Not only is Eventlink™ there for you through our software, but we’re here to help guide you on being the best Athletic Director you can be. Below, we’ve assembled the best advice for Athletic Directors, Student Athletes, and best practices for interacting with the media.

academic calendar

for the athletic director

Athletic directors wear many hats. Not only do they need to be there for the students, but they are often schedulers, finance seekers, cheerleaders, and first responders. Here’s a compilation of best practices for multiple roles.

athletic calendar

for student athletes

Student athletes are busy almost every second of the day. Here, we talk about the best practices for student athletes to help juggle everything running through their minds. From practices, to fueling your body, to college visits, we’ve tried to cover it all.

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dealing with the media

The media has an important job to do. You need to be careful in what you say, respecting the media and your rights. Find out the best way to interact with the media here.

Not only is Eventlink™ there for you through our software, but we’re here to help guide you on being the best Athletic Director you can be. Below, we’ve assembled the best advice for Athletic Directors, Student Athletes, and best practices for interacting with the media.

Boost Budget Sponsors
Landing funds to shore up athletic resources is gaining quite a following. This goes beyond selling candy or hosting an event to bring in bucks. That’s fundraising, and it has its place. Sponsorships imply significant dollars in return for key benefits....
Booster Clubs
Maybe you’ve inherited some long-time booster clubs. Perhaps only a couple of your sports have one. Or you’d like to have such a resource. First you need a plan, then you must outline the steps it will take to achieve your goal. Go on to set clear...
Build Solid Relationships
You’re looked up to, counted on, complained to, thanked, even grumbled about. Be it coach, co-worker, parent or student athlete, a cadre of folks pivot towards you, and you must develop a strong yet appropriate relationship with each one. It’s a demanding...
Bullying Hazing Harassment
“The buck stops here,” the old saying reminds leaders of their deal-with-it responsibilities. When it comes to bullying, hazing and harassment, the buck stops at the AD’s desk, who must address it, counter it and stop it. It’s a task like no other. You...
Burnout
From early morning practices to late-night, post-competition bus rides back to school, your athletes and coaches fill the building and head in all directions, too. While athletic directors can’t be everywhere, your responsibilities cover courts, fields,...
Captains Council
Tennis, gridiron, basketball, golf and volleyball may follow different objectives and rules, yet every player attends the same school, needs opportunities to connect with others and can benefit from supporting each other. A captains council is a great...
Concussions
From chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) to suicides, what we’ve learned about the potential effects of concussions goes beyond alarming. It’s a must-address call to: • Learn everything you can. • Share that with your coaches, parents and athletes. •...
Conflict Resolution
Like change, conflict is inevitable. It’s part of human nature, life and the busy arena of sports activities. But it doesn’t have to be hostile, damaging or permanent. As athletic director, resolution often falls to you. How you handle it can make...
Crisis Management
You never know. That alone makes crisis management a top priority. Damaging weather. Accidents. Inappropriate conduct. Situations you could never predict and some you wish you could have are inevitable. Do your homework now, before the unexpected, so...
Delegate
Ball hogs rarely win games. Neither do athletic directors who try to do it all. A winning AD knows when and how to delegate, while still making sure things get done and done well. FIRST, CHOOSE THE TASKS Facing a week or a season that is going to take...
Evaluating Coaches
Evaluations have become a science in the corporate world. Pages long, probing questions for the employee and the boss, with answers often compared. Goals set but in corporate speak. How can you simplify and make meaningful what’s often an eager-to-avoid...
Field Liability
You need thick, healthy turf and an even surface for your athletes to play in the safest environment possible. A green and good-looking field would be nice, too, for the fans and team pride. Safe play requires healthy grass growth, no broadleaf weeds...
Get More Coverage
A little bit of effort can go a long way when it comes to getting your news covered. Make a good serve, put the ball in the media’s court and, in time, you’ll ace those good stories. MAKE AN ANNUAL PLAN A little preseason prep helps. Make a list of...
Give a Good Media Interview
Like a team that hits the field knowing the playbook, athletic directors, coaches and players who step into media interviews with a plan stand to succeed. Follow these three plays: • Prepare • Be responsive • Deliver a clear message ...
Go After Grants
Like lacrosse defense, your goal is to catch the ball—in this case, the funds—in your stick’s pocket. Before you can claim your catch, study that playbook. Your task involves five steps. 1. SEARCH FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES The Internet is the most...
Hire the Right Coaches
There’s a difference between a great coach and the right coach for your program, your school, your student athletes. Prepare well, interview skillfully, look for a good fit, then make the offer. If you find the right coach, in the end that will be a...
Interpersonal Violence
Multiple sports to oversee, personnel to manage, events to coordinate and, yes, interpersonal violence to educate students and staff about and be on guard for. All adults, especially those seen as leaders with influence, must be on the team that is working...
Multisport Athletes
When athletes are considering playing multiple sports, help them see and evaluate the pros and cons so they can make informed decisions. While you or your coaches may want to influences their choices, it’s best to make sure the students and their parents...
Office
Now, where is that roster? That email confirming transportation? The contract that has to be signed today? Have you messaged parents? Placed those orders? Say “no” to time spent looking, the tediousness of details and forgotten tasks. Get your office...
Pack the Bleachers
Athletics is all about the students—learning, developing skills, competing and striving to do their best. That’s why you got into this. Your job comes with a few extra tasks, though. You need to create goodwill for your school, demonstrate to the...
Preseason Parent Meeting
Whether you or your coaches run preseason parent meetings, be well-prepared, share expectations and outline how you’ll keep them informed. At the high school level, parents are beginning to let their teens take responsibility, but they still want to...
Recognition Programs
Recognizing student athletes and thanking your staff and supporters takes more than deciding how many trophies to order or what names to plug in for the usual honors. While it might be easy to go with what’s always been done, now could be the time to...
Student Leadership Programs
You already know that athletics teaches skills that extend well beyond the playing fields and courts. Under your guidance, you can make your program a training ground for life—and for leadership. You may want to consider an existing formal program,...
Technology
Even though paying game officials with bitcoins or using a drone to capture field plays may be a ways in the future, technology is here to stay, and it offers ever-improving opportunities for athletic directors. Knowing what technology is available, choosing...
Terminating a Coach
You’ve made the decision. This coach is not a good match for your program. If there’s a breach of contract, legal situation or rules violations, your path is clearly defined. More often, it’s a combination of things that add up to a necessary parting. How...
Title IX
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” That’s Title...

