NIAAA's Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration

NIAAA’s Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration presents a wealth of information and insights from experienced athletic directors across the United States. This comprehensive resource covers leadership, operations, financial and facilities management, and other chief administrative responsibilities to help readers better understand the athletic director’s multifaceted role.

NIAAA’s Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration was developed under the direction of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), the trusted authority for excellence in administration of high school sports. This guidebook features the best practices in high school athletic administration to assist both aspiring and practicing athletic directors in meeting the demands of the job. General guidelines and background knowledge are complemented by specific strategies and techniques. Each chapter offers examples of how to solve common problems, and sidebars highlight creative solutions employed by exemplary high school athletic directors.

This text features guidance and multidisciplinary information on handling some of the toughest parts of the job. A chapter on personnel management discusses mentoring and evaluation systems to assist with the growth and development of staff, and a technology chapter offers specific recommendations of tools to help athletic directors operate more effectively and efficiently. A chapter on legal and safety concerns outlines concrete measures that administrators can take to prevent mishaps and protect their schools and staff from liability. Readers will also learn how to manage a budget and find creative alternatives to get the most out of available funds.

Based on extensive research conducted by the editors, this text confronts several challenges facing contemporary high school sport administrators:

• Providing comprehensive professional preparation for athletic director candidates and continuing education for today’s athletic directors

• Aligning the goals of education-based athletic programs and the conduct of coaches, athletes, and parents engaged in the program to the educational mission of the school, district, state, and national governing organizations

• Ensuring ongoing education in vital areas including student citizenship, staff support, safety, risk management, and budget preparation

• Making consistent efforts to provide equitable opportunities for participation and accommodate the abilities and interests of all student-athletes

The position of interscholastic athletic administrator is rapidly becoming one of the most challenging positions in any school as these professionals are asked to do more with less. Given proper education, tools, and goals, NIAAA recognizes the pivotal role an athletic administrator can have in enriching the school culture and experiences of participating athletes, parents, and coaches. NIAAA’s Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration provides fundamental knowledge guided by sound educational practices to enable athletic administrators to execute their daily duties with competence and confidence.

Michael L. Blackburn, PhD, CMAA, is the associate executive director for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Blackburn regularly communicates with athletic administrators nationwide to stay current on the challenges and needs in the field. He has published more than 200 articles and editorials in NIAAA’s Interscholastic Athletic Administration as well as in other print and electronic professional magazines, newspapers, and newsletters. Blackburn served for nearly 30 years as an athletic administrator and also an assistant principal.

Eric Forsyth, PhD, CAA, is a professor at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota. He is a founding author of the interscholastic athletic administration graduate curriculum standards endorsed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the NIAAA. He also served as a consultant in the development of a new leadership training course pertaining to interscholastic sport corporate sponsorships. He is coauthor of a chapter on interscholastic sports in the textbook Contemporary Sport Management, Fourth Edition.

John R. Olson, PhD, CMAA, is an adjunct faculty member in sport administration at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. He also spent seven years as an instructor in coaching, sport administration, and program administration at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Olson has 40 years of public education experience in coaching, sport administration, school administration, and school district administration. He is the author of two undergraduate textbooks on sport administration, numerous professional journal articles, and 17 NIAAA leadership training courses.

Bruce D. Whitehead, CMAA, is executive director of the NIAAA. He has been involved in interscholastic athletics for nearly 45 years as a coach, official, athletic administrator, and leader of athletic administrator organizations at state and national levels. He was a 25-year athletic administrator, and became a certified master athletic administrator in 2001. He has served as a university adjunct professor at two universities. He has served the NIAAA as a conference presenter, author of articles, instructor in the Leaderhsip Training Institute, and LTI course coauthor.

Steve Berseth, CMAA, retired after 39 years in education, 19 of which was as athletic administrator at Brookings High School in Brookings, South Dakota. He spent his entire career with the Brookings School District. Berseth, who served the NIAAA Board of Directors, was also chair of the Certification Committee, and a member of the NIAAA 1st Strategic Planning Committee.

