Dealing with the Stress of Being an Athletic Director

You face it from all sides. Coaches want new uniforms that aren’t in the budget, parents are angry their child wasn’t played much in the game, students think something was unfair or don’t like their coach. Not to mention the pressure of keeping the athletic program running while dealing with these obstacles.
Here are some ways to settle the crowd and make the most of your athletic department:
Communicate effectively with students and parents as to what they would like to see more (or less) of at games and practices. Ask your Boosters (or create a Booster Club) to help bring in extra funds for fun activities and new equipment. Maybe they’d like to have more themed games to dress up for, or an alumni night. Find something everyone can enjoy.             Pictured above is Girard High School (OH)
Use VNN Alerts to let your community know what’s going on. Canceled game? Shoot out an alert. New facility just finished? Spread the word! The Alerts will display on your website for everyone to see, and can also be sent out as notifications for those who choose to sign up. By sending out Alerts, you are saving parents and students the hassle of finding out information on their own, and you can do it with a click of a button.
Annoyed with having to reach out to the media after every game to report scores? Look no further than Pressbox, VNN’s score reporting application. ADs and coaches can update the score of a game in real-time, and also send it out to the various media outlets in one simple step. Pressbox also sends the score to the website for everyone to see. It is a great time-saving app that every athletic department should use. Here’s how it looks on the website:

Sick of having parents and students drop off checks and forms to your office, only for you to have to keep track of every one? Luckily VNN websites include online forms, so students can fill everything out online, pay the fee, and even have a choice to donate to the athletics program. It is very easily accessible, and this can help de-clutter your desk.

Can’t remember everything you need to do in preparation for the upcoming seasons? Download our Essential Athletic Director’s Checklist on our website for a monthly checklist of things to do to get ready. Find it here: Essential AD Checklist.
With all these time-saving and stress-free techniques, you can focus on that big thing hanging over your head- the budget. Don’t forget to call in resources like parents to help start funds, and sell advertising on your site to receive a payback check! With all this information, you’re sure to have the athletic department under your belt.