    Not only is Eventlink™ there for you through our software, but we’re here to help guide you on being the best Athletic Director you can be. Below, we’ve assembled the best advice for Athletic Directors, Student Athletes, and best practices for interacting with the media.

    Being Competitive Isn't a Bad Thing
    We’ve differentiated fun and competitive types already, but it’s important to talk about why being a competitive type isn’t necessarily negative. Being competitive means you have a drive to be successful in what you do, and you’re dedicated to...
    Dealing with a Coaching Change
    When a coach leaves a program, it changes everything. It’s tough to become accustomed to a certain way of doing things, and then suddenly have to adjust to an entirely new style under new authority. As players, you have to prove your worth all over...
    Dealing with the Media
    At some point, you’re probably going to have to deal with talking to the media. Even as a high school athlete, local newspapers and TV stations love to keep up with what is going on with your team. But unlike college athletes, you probably won’t receive...
    Finding Your Environment
    You’ve already identified if you’re a fun type or a competitive type, and now it’s time to figure out how to find your ideal team and training environment, and what that even means. For competitive types, it’s a team filled with other competitive...
    Food is Fuel
    Everyone can agree that food is awesome. We all have our favorites. Cake, ice cream, pizza, a juicy burger. But whatever it is for you, there’s a myth that you can’t eat those things if you’re trying to be fit and healthy. Instead, you have to be...
    Helping Build a Positive Team
    The role of team culture is often downplayed. People think talent, skill, and athleticism will take teams as far as they want to go, but that is rarely the case. The relationships you have with your teammates and coach plays a huge role in how you train...
    How to Avoid a Social Media Nightmare
    It shouldn’t be a surprise that social media has become a huge part of the collegiate recruiting process. College coaches look at high school prospect’s pages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get more of an idea of who the recruit is and what...
    How to Balance School and Sports
    No matter what you may hear, your education is your highest priority, especially if you want to play a sport in college. Let me say it again for the people in the back: YOUR EDUCATION IS YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO PLAY A SPORT IN...
    How to Prevent Embarrassing Parents
    We’ve all seen it before. The parent who is way too into their child’s sport, screaming from the sidelines. Trying to coach from the wrong side of the field. Being totally obnoxious. And then they do the most embarrassing thing ever: they go up to...
    Play for Fun
    There’s this myth that circulates around the athletic community: sports are fun. Yeah, some people think the sport itself is awesome. But it’s often forgotten that “fun” isn’t the end-all-be-all for everyone. Some people think sports aren’t...
    Playing Left Bench
    One of my friends always had the best answer when someone asked her what position she played: “Left bench, but I really like center mid.” She never said it maliciously. It was always with a smile. She is one of the very few people I know who has graciously...
    Recruiting: Contacting Coaches
    You’ve come to the point where you have collected a list of colleges you are interested in, and now it is time for you to contact coaches. This seems like a daunting task – I mean, these are college coaches – but it’s not as hard as it seems. There...
    Recruiting: Creating Marketing Tools for Your Brand
    Think about recruiting like you’re trying to get a job. Because it’s basically the same thing. Someone will be giving you money in exchange for your skills, and you sign a contract binding you to that agreement for a certain amount of time. And what...
    Recruiting: Getting Started
    So, you want to play a sport in college. How do you even get started? There’s a ton of different things to consider: school size, distance from home, competition level, tuition costs, majors. What style of play you’re looking for, coaching staff,...
    Recruiting: What Not to do on a Visit
    You would be surprised how many people go on college visits and act very poorly and without regard for others around them. Don’t be one of those people. Please. Let’s start this off with a general description of what college visits are like. You have...
    Recruiting: What to Ask
    Going on a college visit is nerve-wracking. This may end up being where you spend four years of your life, so you don’t want to miss any information you need to make your decision. How much it costs, how much playing time you could get, what major you...
    Responsibilities of a Captain
    “I am the captain now.” I hope you said that when you were told the news. Otherwise, what’s the point anyway? I’m just joking, because in reality, being a captain is no joke. Well, being a good captain is no joke. It’s very easy to coast along...
    The M Word
    Being a successful high school student is sometimes difficult to manage. There are deadlines to meet for assignments, tests, projects, and a social life outside it all. And if you’re also an athlete, your schedule is even crazier. Because of all these...
    What it Takes to be a Leader
    There are so many different kinds of great leaders out there. You have your loud, peppy types; your quiet, lead-by-example types. You have the leaders who yell when you make mistakes, and the leaders who encourage you to get it right the next time. Leaders...

