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At first glance, the job of a high school athletic director might seem like a dream job for the sports enthusiast: in the Salem-Keizer School District, the wages average close to 80 thousand dollars for a 230 day contract—while providing an up-close-and personal look at prep athletics. But a more realistic examination reveals a less than ideal situation which involves a work week extending well beyond 40 hours and a never ending list of demands involving scheduling, game management, player eligibility, transportation, and parent concerns, just to name a few. This column will hardly do justice to the workload they (and their equally hard working secretaries) endure, but gives some insight into the pressures of keeping high school sports running smoothly. Four of the seven ADs from the Central Valley Conference kindly took a few minutes to respond to questions about their jobs. Believe me, I understand why the other three didn’t get a chance to reply. This is not an occupation for slackers or cowards. Athletic Directors work an AVERAGE of 60 hours each week. In addition, the ADs report that they also work some Saturdays, Sundays and vacation days. Doing a little quick math (230 days equals 46 weeks), these “coordinators of athletics” as they are formally labeled, clock between 2700 and 3000 hours of work during that time, compared to just over 1800 hours for the standard 9-to-5 job.
“Of course, (it’s) the one you are in now,” he replied wryly. The seasons all pose their own challenges.
“We often have events five nights a week,” he said. “I will cover soccer or volleyball on a Tuesday, freshman or JV football on Thursday, and soccer and varsity football on Friday. Add a home cross country meet or an evening meeting and you can easily get out five times a week. This is the season with the greatest chance to work 80 hours in a week.” Richards leans towards spring sports as the biggest challenge, in trying to schedule and reschedule tennis matches and baseball and softball games because of numerous rainouts, while still coordinating golf matches and track meets. The long hours take their toll. Romero stepped away from his job after five years, citing the lack of time with his wife and two young boys.
The family dynamic does pose the biggest obstacle for athletic directors, even when children get older. Former West Salem AD Ken Phillips stepped down at the end of last year so he could watch his youngest daughter compete at another high school. Richards says he had the same struggles, and got “great support” from his principal so he could watch his son compete at rival Sprague High from time to time. Trying to escape the pressures of the job is the key to longevity for any athletic director. All of the ADs surveyed had their own approaches. Richards prefers golf and salmon fishing. Romero says exercise, if he had more time, would be his preference. Bokn says in addition to working out, he leaves the country on vacation and does not take along his cell phone. Despite all the headaches of the position, being an athletic director does have its rewards. Successful teams rally a school together, and the AD is at the center of much of the positive energy. Romero experienced that twice in one school year when Sprague won state titles in football and baseball. But even in a less-than-flourishing sports season, there are some things to like about being the AD.
Bokn agrees about the long term influence of sports on his student body. “It’s knowing that I have an impact on providing great opportunities for kids.” And that is the bottom line. Not the money, not the excitement of sports itself, but for the love of kids learning life lessons from athletic competition—that is why athletic directors stay with their jobs. So the next time you see a bleary-eyed athletic director leaning against a gym wall, be sure to thank him or her for investing so much in your community and its kids.
Mark Gilman can be contacted at mark@fullaccesssports.com
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So with all those hours put in every year, which sports season is the busiest? McKay AD Ron Richards has perhaps the best answer.
Sprague’s outgoing Athletic Director, Fred Romero, says for him it is the fall.
“You must have an incredibly supportive wife and family in order to do this position well,” agreed Redmond AD Kelly Bokn, who also coaches the Panther boys basketball team.
“It’s always being able to talk and associate with the kids and coaches about their successes as well as failures, and how they can grow,” said North Salem AD Adam Watkins. “Seeing the school and community come together when (North) beat South in football for the first time in 17 years—it was fun to be a part of that experience.”