High School Athletic Directors: Secondary Education Leaders’ Perceptions

The roles of secondary athletics and activities directors (SAADs) continue to evolve in a rapidly changing landscape of high school athletics. This quantitative study aimed to examine foundational research intersections between sport management and educational leadership by exploring the perceptions of secondary educational leaders of the roles, duties, impact, and career preparation of SAADs. The study's results suggest that secondary educational leaders perceive the role of a SAAD as needing wide range of skills, including leadership, crisis management skills, and interpersonal communication skills to manage better the internal and external relationships associated with the role. The findings express the recommendation of secondary educational leaders to explore additional training opportunities and educational credentials targeted at better preparing SAADs for the expanding responsibilities their role demands. The results also emphasize that SAADs play a significant role in both the educational and athletic development of students and suggest a call for enhanced collaboration between the academic disciplines of sport management and educational leadership to better meet the dynamic needs of the roles and responsibilities of future SAADs. The authors also suggest the collection of more data to better understand how SAADs are perceived by their colleagues, students, and parents.