| The consistent growth of high school sports has created a noticeable evolution in the athletic director position requiring an increase in competencies in business administration and leadership. However, academic requirements, credentials, and training have not increased proportionally with the occupational demands.;The purpose of this study was to describe the modern day requirements of high school athletic directors and provide insights to the professional functions, practices, leadership responsibilities, salaries, educational requirements, and qualifications of high school athletic directors in the United States. This study surveyed 1,592 athletic directors who were active members of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. The demographic composition of the respondents were 84% male, 16% female; 48% work in city school districts, 38% a county school district, and 14% a large county with urban and suburban schools; 41% of schools were located in a rural area, 40% suburban area, and 19% in urban settings; schools with less than 650 students accounted for 45% of the respondents. They completed a survey that provided information regarding their educational background, experience, responsibilities, salary considerations, supervision and evaluation experience, and school's demographic data. -- A combination of descriptive statistics and frequency distributions were collected nationally and delineated geographically to analyze the data.;The results showed the description and responsibilities of athletic directors are dynamic, and noticeable changes have occurred in the last two decades. The shift from past expectations that has occurred incorporates more responsibilities evolving from the increased interest and enthusiasm for high school athletics. The data showed the responsibilities of the athletic director position have grown in complexity with the expectation to blend communication skills, ethical leadership, and business management. Additional changes revealed through the data indicate 64% of athletic directors are full-time and 70% have master's degrees, however; a considerable amount of current athletic directors (61%) have limited administrative experience. The results denote a decrease in the expectation of athletic directors to coach sports teams (32%) and 57% are required to obtain a teaching license for employment.;Based on the results, there is a need for states, districts, and schools to recognize the importance of creating a baseline job description to address consistency in athletic director responsibilities presented in this study to establish certification and professional development requirements, and to implement consistent evaluation measurements of athletic directors. |
