7 Comments

  1. jgottsch

    Culture is huge. Culture for both the classroom and athletic department set the tone and standards for everyone else. I think your strategies for implementing culture are great, but I was wondering what your take on creating that culture are? What have you found to be a successful culture? What do you believe will continue to be a successful culture down the line? I’m talking more of what kind of culture would you specifically try to implement.

  2. cboggess2

    Gabe,

    I really enjoyed this paper because in my experience, having a great Athletic Department starts with the climate and culture the Athletic Director brings. I believe that in our current jobs as Graduate Assistants for our respected basketball teams, our new AD has helped shift the department in a positive direction. He believes in the growth in the program as a whole. . I strongly believe that each student should walk away better in leaderships, being respectful, and academically. I want to build up my athletes so that they are ready not just for the game but for life. This comes from the top down. If our AD shares these same values then our entire department will follow in the same foot steps.

  3. ksalinas9

    Gabe,

    I agree that our job as an educator is to shape young adults in order to prepare them for the future. Many coaches feel that they can only be determined as a successful coach by the number of wins they carry under their belt but, wins only mean so much when you are running a program that has a negative culture. I found it interesting that you not only came up with strategies to build each team, but you also implemented strategies to help create a stronger fan base.

  4. mlopez100

    Gabe, I found your paper to be very interesting. It brought about the perspective of implementing a plc to create a stronger athletic department. The point you make in having coaches and faculty collaborate to create not just good athletes, but athletes that are prepared for the real world, is such an important part of making a lasting impact on students. I agree that sports can integrate real life lessons in which students are able to learn how to balance the pressures of academics and extracurricular activities. The strategies you shared could definitely build a strong culture in which, as you shared, hiring the right person for the job who shares the same vision and mission of the school is of utmost importance.

  5. ephillips8

    Gabe, I agree, culture and climate of any team is HUGE. School climate can affect school teams to an extent, but its the culture within the individual teams that has the most impact. For example at St. Mary’s the schools culture had minimal impact on our team as a whole, like going to school events and advertising for our games, but that did not effect our team culture much. Now when it came to team climate the coaches and players had the most influence, most coaches come with their own expectations and standards. When you come into a team you are expected to adopt these cultures and exhibit them, which will make or break a team.

  6. ataramona

    Gabe,
    I truly enjoyed reading your paper and think it’s very applicable to athletics in schools at all levels. Athletics are much more than wins and losses but has the power to bring students, faculty and staff, and the community together to improve the overall culture of the school. A quote that stood out to me was “An athletic department can measure success as the development and growth of their student-athletes through: sportsmanship, leadership, participation rate, attendance rates, etc.” It places emphasis on the actual life-long growth of the school’s student-athletes rather than the product of the season. Yes wins are great, but what are the kids learning throughout the season? Wins will come as long as different characteristics are encouraged, such as hard work, perseverance, the will to compete, etc. I like your PLC timeline and how there are specific examples as to what you would implement. I think having those specific plans are very important to establish a strong foundation and then the athletic department can grow from there.
    Great paper! I enjoyed reading it and will take all of the information into consideration if I ever have the opportunity to become an Athletic Director.

  7. jcastaneda2

    A school’s climate and culture is a significant thing. Usually, it is the first impression people get of a school. For most high schools, the athletic department is a big part of that culture. Athletes bring in a plethora of school spirit to a school, having them establish a great culture is a brilliant idea. I also really liked that you mentioned how impactful coaches are on their athletes, sometimes, they’re the only role models they have.

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