TIME SAVINGS SOLUTION: CREATE A GOOGLE SHEETS DASHBOARD!

I would say I am a very organized person. I intentionally use tools and strategies that help me save time and work most efficiently. However, when the volume of work, tasks and folders gets to be too much, I find myself spending more time searching, stopping and restarting tasks which is frustrating, exhausting and a huge time waster.

THE PROBLEM: Meeting Agenda Management

Many of us utilize the Google Drive platform to house meeting agendas and minutes. We create a folder for every type of person and meeting which in a very short time can become an additional 20+ folders. Because the number of folder has increased and because we only use some of the folders sparingly, it sometimes leads to a game of “where did I house that file?” This is where the problems comes in for busy leaders. The information we house needs to be easily accessible with just 1-2 clicks. Anything beyond that may cause us to: delay a response to an email, put off starting on a task until later in the day or week, or procrastinate the start of a project and simply add to our search fatigue.

THE SOLUTION: Make a Google Sheets Dashboard

In searching for a solution to my Google Drive overload, I came across a simple idea that required no new skill or learning to achieve. I started using Google Sheets to serve as a dashboard for housing external source links as well as Google Docs that I have created. It’s on this dashboard that I now have linked multiple meeting agenda/notes, specific people I have meetings with and multiple documents that I often need most for these meetings. This has become my one-stop-shop and has greatly reduced my stress while increase my productivity, response time and ability to have the momentum to finish projects quickly.

TIP 1: Add a folder to your Google Homepage to store your Meeting Dashboard.

TIP 2: Simply organize in columns by meeting and date. Include other often used links on the same page or subsequent page.

Yes, there are several ways to organize data, this solution I liked because it did not require learning a new skill, spending any extra money or utilizing a brand new platform. This dashboard easily saves me 3-4 hours per week. I have created quite a few of these dashboards as they are especially useful for tracking multiple links for projects, such as, coaching handbooks, student code of conducts, survey information and strategic planning.

I hope this short article was helpful. My only regret is that I did not use this solution years ago. If you have an ideas that can make this even more efficient, I would love to hear it. Thanks for reading.

Time Saving Solution: The 1 Hour Rule!

Responding to emails at 4:45AM and pushing important projects too far down the road are not healthy for someone who is supposed to model best practices. Furthermore, busy days often mean unproductive days! The average administrator/leaders spends 90 minutes a day in the “stopping and restarting” phase trying to be productive. That is just too much time wasted. A colleague challenged me to think, “What would it look like if you schedule just 1 hour of uninterrupted time to close your door, turn off your phone and put your email to sleep so that you could be productive? This idea has been known as the “Golden Hour”, “Power Hour” or “60 Minute Sprint” depending on the source you read. I think of it as intentionally planning 1 hour on a given day that saves me 2-3 hours of what would have been unproductive time.

Here is how this works:

1. Schedule just 1 hour of time in your day when you know you can be the most productive. This timing matters. I tried to make my productivity hour at 7:00AM, however, there were just too many conflicts and it caused me more stress. I found that 9:00AM is usually the best for my productivity.
2. Let your stakeholders know that this time is sacred. Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, set an outgoing message on your computer, let your staff know in advance that this is your productivity time.
3. Plan for this hour in advance by “batching” tasks together and/or saving tasks from a previous day to be done during your Golden Hour. For example: I have been working on upgrading a staff handbook. During this hour I have saved samples from 3 other school districts, the survey from our coaching staff on suggested changes for our future handbook, and a NFHS article on best practices for staff training. I have been “collecting” and saving these items for 1 of my hours so I can do a deep dive on this single topic all at once. This meant I had to do some planning and selective “procrastinating” in advance.
4. Set your timer for 60 minutes and be open to stopping at the buzzer, so you can move on to the next item. Or do a short reset for another 15 minutes if you are close to finishing that batch.

Planning Your Hour

Training yourself to be productive rather than busy is a skill that is important to your overall mental and emotional health. Like most things, practice makes you better over time. Start with implementing 1 hour per week and then upgrade to 2-3 times per week. These are intense hours, but they can save you a ton of time in the long run. They key is be prepared by batching. I use 3 post it notes each day to collect my batched information. This helps me mentally let go of some tasks until later. It also helps me assure that I have all the necessary pieces together so my 60 minutes is used wisely.

What I learned from implementing a productivity hour?

