Adding a sport is one of the most consequential decisions an athletic administration leader makes, and one of the least structured. Enthusiasm arrives with a petition; the costs arrive over the next decade. Before any vote, these questions deserve written answers.
Where will the athletes come from?
New programs draw from somewhere. Some pull in students who were not participating at all, which is growth. Others draw primarily from existing rosters, which changes the shape of your department without changing its size. An honest projection of the participant pool, including feeder level interest, belongs in every proposal.
What does year three cost?
Startup budgets flatter new programs. The real test is the steady state of coaching stipends, officials, transportation, facility time, equipment cycles, and the maintenance no one budgets in year one.
Can we staff and officiate it?
A program you cannot coach or officiate is a schedule, not a program. Workforce availability, including the officials pipeline in your region, is a real constraint and belongs in the analysis.
What would make us say no?
The most protective question in any proposal process. Criteria defined before the emotion arrives are the difference between governance and improvisation.
Mel Meier, DBA studies leadership decision making in public high school athletic administration. Her research is pending publication in sport management journals. She advises athletic associations, districts, and school leaders through board advisory, speaking engagements, and organizational assessments at iB Consulting USA.
Mel Meier, DBA is an applied social scientist and the founder of iB Consulting USA, a woman owned, WOSB certified advisory firm. She advises athletic associations, school districts, and school leaders through board advisory, organizational diagnostics, speaking engagements in the United States and internationally, and organizational assessments.
