To run a successful athletic department, it takes a team of people who are committed to providing the best experience for our students. The athletic departments in many schools and communities are the most visible as evidenced by the fact our teams can be found daily in Newsday or weekly in local papers, on MSG Varsity or News 12, as well as social media and online with the results and standings on the Section XI website.
Because of the high visibility of high school athletics, very often school and community pride are often tied to the success of the athletic teams.
As a former coach I truly believe that great players make great coaches and that we should lead by example. As an athletic director I believe a great supporting staff makes a great athletic department and that collectively we must all lead by example in everything we do and model behavior for our student-athletes. I want my staff to understand we are all part of a team and a common goal, which is to provide the best experience for our student-athletes.
One of the most important aspects of our job if not the most is to hire the best staff possible. I am fortunate in that I am surrounded by many outstanding coaches, administrative assistant, athletic trainer, nurse, school physician, transportation staff and grounds and custodial crew who all play a role everyday in success of the athletic department. Collectively we strive to create the best athletic experience first and foremost for our student-athletes, their parents and the Southampton community. When hiring coaches, it is imperative that the coach understands my philosophy as well as the district philosophy at each level of the interscholastic athletic program. This philosophy provides the guiding document that coaches adhere to when running their programs.
One of many roles as athletic director is to mentor and provide guidance for new coaches and help them to develop to be the best he/she can be and make sure our student-athletes have a positive experience. Aside from being knowledgeable about the sport, one of the critical characteristics I look for is for the coach to be athlete centered and an ability to connect with kids. I want coaches who are reflective in their jobs and are looking for ways to become better professionally and to keep the finding ways to make their program better.
For me without a doubt, my team MVP is my administrative assistant who handles all the day to day operations. It is impossible to list everything she does every day and to put into words just how valuable she is to me. She is a true team player and does whatever it takes to get the job done. Having a go to person you can count on to get things done and who always has your back is invaluable to an Athletic Director.
In addition to the coaches, the athletic trainer, school nurse and school physician are an integral part of the athletic program. They all play a vital role in getting our athletes safely back on field while managing the daily communication with parents, doctors, and the coaches. I along with my coaches value what our medical team does every day and how they put the health and safety our student-athletes first which is way more important than the outcome of any game.
Our games and contests could not be played each day without our grounds crew and custodians making sure the fields and facilities are ready for play and all set up. Our daily communication ensures we are all on the same page with the home games and we all know who is playing on what field. Our transportation department and bus drivers do a fantastic job everyday making sure our teams get to where they need to be on time.
In addition having a supportive principal and assistant principal, along with superintendent and board of education, who all value the athletic department and the experiences we provide for our student-athletes makes for a success athletic team.
During my 16 years at Southampton I feel we have cultivated a great staff who collectively all contribute every day to making sure our student-athletes have a positive experience in their participation in the athletic program at Southampton. It is impossible to do this job successfully without being surrounded by a great team and I am thankful to have such a fantastic group of people that I get to work with everyday who put our kids first.
Darren Phillips is the Director of Athletics of the Southampton Union Free School District.