A.D. Toolkit 2023 - 14

Marketing
A concerted effort must be made to
Accommodating New Segments
of Students
explain the framework of your program and
to promote the success of it beyond wins
and championships. Building understanding,
appreciation, and support of your program -
the goal of marketing - is increasingly vital. " I
don't have time " can't be used as an excuse for
not getting involved.
To get your message out, use websites,
email blasts, social networks, parent meetings,
booster clubs, and civic meetings. Your efforts
need to be constant and continual, and not
simply in reaction to an incident or problem.
Accentuate the achievements of your program.
Fundraising
There's never enough money to cover most
of the basic needs of an athletic program.
Year-to-year, this doesn't really change or
improve. As a result, there's a greater reliance
on raising additional or ancillary money to keep
the program operating.
Some athletic administrators might say, " I
shouldn't have to do fundraising. " However,
it may come down to one or two choices: Get
involved in fundraising to keep your program
operating at its current level, or make cuts.
And any time you have to make cuts, it directly
affects your student-athletes.
Combating Specialization
While research makes a strong case against
specialization, getting this message out
falls on the AD's shoulders. You can gather
the information to explain the dangers, and
you are best situated to deal with athletes,
parents, and coaches - all of whom may have
misconceptions concerning this approach.
There are schools with smaller student
populations that need student-athletes to play
more than one sport. This helps fill out the
rosters and field other teams. In like fashion,
there are numerous examples of college
coaches who prefer recruiting multisport
athletes. Many of the players selected in this
year's NFL draft played something other than
football in high school. This has to be part of
the athletic administrator's message.
14 COACH & A.D. | 2023 DIGITAL A.D. TOOLKIT
Unified and allied programs were created
to serve special-needs students and provide
them with an opportunity to participate in
athletics. Athletic administrators should
want as many young people as possible
involved in athletics to derive the benefits of
being on a team. It's also important legally
and educationally to accommodate anyone
with interest.
Athletic directors also have a responsibility
to find opportunities for transgender students
who may have an interest in participating on a
team. An athletic director may need to create
policies to ensure that this group of athletes is
safe from bullying and harassment.
No one says that incorporating all of these
aspects is easy. They will take time and effort.
However, the future of your program may
largely depend upon your success with these
new elements. This means that you have to
continue to learn and evolve in order to remain
effective and pertinent in the position. n
*This story appeared in the December
2018 issue of Coach & Athletic Director
magazine.
A.D. Toolkit 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of A.D. Toolkit 2023
