An athletic director is an individual who supervises and oversee athletic programs in learning institutions or any other private entity. The objective of the project is to acquire knowledge and perspective about various aspects of sports management from an athletic director who is active in the sports industry. Scott Stricklin, a reputable American college athletics administrator, was interviewed for the project. Since 2016, Mr Stricklin has been an athletic director at the University of Florida. The interviewee’s resume also includes numerous administrative positions in various learning institutions, including Mississippi State University, University of Kentucky, and Baylor University, among others. The interview, which was conducted virtually using the Zoom application, saw Mr Stricklin respond to multiple questions that are presented below.
Interview Questions and Responses
Are sport management theories vital in real-life practice? And, if so, what managerial theory do you most associate yourself with?
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Yes, managerial theories are key, particularly when evaluating and deciphering the best ways to increase motivation and productivity within the various sports entities. Personally, I follow the system approach of management; I recognize that every individual within the athletics department and valuable and significant to the final outcome (Gentile, 2019). Therefore, I always ensure that the staff members work as a team to complete the necessary tasks and projects within the athletic department.
What are the primary roles and responsibilities of an athletic director?
As an athletic director, I am responsible for planning, budgeting, organizing, and coordinating every activity within the department (Gentile, 2019). In addition, I report and represent the department in the University administration. Further duties include hiring employees, marketing, scheduling games, and organizing fundraisers, among others (Gentile, 2019).
What are the best practices that increase administrative effectiveness?
Sports programming comes with multiple stressors that might be too much for one person. Therefore, rather than trying to do everything by myself, I ensure to use staff members to perform tasks and complete projects (Gentile, 2019).
Have you ever experienced any ethical issues in your years of practice as an athletic director?
As a transformational leader, I strive to encourage a high level of human conduct and ethical aspiration among the staff members and the institution’s athletes alike. There are instances where players have been involved in disciplinary issues. Nonetheless, as an athletic department, we always strive to develop players code of ethics to guide athletes (Gentile, 2019).
How does globalization in sport affect your role as an athletic director?
The consumption of sports events and the flow of athletes are now global. To strengthen our college teams, we have found ourselves organizing scholarships and school admission for talented athletes across the globe.
Has media played a key role in promoting globalization?
Media has helped promote globalization, particularly through the streaming of sports events across the globe. Nonetheless, media also presents a challenge to most athletic directors in the industry. Various issues affecting intercollegiate athletic administration, including gender equity, discrimination, faculty criticism, dismissal of coaching personnel, and suspension of athletes, among others, are all presented in the media, and thus increasing the difficulty of finding solutions (Liu et al., 2012).
Does the strong relationship between sport and the economy affect your role as an athletic director?
There are many direct and indirect benefits of having a winning team. It will affect the funding of sports programs within the institution. Besides, as an athletic director, I have the responsibility to raise funds from the community, the university, or government agencies.
Have you ever experienced sport and religion collide in your career as an athletic director?
Yes. The scheduling of sports events may coincide with various religious events. While the predominant Christians are more willing to sacrifice religious holidays, athletes from other sectors of the spiritual world have skipped crucial games to attend these holidays. The religious affiliation of some colleges also affects how athletic directors conduct their activities.
Is it possible to separate sports and politics?
In my opinion, no. Sports have long been used as platforms for political protest. At the college level, political protests are evident through activities, including refusing to stand for the national anthem, boycotting practice and games, and the demand for increased remuneration for student-athletes through writing the All Player United (APU) acronym on wrists (Druckman et al., 2019). As an athletic director, it is sometimes advised not to take sides but instead separate your opinion from your professional activities.
In the era of women empowerment and increased debate on gender equity, how do you ensure equality and equity in college sports?
The issue of gender equity can be envisaged in various parts of the athletics department, starting from staff members to sports teams and players. To avoid issues related to gender equity, we as a department must adhere to the Title IX guidelines (Druckman et al., 2019).
How do race and ethnicity influence your role as an athletic director?
Historically, race and sports have always been deeply connected. However, the relatively low number of minority coaches resulted in the introduction of the Rooney Rule (Druckman et al., 2019). Therefore, in conducting my duty of recruiting coaches, I must ensure that I interview at least one minority candidate for the coaching position.
What is your as an athletic director in developing children’s talent?
While I do not have a direct role, I believe recruiting qualified and competent coaches is key to children’s development in the sport. Studies show that coaches have a huge influence on children’s specialization in sports (Parker et al., 2020). Therefore, have a competent coach will facilitate effective transition into professional sports.
In conclusion, the interview has provided a new perspective on how the sports industry operates. It has provided an idea of how the theoretical aspects of the course are applied in real-life practice. Furthermore, Mr Stricklin offers an overview of how athletic directors tackle the modern issues and problems affecting sports, such as gender equity, race and ethnicity, and the media influence, among other issues.
References
Druckman, J. N., Howat, A. J., & Rothschild, J. E. (2019). Political protesting, race, and college athletics: Why diversity among coaches matters. Social Science Quarterly , 100 (4), 1009-1022.
Gentile, D. (2019). Athletic Administration for College, High School, Youth, and Club Sport . Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Liu, L. W., & Lin, C. H. (2012). Sport management in collegiate athletic administration. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences , 40 , 364-367.
Parker, L. T., & LaBotz, M. (2020). Sport specialization in young athletes. Journal of the American Academy of PAs , 33 (1), 47-50.
