A formula for success in the public school athletic environment.

There are no secret formulas for success in our public school athletic programs. They all operate on similar basic components that maximize their resources while maintaining their educational integrity and systematically tying in with all the community and school support that produce hugely supported winning teams.

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Result: A community pride that generates more involvement in the schools and a direct relationship between successful athletic programs and high academic achievement.

One of the false assumptions that exist is that the more money you put into the academics the less you will have for sport.

I cannot disagree more vehemently. In the state of Georgia alone, I can point to several school systems that consider "Georgia Schools of Excellence" because of the championship athletic banners hanging in the gym.

I contend that such athletic displays can be considered a "front porch" for any school system. They are highly visible and get public through various media outlets. Effective athletic programs will, through public exposure, be able to demonstrate weekly, if not daily, measurable achievements (wins) more frequently than a school's typical academic success releases (graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, etc.)

This kind of positive identification is a resource for academics and other extra-curricular school activities. I have stated all of this merely to point out why it is important for our public schools to seriously assume their responsibility of creating an atmosphere conducive to effective athletic programs. The challenge is that with many underachieving school athletic leaders do not know how to create that culture. They do not have a formula or template that can help them become effective or successful.

It is commonly believed that money can buy success, and that it takes money to make money. Although I agree with these statements to an extent, I firmly believe that a successful athletic department will go a long way in contributing to a school's fiscal standing. I also believe that if a school can create a formula for success, it will by virtue of effort and perseverance, create both athletic successes and economic gains.

If you know the formulas for creating an effective athletic program, you can solve many of the problems facing our athletic programs across the nation today. As with a math equation, if you simply apply a proven formula, you can figure out the answers, no matter what the numbers look like.

It has taken me a good portion of my career to figure out that the approach used with effective athletic programs in a public school environment is no different than the formulas taught in middle school math.

In fact, once the formula is mastered, overseeing a productive athletic department is actually quite easier than the advanced formulas that we use in high school math. I say this because by trade, I am a social studies teacher who has also served as an Athletic Director, a Head Football Coach, and a Head Track Coach in the Georgia Public School System. Had I been a math teacher by trade, I may have realized earlier in my career the fact that applying a proven formula to athletic challenges is the approach to take. When looking to enhance an athletic program, my opinion is, the specific challenges (numbers) may vary but the approach (formula) remains the same.

THE FORMULA

As proposed earlier, maximizing both school and community support is the formula for creating highly effective athletic programs in the public school environment.

In general I have found that you can break down the components of successful athletic programs into three basic categories. As shown below, they will help to organize the aforementioned formula.

Within each category you will notice various elements used in the formula for achieving success. Elements within each category are numerous and can vary from school to school. They are either innately found or created in almost every successful athletic program.

The elements are listed as general topics. Each topic can be expanded and discussed in detail as coaches, athletic directors and other school administrators sit down to strategically plan their approach for improvement.

I have been an Athletic Director in several different school systems which I have used these categories to dissect our programs and interjected new elements in order to continue our success.

By interjecting new concepts into these categories, we have been able to increase our potential.

Daryl Jones Received his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from The University of Maryland, and has been a coach and teacher for 17 years at both the College and High School levels in the Georgia Public School System for the last 12 years.

Daryl L. Jones, C.A.A, Oconee County High School, Watkinsville, GA