Effective Strategies for Sport Administrators

While much of my time is spent on the external side of the department developing relationships with donors and generating revenue for Utah Athletics through ticket sales and donations, many times the most rewarding part of my job is being a sport administrator for our soccer and track and field programs. I was inspired to write this post after spending the past weekend traveling with our soccer team for two games in California. I try and travel with each of the sports I oversee at least once a year and without fail I come back from these trips inspired by our student-athletes and with a stronger commitment to the value of college athletics.

I’m not sure many people outside of the industry know what a sport administrator does. There isn’t a simple job description. It’s similar to a General Manager of a professional sports team but without the same type of involvement in player personnel decisions. You wear many different hats: judge, cheerleader, mediator, evaluator, and confidant. The sport supervisor is the ultimate caretaker of the program.

If you ever have the opportunity to be a sport supervisor, I offer a few suggestions:

1. Go on an away game trip with you team- Traveling with the team allows you to interact with the coaches and student-athletes off the field. There is no greater way to get to know someone than by spending a few days with them on the road. You get a feel for the team dynamic, you see first hand how the student-athletes have to balance school responsibilities and on the field competition, and don’t underestimate the value in the team getting to know you on a personal level and seeing your engagement in the program.

2. Develop a good relationship with the support staff- Get to know the trainers, strength coaches, and academic advisors assigned to your sport. These individuals can give you invaluable insight into the innerworkings of the team as they have as much interaction with the student-athletes as the coaching staff. The perspectives you gain from these relationships are invaluable when making important decisions about the program.

3. Build an honest, candid relationship with your head coach. In many ways, I see my job as making sure the head coach and I mutually agree on a set of realistic expectations for the program in all areas. I also believe I need to give my coaches the tools and resources they need to be successful in reaching those expectations. The pressure on college coaches is at an all time high and I don't see that trend ending anytime soon. Coaches experience the highest of highs after a win or the signing of a key recruit and lowest of lows after a loss, key injury or an off the field issue. You need to be a steadying influence and support your coach during those low times. You and coach need to have the type of relationship where you can have a two-way conversation about any aspect of the program in a safe and confidential manner. There will be times where you are going to have to deliver a tough message and the relationship you have with the coach will play a significant role in the outcome of those difficult conversations.

4. Find the gaps in the program and close them. No matter how successful the team is performing there are always areas that need improvement. The more you are around the program, the more you can identify where improvements can be made. You have the influence to affect change but you need to be informed, engaged and willing to use your influence to make the improvements necessary to move the program forward.

It’s not common in college athletics to have responsibilities on the external and internal side of the department but it’s extremely valuable. It’s absolutely made me better at what I do. To my many friends on the external side of the business, find a way to get more interaction with student-athletes. I know it will inspire you to continue to promote and generate revenue for your athletic department.