      Not only is Eventlink™ there for you through our software, but we’re here to help guide you on being the best Athletic Director you can be. Below, we’ve assembled the best advice for Athletic Directors, Student Athletes, and best practices for interacting with the media.

      Be a Post-Game Media Darling in Defeat
      The game is lost. Frankly, you don’t feel like talking about it with a reporter like me. But you have to. Remember that the seemingly humdrum post-game interview is in fact the cornerstone of media interaction. Understand what I want and anticipate...
      Be the Feature Even When You Aren't
      A crucial member of your team has emerged as an outstanding individual performer. I want to recognize those efforts with a feature story, and I want you to help me do so. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to praise a deserving team member while...
      Fly High in Your Feature
      You have performed well and proven to be a crucial member of your team. I want to recognize your efforts with a feature story, so this time it really is all about you. Capitalize on this rare opportunity to reveal the person behind the performer. ...
      Go Big as the Go to Source
      It’s not game day and you don’t have any sporting events on the horizon. Heck, it’s the off-season. Because you have already proven to be a good interview subject and a valued resource, however, reporters like me want to talk to you about a random...
      Strength at your Weakest
      An unpleasant legal, institutional or personal issue has arisen. Frankly, you don’t feel like talking about it to a reporter like me. But you have to. Be mindful of the fact that the delicate and difficult bad-news interview is inevitable and requires...
      Win the Media Over After a Win
      The game is won. Reporters like me want to talk to you because you have performed well in the victory. This is your chance to transform a routine post-game interview into a showcase for you and your team. ...
        Food is Fuel
        Everyone can agree that food is awesome.We all have our favorites. Cake, ice cream, pizza, a juicy burger. But whatever it is for you, there’s a myth that you can’t eat those things if you’re trying to be fit and healthy. Instead, you have to be...
        Finding Your Environment
        You’ve already identified if you’re a fun type or a competitive type, and now it’s time to figure out how to find your ideal team and training environment, and what that even means.For competitive types, it’s a team filled with other competitive...
        Recruiting: Getting Started
        So, you want to play a sport in college. How do you even get started?There’s a ton of different things to consider: school size, distance from home, competition level, tuition costs, majors. What style of play you’re looking for, coaching staff,...
        How to Balance School and Sports
        No matter what you may hear, your education is your highest priority, especially if you want to play a sport in college.Let me say it again for the people in the back:YOUR EDUCATION IS YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO PLAY A SPORT IN...
        Play for Fun
        There’s this myth that circulates around the athletic community: sports are fun.Yeah, some people think the sport itself is awesome. But it’s often forgotten that “fun” isn’t the end-all-be-all for everyone. Some people think sports aren’t...
        Title IX
        “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”That’s Title...
        Terminating a Coach
        You’ve made the decision. This coach is not a good match for your program.If there’s a breach of contract, legal situation or rules violations, your path is clearly defined. More often, it’s a combination of things that add up to a necessary parting.How...
        Technology
        Even though paying game officials with bitcoins or using a drone to capture field plays may be a ways in the future, technology is here to stay, and it offers ever-improving opportunities for athletic directors.Knowing what technology is available, choosing...
        Student Leadership Programs
        You already know that athletics teaches skills that extend well beyond the playing fields and courts. Under your guidance, you can make your program a training ground for life—and for leadership.You may want to consider an existing formal program,...
        Recognition Programs
        Recognizing student athletes and thanking your staff and supporters takes more than deciding how many trophies to order or what names to plug in for the usual honors. While it might be easy to go with what’s always been done, now could be the time to...