Bob Buchanavage, has been Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association for the past 24 years. He served 35 years in public education, 23 years as the athletic administrator at Pennsbury School District located in Fallsington, Pennsylvania. Buchanavage was Chairman of the National Executive Directors Council and was inducted into the NIAAA Hall of Fame.

Bill Bowers, CMAA, served as an athletic administrator for 19 of his 41 years in educational leadership. His longest reign as director of athletics was at Springfield High School in Springfield, Oregon. Bowers is currently Executive Director of the Oregon Athletic Directors Associatioon and is a member of the NIAAA Board of Directors as a representative of the National Executive Directors Council.

Kimberly Chorosiewski, CMAA, has a rich career as an athlete, teacher, administrator and coach. Her athletic administration experience includes years spent at Garrison Forest School and The Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts, as well as the college level. She has served as an adjunct professor at two universities, and has been a college coach. Chorosiewski is a current doctoral student at Northeastern University.

John Evers, CMAA, served as athletic administrator for 17 years at Castle High School, Newburgh, Indiana. He retired in 2011 after a 35 year career in education as an administrator, teacher and coach. Evers is a national faculty member for NIAAA Leadership Training Institute Course 511, and is chair of the NIAAA Publications Committee. Currently, Evers serves as an adjunct instructor in the Ohio University athletic administration program.

Tim Graham, CMAA, has been athletic administrator at Tumwater School District in Washington for 15 years. During his 25 years in education, as a teacher, coach and administrator; Graham has served the NIAAA Publications Committee as its chair, and is currently an at-large member of the NIAAA Board of Directors.

Lee Green, JD, is an attorney and professor at Baker University where he has taught business, as well as institutional and sports law for the past 27 years. He helped write LTC 504, 506 and 508; all sports law courses that are a part of the Leadership Training Institute curriculum. Green also serves as a course chair for these three offerings. He is the author of three books on sports law.

Warren Hagman, CMAA, amassed 26 years of athletic administration during his 41 year career. The greater portion of that service was to the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he contributed all his years to Liberty High School and Mojave High School. Prior to arriving in Nevada, he also administered school athletic programs in Alaska. Hagman is currently an instructor in the school of education at Touro University, Henderson, Nevada.

Dr. David Hoch, CMAA, recently retired after 41 years of service to education, 17 of those as an athletic administrator in Maryland. Hoch served at both Loch Raven High School and Eastern Technical High School, after coaching at the college level. He is an author of numerous articles, documents and materials related to administration education-based athletic programs.

Joni Pabst, CAA, spent her 28 years in education serving the Tucson Unified School District in Tucson, Arizona. The most recent 15 years prior to retirement were spent as the athletic administrator at Sahuaro High School. Pabst is a former president of the NIAAA Board of Directors, served as vice-chair of the NIAAA Awards Committee as well as the NIAAA 2nd Strategic Plan Committee.

Gary Stevens, CMAA, is the athletic administrator at Thornton Academy located in Saco, Maine. He has been at Thornton for 6 years, and has held an athletic administrator position for 17 of his 30 year career in education, previously at Bonny Eagle High School, Standish, Maine. Stevens serves as a vice-chair of the NIAAA Publications Committee, and is the Associate Executive Director of the Maine IAAA.

Sheri Stice, CMAA, totaled 38 years in education pprior to her retirement in 2012. She was assistant athletic director of the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, Texas, for 17 years of the 35 years spent in Cypress Fairbanks ISD as an administrator, teacher and coach. Stice is currently the Certification Director for the NIAAA, and previously chaired the Certification Committee.

Roy Turner, CMAA, has spent 20 years as an athletic administrator. Since 2006 he has been at New Hanover County Schools as director of athletics at Eugene Ashley High School. Prior to his current position, Roy was the athletic administrator for Guilford County Schools, at both Dudley and Southeast Guilford High Schools. He has a total of 27 years in education and currently serves the on the NIAAA Board of Directors

Carter Wilson, CMAA, has for the past 13 years served as athletic administrator at the City Schools of Decatur, Georgia. His 34 year career in education has included 13 years of college and 21 years of high school administration, teaching and coaching. Wilson earned the NIAAA Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) in 2012, is a Georgia ADA past president and currently serves the Georgia High School Association’s executive board.