Exploring Time Constraints and Work-Family Conflict Among Athletic Directors

1. An In-Depth Investigation of the Time Constraints and Work-Family Conflict Among Former Interscholastic Athletic Directors. Michael T. DoCouto District D Principal/Athletic Director Workshop September 20, 2013

2. Former Athletic Directors Motivation • PHED 511 Research Methods • Relationships with Athletic Directors • Background in Athletics Through Coaching & Officiating • If we find out why they leave maybe we can retain them

3. Former Athletic Directors Research Questions • Limited Research Found on Why ADs leave • Hypothesis: Administrative Support would yield longer retention • Long hours & multiple job roles??? • Struggle between family, personal life, occupational life with long work days??? • Pressure to have perennial successful sports programs????

4. Former Athletic Directors Key Literature Burnout: • Judge & Judge 2009- Many ADs experience the harmful distress which may lead to burnout • #1 ranking stressor- Feeling that their workload was so heavy that they couldn’t finish it in a normal work day • Other top stressors- frequent interruptions by phone calls, high expectations on themselves, and completing paperwork in a timely fashion

5. Former Athletic Directors Key Literature Burnout: • David Hoch 2000- Fatigue and burnout are always a possibility to ADs; turnover is common • Study of Maryland ADs; 53% had six yrs or less of experience; 31% had three yrs or less • Most frustrating factor- 84% said lack of time to do their job; 73% said inc. responsibilities & expectations; 59% limited or no family time

6. Former Athletic Directors Key Literature Work Family Conflict (WFC): • Mazerolle, Bruening, & Casa 2008- WFC “discord that arises when the time devoted to or time spent fulfilling professional responsibilities interferes with or limits the amount of time available to perform family-related responsibilities” • Collegiate Athletic Trainers- 68% agreed with “I often miss impt. family activities bec. of my job” • 50% agreed with “There is a conflict between my job and the commitment and responsibilities I have to my family” • Very little personal time- “hard to have a life”

7. Former Athletic Directors Key Literature Work Family Conflict (WFC): • Most salient finding was that marital status, family status (with or without children), and gender did not change WFC. • Could this also be found in athletic directors? • Potential future research

8. Former Athletic Directors Key Literature Administrative Support: • Judge & Judge 2009- Suggest clerical support to lessen the AD’s workload & stress level • Balance work with personal, family, and social life • David Hoch 2000- Principals should support the AD by decreasing teaching load, increase salary, hire admin assistant help, & flex time work days

9. Former Athletic Directors Methods • Participants- Four former ADs from SE Mass • Sample of convenience • Two pilot interviews • 18 Interview questions • Interviews digitally recorded & field notes taken • Transcribed verbatim by researcher

10. Former Athletic Directors Participants

11. Former Athletic Directors Themes • Time • Lack of Support by Administration • The Mentor Relationship • Help Them Stay Longer

12. Former Athletic Directors Time • Time spent on job overwhelming & exhaustive • Winter sports season the worst (60-65 hr/wk) • Chuck– “Now with turf, it’s like the worst thing that could happen to an AD or athletic trainer. Because everyone wants to play at night, field hockey wants to play at night; soccer wants to play at night” • “But it never ends. There are so many moving pieces and parts that the job never ends. No matter what season you are in you are always in the next season or two seasons ahead. There are always things that come up” • Mark – Unique job situation; 6-7 days/week • Kate – Part time AD, taught Health, PE, History, Senior class advisor; 6 am to midnight

13. Former Athletic Directors Lack of Support by Administration • Changes at the administrative level i.e.) Principal & Superintendent • “Revolving door” • Chuck & Kate had very little support, forced to deal with unrealistic expectations • Chuck—”It was the change in job. And they had made cuts, I had no secretary anymore. I had no equipment person anymore. They took the field guy a way a lot. So basically these budget cutting maneuvers, which honestly weren’t budget cutting maneuvers, it was ball busting maneuvers for lack of a better phrase. They were trying to see when I would break…” • Kate—”I believe that they did it intentionally and kept my schedule at the same level intentionally because they knew they couldn’t fire me because I had my professional status. They wanted to make it so they would overload me and I would find other opportunities…”

14. Former Athletic Directors The Mentor Relationship • Mentor important to provide guidance • Kate- “He gave me great counseling advice…He was excellent in having my back and he really stood up for me…He was a nice liaison to the administration, that link; they knew what I was doing…He was my biggest cheerleader” • Assist them in making difficult decisions • Serve as a sounding board • Give professional advice • Fellow ADs from their league provide help • Kate: “you don’t know what you don’t know”

15. Former Athletic Directors Help Them Stay Longer • Support staffing • Chuck-“Secretarial staff, absolutely. That’s a huge piece of the equation because they just take away all that minutia crap; whether it’s checking schedules, confirming stuff with the buses, phone calls, phone calls, phone calls” • Administrative assistant (even if part time) • Faculty manager (game administrator, ticket sales, uniforms, equipment, etc.) • Outdoor maintenance (lining fields, cutting grass, setting fields up for games) • Flex time & reduction of teaching load

16. Former Athletic Directors Conclusion • Most visible department of a school • Manages the largest segment of school population • Administrators of school systems---Give ADs help!!!

17. Former Athletic Directors Conclusion • All acknowledge that a family would make the job more difficult on them • Participants didn’t state that they didn’t like the job • Future research—larger sampling across a broader region of the state or country

18. Former Athletic Directors References • Bruening, J.E., & Dixon, M.A. (2007). Work-Family Conflict in Coaching II: Managing Role Conflict. Journal of Sport Management, 21, 471-496. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • Hoch, D. (2000). Understanding and Assisting Your Athletic Director. Principal Leadership, 1(2), 44-45. • Hoch, D. (2008). Balancing Your Position and Family. Coach & Athletic Director, 77(7), 14-15. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • Judge, L. W., & Judge, I. L. (2009). Understanding the Occupational Stress of Interscholastic Athletic Directors. ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, 4(2), 37-44. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • Martin, J. J., Kelley, B. B., & Dias, C. C. (1999). Stress and burnout in female high school athletic directors. Women in Sport & Physical Activity Journal, 8(1), 101-116. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • Martin, J. J., Kelley, B. B., & Eklund, R. C. (1999). A model of stress and burnout in male high school athletic directors. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 21(3), 280-294. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • Mazerolle, S., Bruening, J., & Casa, D. (2008). Work-family conflict, Part I: Antecedents of work-family conflict in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A Certified Athletic Trainers. Journal of Athletic Training, 43(5), 505-512. • Robinson, M. J., Peterson, M. M., Tedrick, T. T., & Carpenter, J. R. (2003). Job satisfaction on NCAA Division III athletic directors: impact of job design and time on task. International Sports Journal, 7(2), 46-57. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.