I simply needed to set boundaries for myself and I quickly realized that people respected the boundaries I set around these hours. I was now actually being the example of best practices in carving out productive time and it was appreciated as I was able to get important tasks done more quickly which benefited those who wanted my time. Because I learned to batch my tasks, I was able to get much more done in a shorter period of time. Also, I liked having a timer on as that appealed to the competitor in mean to “beat the clock”. Working fast really meant working smarter and more efficiently. I have estimated that in most cases, 1 Golden Hour equals about 2-3 hours of saved time or 3 less hours I waste in a day. In a typical week, I schedule and execute 3-5 Golden Hours and it has made all the difference in my stress level and productivity.

Set up yourself for success and plan 1 Hour of productivity for yourself this week. Everyone is relies on you will appreciate it. Stay tuned for some more Time Saving Solutions in the coming days. Thanks for reading.

What Are Leaders Reading, Especially Now! The Habit of Reading…Books.

“I am not a reader!”  That is what I told a gentleman who asked me what I was reading several years ago.   When I proceeded to tell him that I was a high school administrator who did not like to read, he shut me down quickly and challenged me.  “How, can you be an educator and not read books?”  He was right.  What I realized though was that I simply had not developed the habit of reading.  He suggested that I should start building my reading habit by reading 3 books at one time.  This would start to build my thirst to read. 

HIS EXPLANATION
“Jim, you simply have to start reading almost every day.  The trick is to read a few minutes of each book daily, but that is more of a suggestion.  Soon you will develop the desire to read more often.  Pick out three books and set a goal to get through most of the books within the next month.  But, choose the books wisely.”

Your criteria for picking your 3 books:

1. A fiction book from an author you enjoy.  This is the just for fun book that awakens your imagination.
2. An inspirational, philosophy or spiritual book that will help you help others.  This is the one that inspires you to use your talents to encourage and lead.
3. A book that helps you do your job better by helping you be more productive, strategic, and intentional. 

So, I started this book reading quest in January of 2015 and since then have read over 190 books (most don’t even have pictures).  There are no gold stars or fancy bookmark prizes for reading books in my adult life.  Rather I have formed a habit that is bringing me joy in my personal time, giving me ways to become a better leader and challenging me to grow and think more intentionally.  I do miss the personal pan pizza coupons I got from my local library 35 years ago for every 5 books I read. However, I now have an answer for when I get the questions about a book that I am reading in the future.

WHAT I AM READING NOW

I have still been trying to read three books at once.  This is what I have been reading this April.

1. Rereading Bleachers by John Grisham.  Fiction.  This is a story of a group of former high school football players who go back to their small town as their legendary coach is dying.  It explores the complex relationships they had with their coach. 
2. 80/20 Rule by Harvie Herrington. Inspiration and Philosophy.  This book is geared toward athletes and Harvie brings it home with a plan to help them remove barriers that get in the way of success and growth.  This is a great resource for helping student-athletes develop maturity.
3. The Championship Mindset by Jim Afremow. Better at my job. I have been digging deep into every book regarding developing mental toughness and a healthy mindset.   Dr. Afrenow has compiled detailed research, strategic planning and a very understandable process of helping student-athletes to stop underperforming because of overthinking.  I bought extra copies of this book for my coaches. 

On-deck reads for next month:  The Up Yours Approach by Craig Hillier, Rereading Chop Wood Carry Water by Josh Medcalf, and The Guardians by John Grisham.

I am always looking for new books to read.  Let me know what is on your night stand.

Thanks for reading.

Jim

“C19 Coffee Season” Matters To Our Student-Athletes, Especially Now!

This past weekend, I concluded my 2nd round of C19 Coffee Season conversations with some of my senior student-athletes.  These conversations ended up being something I desperately needed, but did not know it until I experienced it.  

Coffee Season is when you connect with your student-athletes in the off-season over coffee, but I have taken the liberty to apply it to any situation.  A few years ago, one of our coaching staff members shared with me that Coffee Season helped her to become a better listener, have more compassion and become a more impactful leader because she had the time to slow down and just talk with kids one-on-one.  This was done by simply giving kids undivided attention and a framework for conversation. The Coffee Season name was coined because one of my coaches had these meetings with kids at a local coffee shop.  

I have been having my own Coffee Season for a few years now, but it is typically in my office, school media center or the cafeteria.  There has been great value in having these face-to-face meetings with kids and they have been a source of inspiration and renewal for me.   Now that we can’t meet face-to-face, Coffee Season has been a “bring your own drink to the Google Meeting or phone call”. Connecting this way with our 41 senior student-athletes matters more than I thought, especially now.  

