Abstract
Many undergraduate sport management students are interested in a career in interscholastic athletics; some students complete degree required internships in school settings, where they receive receiving mentoring from athletic directors (ADs) and assistant athletic directors. To best prepare sport management students for these jobs, it is necessary to obtain clarity about requisite job skills for interscholastic ADs. In addition, examining the academic training and career paths of current ADs can help sport management educators advise students who wish to work in interscholastic athletic administration. As a field with a diverse array of career options, it is imperative to know how sport management program requirements align with the duties required in the role of a high school athletic administrator so that students can be best prepared in their quest for these positions. It is also important to discover if secondary educators and coaches have an edge over sport management students when it comes to accepting AD jobs at the interscholastic level.
Through examining the educational and professional background of athletic directors in Michigan high schools, and by understanding what current ADs identify as the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be successful in their jobs, sport management educators may better prepare their students for these positions in athletic administration at the high school level. It is imperative that these academic programs adjust to meet the needs of the ever-changing requirements of high school athletic directors by incorporating the findings into course requirements.
Recommended Citation
Coles, Jon PhD; Ross, Sally PhD; Munk, Dana PhD; and Roberts, Brian MA
(2024)
"A survey of high school athletic directors and implications for sport management programs,"
Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management: Vol. 4, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/finsheem/vol4/iss1/4