Keeping up with national trends and issues.

Every Athletic Director, as busy as he may be with all his tasks and responsibilities, is obligated to keep abreast of the national trends and issues related to his profession. This kind of knowledge will help broaden his horizons and fine-tune his own thinking and modus operandi.

The primary tool for keeping abreast of the times is reading athletically related journals and magazines. The major source, perhaps, is Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director. Other publications worth checking include Athletic Business, Athletic Management, Interscholastic Athletic Administrator, National Federation News, JOPHER, Strategies, Journal of Sports Management, and the NCAA News.

Whenever a magazine arrives, I take two minutes to skim through it. If I find anything timely or pertinent, I will read it immediately. As a rule, this will take five to ten minutes.

On weekends, I set aside an hour to read the professional literature, marking pages to photocopy for my coaches or for projects I'm working on, such as policy development or fund-raising, etc.

Anything which I do not cover in this hour will be placed on a pile reserved for "summertime reading." (I do have a chance to catch up and read during the summer.)

The local or national newspapers should also be read and referenced. For example, in my area a young lady created an issue by trying out and making the school JV baseball team. As an athletic director, I felt obliged to follow up on the reactions and developments of the situation. It was very closely related to Title IX, women's rights, and the tenor of life in our society - something that would likely happen to many other A.D.'s sooner rather than later.

Still in the area of print journalism, every A.D. would do well to check all the book reviews and advertisements. It's surprising to discover the number of books that are being published on various facets of school administration: the drug problem, school discipline, athletic policy issues, etc.

Attendance at national and state conventions is critically important. This means attending the various sessions, not just showing up for the golf outing or a dip in the Olympic pool.

If the convention cannot be entirely covered by one person, you may divide the sessions and topics with a friend or colleague, then photocopy all your notes and swap them. You can, in this manner, obtain twice as much information.

Developing a network of colleagues from previous jobs or people you've met at various conventions offers another good method of monitoring the pulse from other parts of the country or state.

Although it does occasionally take some time, you may phone once every month or so to stay in touch. You can ask for opinions on various issues and find out what's happening in their areas. "Staying in touch" offers an excellent way of expanding your horizons and perspectives.

The cable network, ESPN, occasionally airs a series called "Between the Lines" which covers a broad variety of topical issues and is well-worth watching. You may even want to videotape the programs for future use and reference.

Less frequently, the national networks produce interesting "specials" on athletics and athletic issues. Every A.D. would do well to be on the look-out for them. Note: Many of these special shows offer tapes at a modest price.

There is no one easy way to keep abreast of national trends and issues. You have to stay on the alert and exercise a little initiative. Most of what you read or hear or see will help you maximize your capability as an athletic administrator.