Here are some conversations starters that are being used in my C19 Coffee Season chats:

1.  What is something that you have learned about yourself this past month?

2.  How have you been able to keep moving forward?

3.  Who is someone you have been drawing on for strength and support?

4.  How can I support you?  What do you need from me?

5.  What ideas do you have to celebrate our seniors and/or provide a creative graduation experience?

6.  What do you hope your legacy is going to look like? 

7.  Who is an underclassmen that you can reach out to and encourage, today?

LACK OF TIME IS NO LONGER AN EXCUSE
I expect that my coaching staff has healthy conversation with our student-athletes on a regular basis.  This is where trust and deeper relationships are forged. However, we all use lack of time as our reason to not engage.  Well, we don’t have that excuse now. So, I am going to take advantage of this C19 Coffee Season. I have challenged my coaches to do the same.  It is those positive one-on-one connections with their coaches that I am hearing about from our seniors the most.  Being engaged on a personal level with their student-athletes is making a difference and helping them to navigate this interesting spring.  I am thankful that so many of our coaches have bought in. 

As for me,  I have 27 more seniors to have “coffee” with and I can’t wait.  As one of my colleagues told me earlier today, “connecting with our kids like this is what has been keeping me going”.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for being an intentional leader, especially now.
Jim

Create A Tribe: An Essential Resource for Every Athletic Director or Leader, Especially Now!

Perhaps you are feeling this way in the midst of C19.  You are stuck, not sure what to do next, overwhelmed, thinking no one in your school district truly understands your job and feeling that parts of what you do are getting devalued.  Ok, so maybe it is not that bad, but can you relate to this on some level?

YOU ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE WITH A TRIBE
A few years ago, after meeting with a fellow athletic director for a cup of coffee we realized that we both needed a “professional accountability group” or a tribe.  We did not call it that at the time, but we realized how important it was for us to spend some time with other leaders on a regular basis with the idea of building one another up personally and professionally. 

The two of us created a short list of athletic directors that we felt could challenge, encourage and support one another on a regular basis.  Soon there were five of us who met for breakfast to discuss how we would function and how we would build one another up. After meeting with these men once a month for the entire school year, I only had one complaint.  That complaint was that I wish that I would have done something like this much sooner in my career.

2 LESSONS ABOUT TIME AND RELATIONSHIPS
Author, Tim Ferris, has become influential in how I have spent my time more intentionally the past few years.   I have been trying to cut through the things that really do not matter and instead invest in things that matter the most.  I have learned two important lessons from him. They are: 1) Take time to plan my time daily and 2) be vulnerable enough to find a tribe of people who challenge me and help me grow.  I have imperfectly applied both lessons regularly. Check out Tim’s book Tribe of Mentors, there are great resources here that can help move the needle a bit more, especially now. 

LONELY LEADERS ARE ALL TOO COMMON
I was talking with a fellow athletic director recently and I asked  him if there were any athletic directors that he felt connected with.  He said, “Jim, I really do not have any good friends in this business. You know how these jobs are?  You just don’t make deep connections.” After a deeper dive, I realized that there were others in our profession who felt the same way.  It speaks to the need for us to be intentional about surrounding ourselves with a tribe of good people who are willing to invest in each other.   I count the athletic directors in my tribe as good friends and we have gotten closer, especially in the last few weeks as we are intentionally challenging each other now not only on what we are doing, but how we are doing things to advance education based athletics and most importantly finding life balance.  This relationship has given us opportunities to be vulnerable with one another and truly support each other’s growth. It’s encouraging to know I have friends who understand my job and have my back as we are walking this unique spring together.   

RENEW AND RECHARGE
Our face to face meetings have typically been in the mornings over breakfast, but now we are simply using Google Meet or Zoom platforms and we have connected as a group at least once per week, though there are texts and phone calls weaved in between.  Our agenda this week included: Technology platforms, district policies, motivating our coaches, forecasting how we need to adjust our methods and practices on the other end of COVID 19. This continued collaboration has kept me fresh and recharged and encouraged me to keep planning and growing when it would be easy to just stand still. 

OTHER BENEFITS OF A TRIBE
1. A tribe already understands the context of your job, so you can get right to the meaningful stuff.
2. Better ideas come from bouncing them off of others who know you well.
3. Confidence is gained from knowing you can be vulnerable with trusted friends.
4. People sharpen people. Its inspiring to understand that we can help each other which expands our influence beyond our school buildings.
5. Leadership positions can be lonely, creating these lifelong friendships are what makes life even more worth it and meaningful.

