What School Boards Owe Their Athletic Director
Clear decision authority, criteria set in advance, workload visibility, and political backing: the boards side of the athletic governance bargain, by Mel Meier, DBA.
Sanctioned or Not: How a Sport Becomes Official
Sanctioning by a state athletic association decides championships, rules, and often funding. How the recognition process works, by Mel Meier, DBA.
Preparing the Next Generation of Athletic Administrators
The AD pipeline is thinning while the role grows more complex. How districts and associations can build succession, by Mel Meier, DBA.
Why Athletic Directors Burn Out (and What Districts Can Do)
Unsustainable hours deter successors and pile work on those who remain. Why AD burnout is a structural problem districts must fix, by Mel Meier, DBA.
The Data Athletic Directors Should Bring to the Board
Participation trends, cost per athlete, pipeline health, access metrics, and workforce data: the athletic report boards actually need, by Mel Meier, DBA.
How State Association Voting Shapes What Your School Offers
Statewide votes on sanctioning, classifications, and rules shape every local athletic program. How the governance layer works, by Mel Meier, DBA.
Equity of Access in School Athletics: Why Structure Beats Intentions
Inequitable access to school sports is usually built into structures, not attitudes. Where to look and what to change, by Mel Meier, DBA.
What NIL Means for High School Athletics
Name, Image, and Likeness has reached high school sports. What athletic directors, families, and boards need to understand, by Mel Meier, DBA.
Feeder Programs: The Pipeline Beneath Every High School Team
Every varsity roster is built years earlier in youth and middle school programs. Why feeder pipelines decide program sustainability, by Mel Meier, DBA.
The Officials Shortage Is a Governance Problem, Not a Scheduling Problem
Treating the officials shortage as a scheduling nuisance guarantees it gets worse. Why officiating is workforce infrastructure, by Mel Meier, DBA.