quarterly
financial statements for all booster accounts. In addition to funds disbursed, the athletics
director, CFO, or budgetary compliance officer must also give approval to fundraisers conducted
by the booster organization in order to maintain compliance with any policies of the school
district or university.
Representation at Conference, District, State; Memberships and Professional Participation
Demanding the attendance and participation in professional development conferences
should not be a difficult request for the coaching staffs of the program, since coaches realize the
importance of continuing education. The athletics director should demand the same
representation by the entire athletics staff as well at conferences and professional development
seminars not only for administration development, but also for continuous knowledge of
strategy, training, and technological advancements regarding specific sports. Attending specific
sport and training conferences raises confidence in the coaching staff, learning and socializing

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with coaches away from campus in what is still a professional setting proves the administration
cares for what the coaching staff does. In addition to the increased department comradery,
athletics administrators must be current regarding current trends in player development and game
strategy, so they can ensure the coaching occurring is in line with present developments in the
particular field. Everyone involved with the athletics program is expected to be a member of
their professional organization and participate in local professional organizations as well.
Attendance and participation in conferences will be beneficial to the coach or administrator’s
professional development, but the attendee must also comprehend they are there to represent the
school or university and be a visual advertisement of the professionalism and character student-
athletes and prospective employees can expect. Influencing coaches’ attendance at professional
development conferences and their participation in professional organizations will guarantee
proper development of the mind’s, bodies, and souls of student-athletes.
Budget and Funding
Budgeting an athletics program can be quite a daunting task, but a well-planned budget
with an equally planned out funding platform can reduce the stress on coaches and student-
athletes by affording them what they need to develop successfully.
Budgeting.
When it comes to budgeting funds across the athletics department and funding the teams
with the minimum, a well prepared list of needs from all of the coaches will open many avenues
to stay fiscally responsible. At the end of every season, all head coaches should submit a wish
list of equipment, supplies, apparel, or uniforms which will benefit their program; furthermore,
this list should be a tiered list of everything the program needs, not just what they wish for.
Having an organized and detailed list offers the athletics director or Chief Purchasing Officer

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(CPO) many options regarding payment and cost reduction of the items. Knowing the needs of
the teams allows the administration to put high cost equipment and items on a bid list, while also
allowing vendors to come in during the off-season to offer comparable options at lower prices.
In addition to keeping costs down, the list allows for the immediate purchase of items at a later
date if there are a surplus of funds. Buying the equipment and spending money on your teams is
the enjoyable part of executing a budget for an athletic director, but those purchases can only be
made with consideration to the many costs associated with running an athletics program like
transportation, officials, lodging, meals, entry fees, security, field maintenance, and payroll of
the athletics staff just to name a few. Budgeting can be stressful when the athletics director only
has the appropriated funds from the school district or university to use, which is why funding
becomes a crucial aspect of the budgeting process.
Funding a budget by more than just fundraising.
Fundraising is an obvious way to increase the amount of money the athletics program has
to spend on the teams, depending on the fundraising activity sometimes this is enough, but
directors and CPOs can always do more with more. Athletics directors should research the grant
writing process and submit proposals to local and federal government to gain funds for the
athletics program. Another way to not only increase funding, but at the same time keep
purchasing costs down is to pursue corporate sponsors for apparel and equipment, followed by
sponsors for scoreboards and stadiums as well. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships can also
decrease the costs associated with running summer camps, which results in an increased profit
for the camp. During the season the same corporations can advertise during tournaments or
sponsor the tournament, which can then create larger profits from entry fees since the costs of
paying officials and staffing can be covered by the corporation. Utilizing an athletics department