DO YOU NEED A TRIBE?
Here are some questions to ponder regarding your need for an accountability group.

• How productive have you been in your leadership role lately?
• Do you have days where you don’t know where to start?
• Do you have more questions than answers?
• Are you spending too much time on things that are really not essential?
• Do you have colleagues that challenge you?
• Are you a newer AD and not really sure what to do next?
• Are you a veteran AD and feeling you have experience to offer others?
• Are you growing professionally like you want to?

If any of these questions resonate with you, then perhaps it may be time to surround yourself with a group of people who can support you professionally, especially now. These are relationships that can go far beyond our jobs, increase our effectiveness and add more meaning to our lives. We all need this now, more than ever.

STARTING A TRIBE: GET THIS HABIT GOING NOW!
Think about 2-3 athletic directors that you know and feel would challenge you professionally.
Possible conversation starters:
1) How you became an athletic director?
2) What is working well in your job?
3) What is something that you would like to improve?

Or talk about any other three things you can think of.   The point is to get together (virtually) and start talking. It is amazing how building these regular “accountability group” meetings into your life can quickly give you passion, energy, renewed focus and the knowledge that you have a very valuable support network.  I am so thankful for the fellow athletic directors that support me in this capacity. All have helped me to become better than before.

Give it a try.  Start your tribe this week.  Please update me on your success.

Thanks for reading.

Jim

Part 2: Rationale for Paying Spring Coaches in 2020

We are in education-based athletics because these experiences impact the lives young people like no other can. Valuing their coaches is as important now as it has ever been. Compensating them for their 365 day leadership matters, especially now. Below is a composite of the merits of paying coaches. This is a collections of ideas I hope you can use as you provide leadership to your district this spring.  

Rationale For Paying Your Spring Coaches

The district recognizes that coaching is a profession that reaches students throughout the entire year.  Even though coaches cannot meet with their student athletes in person, they are continuing to add value and leadership in a time when every connection matters.

1. The district values all employees and understands the impact that coaches have in the personal health and growth of students, especially as students navigate this new landscape and have additional support needs. 

2. This is likely not a budget issue. Additionally, cost savings will still be realized through cancellation or reduction of Spring 2020 athletic seasons through transportation, event staff, officials’ pay, and field maintenance costs.  

3. Coaches will continue their responsibilities that parallel that of our teaching faculty.  Both groups have been required by their supervisors to perform virtual learning opportunities for students. Connecting with students individually can be a real challenge. Partnering with spring coaches to assure academic accountability for student-athletes is in line with our district mission.  

4. Coaches have utilized multiple virtual platforms to meet student-athlete needs and continue to promote and encourage continued engagement s for students. Platforms may include, but are not limited to: TeamSnap, Google Meet, Google Classroom, HUDL, Marco Polo, Zoom, Google Docs, Text and email.   

5. In reality, there is no off-season for coaches. The hours expected by a coach during the other 38 weeks of the year, when they work for no pay, is done in good faith to help students achieve success during the actual season. Spring coaches have been working since the end of last season. They have been planning, encouraging off-season training, attending leadership development courses for their own coaching development, reviewing film of last season, ordering equipment, and providing mental health support.

6.  Athletic team participation is an important part of career and college readiness. The discipline, resilience, and ability to think beyond themselves are all part of the education and development that students need for life after high school. A coach’s leadership is an important complement to the skills developed by the classroom teacher, especially now.

7. With all the uncertainty, coaches have been preparing for their seasons with constant changes, and have been expected to adjust their plans accordingly. How a coach develops a multi-tiered program for a full season, half season, 3 games, or even having the season cancelled will vary drastically, and coaches want to make all such adjustments with their student/athlete’s best interest in mind.

8.  If these coaches do not have a 2020 season, they still need to be engaged with student-athletes. Not only to prepare for the 2021 season, but to do everything they can to help these student-athletes as these circumstances can create tremendous stress and trauma.

9.  These student-athletes are the doctors, teachers, politicians, business owners, and administrators of the NEXT national crisis. Therefore, educating our students through crises is critical and we need all hands on deck which includes teachers and coaches to continue making an impact. These are the people who often know our kids the best.

10. Just like secretaries, para-professionals and administrators, coaches are counting on these small stipends as part of their income. These include, but are not limited to, auto insurance payments, mortgage payments, child support, and essential costs like food.

11.  It’s simply the right thing to do.  If more is needed then see the 1-10.

I hope there is something practical you can take from this article. I would like to hear what your district is talking about in this regard. Lets keep leading, especially now.

