Balancing Life and Health while Serving in an Athletic Leadership Role

Workshop Presenter Joni Pabst, CAA Associate Executive Director Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association

So why is this topic relevant? Well, folks, you never know when a situation will come up in your life that will make you stop and take notice and sometimes that stop sign can be a doozie!

The Life of an Athletic Administrator Wake up and go to work – juggling act all day. Go home, fall into bed and start over the next day!

LTC Course Offerings that will help you in your endeavor to balance work and life. The NIAAA recognizes the role you are in and currently has 33 LTC offerings for professional development.

LTC 502 – Athletic Administration: Principles, Strategies and Methods Course designed to define and improve operational procedures LTC 608 Athletic Administration: Management Strategies and Organization Techniques Course designed to orient you to the pressures and intensity of the position LTC 724 Athletic Administration: Stress Management Methods, Techniques and Systems Course designed to learn new concepts, methods and additional strategies for dealing with stress in their daily activities

Is this you? Stressing out – not good!

There is no magic wand you can wave, but... You can do it!

Strategies and Ideas  Develop a notebook of policies and procedures for your job, in essence, a book of lesson plans 1.KIS – Keep it Simple 2.Phone numbers 3.Event set up plans by sport 4.Emergency plans by sport 5.Extra set of keys  Select and train a person who can serve as your assistant or replacement in the event of an emergency

Select and train a person who can serve as your replacement in the event of an emergency. Some possibilities are: 1.A veteran coach 2.An assistant coach who has aspirations of an athletic administration position in their future Make sure your secretary is aware of who that person is Have this person shadow and help you during the different sport seasons Learn to delegate some responsibilities to this person Always make sure your immediate supervisor is aware of your “back-up” plan

You are not invincible – we all need help now and then... YOU JUST NEED TO ASK

Learn to take care of yourself 1.Make sure you get plenty of rest! 2.Eat right! 3.Take time for family

And this one is hard to do 3. Learn to say “NO” – you can’t be everything to everyone, all the time!

Take care of your body  Make sure you get a yearly physical – surprises aren’t fun at work and they aren’t fun with your body either!  Take a multi vitamin – every day!  We all have times when we don’t feel too well BUT when you are sick – go to the doctor and stay home to get well – you aren’t on your game when you are sick!

How do you want your tombstone to read?  Was a great athletic administrator OR  Was a great husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend

Life is too short – you’ve got to stop and smell the roses now and then!  This needs to be you

Make your life and health a priority and the job you love will only get better!