Jim

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Part 1: Paying Spring Coaches For Virtual Coaching and Professional Development Matters, Especially Now!

Has your district decided to pay it’s spring coaching staff their full stipend? Here are some ideas that give it merit. In this 2-part series, I will suggest some practical virtual coaching ideas along with many opportunities to show that your coaches are continuing their own professional development. This post is intended for you to use as a framework for your district as you navigate this topic. It is a composite of the work of many athletic administrators in our region.

Expectations for Spring Coaching Staff: Virtual Coaching and Professional Development (written as if coming from your district)

Our District will offer its contracted spring coaching staff the opportunity to earn their full stipend during this season of social distancing and virtual learning for students. The following options will start on April 6th, 2020, which is the date that all spring athletic programs will be in full coach contact mode.  Options will run through the week of April 24th or May 30, 2020, whichever comes last.  

Coaches are expected to document with their building Activities Director all items that they have completed. 

Virtual Coaching
Distance Learning for student-athletes began on March 19, 2020.  Coaches will have multiple opportunities to engage with students virtually as their seasons begin.   Students are not to use district facilities nor will they be encouraged/expected to gather in groups physically.  Virtual learning for student-athletes will run through the week of April 24th or May 30, 2020, whichever comes last.  

Coaches are expected to maintain communication, provide support and continue to foster a positive growth opportunity for student-athletes.    The following practices and platforms are expected weekly.

• Academic Support – work in conjunction with teachers to support student success.
• Enrichment Opportunity: Sport Specific Training – provide 2-4 sport specific training plans per week. 
• Enrichment Opportunity: Overall Functional Strength/Conditioning Training – work in conjunction with the LAT and strength coaches to provide 2-4 programs per week to include cardio, resistance, restorative and recovery training.
• Coach Initiated Group/Team/Individual Google Meet Connection:  1-2 per week (Recorded or live)

Other Suggested Support/Proactive Initiatives – Site Based Conjunction with your Activities Director

• Virtual Staff Meeting: 1 per week
• Team games, connections, team challenges, and bonding activities
• Mental health care
• Post high school guidance/collegiate recruiting support

Professional Development and Professional Capacity Building

Coaches can choose at least ___ of the following courses from the NFHS Learning Center website. A certificate of completion of each course must be sent to the Activities Director for each course completed. All courses are free. 

NFHS Free Courses for ALL coaches (Fundamental Coaching)

Sportsmanship
Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Engaging Effectively with Parents
Social Media
Bullying, Hazing and Inappropriate Behaviors
Understanding Vaping and e-Cigarettes

Additional NFHS Free Courses for ALL coaches

• ACL Prevention
• Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs and Substances
• Concussions in Sports
• Heat Illness Prevention
• Protecting Student from Abuse
• Sports Nutrition
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest
• NCAA Eligibility
• Captains Course
• Positive Sport Parenting
• Introduction to Pitch Smart
• USA Baseball Coaches Education Courses
• Coaches Insider
• Complete Track and Field
• Coach Youth Tennis Course (Free)
• USTA Coaching Resource Page

Of course, these are just some ideas for how your coaches can engage with students and build their own professional capacity this spring. There is no shortage of tools for us to keep engaging. Check back tomorrow for Part 2 where we give rationale to support paying your spring coaches, especially now.

Thanks for reading and if you have some other ideas, please share them with your network.

Jim

An App That Helps Your Coaches Stay Connected With Their Student-Athletes: Especially Now.

Has your school district decided if they will pay your spring coaches this spring?  Some districts have decided that if the season does not happen, then they would not pay coaches.  I would suggest that even if the season does not happen as scheduled that there is definitely coaching going on. 

Athletic Directors, keep your coaches connected with their teams by using technology like Marco Polo.   I have found that the best technology is what my students are already using.  I recently came across this free video messaging app called Marco Polo. Within 3 minutes, I had it loaded on my phone and found that quite a few of my phone contacts had already been using this app.   Just a few days later, half of my coaching staff is using this platform with their teams.

Marco Polo basics for coaches:

• This is a free app for your phone. 
• Coaches can find their student-athletes who already use the app or they will have to add contact numbers into their phone.
• Make a group of your entire roster, or by position group, or event group, and/or individuals.
• Video messages are stored and can be rewatched now or later. 
• Any coach or athlete in a group can watch any of the group videos in the chat history, even if they weren’t the person that created the video.  So, this is an efficient way for a team to check-in, to give status updates or encouragement to one another. 
• There is the option to add a photo and features include drawing and adding text to videos.
• Rather than responding to each video with another video, the coach can choose from some emojis that will let the sender know you got it. 

Suggested Use of Marco Polo For Coaches
In the morning, give your team a greeting and challenge for the day via Marco Polo.  Provide the workout or training tips and give a call to action or ask all to check-in on their success by 8pm that evening.   After 8pm, make an end of the day follow up video where you affirm successes and keep your team motivated. That is it.  

Why Marco Polo For Coaches?
I have always tried to use the technology our students are using.  In 2000 it was texting, then in 2004 Facebook, in 2010 it was instagram and shortly after snapchat.  There is merit for athletic departments to evolve with the technology our kids are already using. Marco Polo is just one of a good handful that makes sense, especially now.  And now you also have some documentation to show your district that you are continuing to coach your student-athletes this spring. This technology also helps a coach to give a more personal connection rather than the static text or email.

Is Marco Polo Safe For Kids?
Josh Ochs at Smartsocial.com, has some keen insight on keeping our kids safe with any technology.   He talks specifically about the safety of Marco Polo. This is worth reviewing and even sharing with your families.

Please keep sharing any ideas you have that helps coaches continue to lead our kids, especially this spring.

Thanks for reading,
Jim

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Spotlight Your Senior Student-Athletes: Especially Now!!!

How can we celebrate our spring senior student-athletes while their season is on hold? My friend, Dave Steavpack, had a great idea. In a phone call this past weekend, he suggested that someone should create a way to celebrate our seniors as a way to encourage them during this layoff. Well, when Dave has an idea, I tend to run with it.

SPRING SENIOR ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT
1. I quickly got on my google forms page and created a survey to send to my coaches. The form asked coaches to share the list of seniors for their team, choose 3-4 character traits from a list that is aligned with our core values, share a story or impact of that student and then try to round up some photos.

2. As I been gathering this data, I went to my Canva.com account to create some flyers that we would share via multiple social media outlets within our community. Addie was one of our first spotlights.

3. In a quick email, I was able to encourage our coaches via Team Snap, our booster club via Facebook, and our building Tech Integrator via twitter and Facebook to share our spotlight senior of the day. The plan is to post at least one senior per day until we get through them all.

INTENDED IMPACT
Our seniors have devoted a lot of time and energy in to their sport and the potential of not having a full season or any season has got to be tough. We just want to remind them that we love them and recognize they have been difference makers for us at our school. Why would we not do something like this? It just makes sense to show senior appreciation in a different way.

UNINTENDED IMPACT
Helpful parents are scrambling to help provide us with some photos and memories. Coaches are engaged in digging deeper into the relationship they have had with these kids. We now have some athletic related things to add to our social media outlets. The content is being shared, reshared and forwarded throughout our community. Students are contacting me to be sure I don’t miss anyone. For now, we have a worth while project to work on together, especially now.

This project takes me 10 minutes a day. I am grateful to my coaching staff for getting on board and providing the content. I am thankful for our senior student-athletes who are showing tremendous strength and resolve. They are everything our coaches say they are.

Hope this inspires you to celebrate your seniors. There are plenty of ways to do this. I’d like to hear some of those good ideas, too.

Thanks for reading,
Jim

Engage your coaches in free online learning: Thank you, NFHS!

This is something you and your coaches can do during this down time. Each year the NFHS provides new online learning opportunities for coaches. Many of these are free. As part of our professional development program at my high school, I have required that our coaching staff take several of these courses to build their capacity.

Currently, each coach is required to take the following NFHS courses:

1. Concussion in Sport
2. Engaging Effectively With Parents
3. Heat Illness Prevention
4. Social Media

Last week, I thought we would get a head start on next school year, so I sent out an optional challenge to my 92 coaches to complete the following courses by Friday, March 27. The courses are free and they take about 35-40 minutes to complete.

The challenge included:
1. Sportsmanship
2. Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
3. Understanding Vaping and E-Cigarettes

Those coaches who meet the deadline will get nice quality school-logo hoodie as an incentive. A little reward doesn’t hurt every now and then.

My main goal is simply to support my staff in continuing to build their skill and knowledge as coaches. At the time of this post, 8 of my staff members already completed the courses. Thank you to the NFHS for providing these resources for us athletic directors. If you have not tapped into professional development for your staff, yet, here is an efficient way to begin.

Hope you find this post helpful.

Thanks for reading.

Jim