By Dan Cardone

Dan Cardone is Athletic Director at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., and a frequent contributor to Athletic Management. He can be reached at: cardoned@nhsd.k12.pa.us.

During our busy days as athletic directors, we often spend a lot of time reacting to situations. Wouldn't it be great to be more proactive?

The upcoming summer months are a perfect time to analyze what initiatives and procedures you can implement to head off problems for next year. Motivating coaches, offering new ideas, and even just altering how something looks can make a difference, which can start a snowball effect of positive momentum.

The following are some ideas I've implemented in the fall after brainstorming and thinking them through during the summer. The same can work for your next campaign.

Create Curb Appeal: I always like to add a noticeable change to one of our facilities in the fall. Something visually new gets people excited about the upcoming season. It also shows them their administrators care.

Often, I've added banners around the athletic complex, stadium, or fields, which I feel exhibit class. This past year, we had a logo painted in our gymnasium that was designed by one of the art classes. Other ideas include adding a message board or an LCD feature to your scoreboard, creating record plaques for teams, or upgrading the look of your Hall of Fame. These initiatives go a long way toward instilling pride that has lasting value to both students and community members.

Motivate Coaches: The first coaches' meeting of the year is a great time for athletic directors to motivate coaches to aim higher. One year, I created a video entitled, "What is something I do well as a coach?" I asked several of our coaches to think about one area they excel in and speak on camera about how they accomplish it.

Our very successful varsity football coach talked about how he gives athletes confidence by getting them fully prepared for a game. We often compete against teams with more athletic players, so he tells his squad that, "No one is better prepared than we are." He teaches student-athletes how hard work and preparation can help them get ahead.

Our volleyball coach was trying to turn around a program that hadn't had a lot of success, so she offered ideas on setting goals in the video. She talked about how she set small, measurable goals for her players on a daily basis and how this kept her athletes motivated.

Our varsity track and field coach spoke of his willingness to put in extra time. He started inviting his athletes to come to a non-scheduled practice on Saturdays to work on some aspect of their event. Only a few came at first, but now almost everyone comes!

If you are trying to motivate a particular set of coaches to communicate better with parents, you can ask a coach who has accomplished this to talk about his or her approach. A coach who is innovative with drills during practice can explain his or her ideas.

Give Athletes a Voice: Another year, I asked a few student-athletes to come to our preseason coaches' meeting and talk about the qualities they appreciate in a coach. This was a really effective way to get my coaches to think about their role and approach.

One thing the student-athletes mentioned was that they appreciate fairness. They said the rules a coach sets forth should be applied equally to everyone on the team. Student-athletes also talked about the importance of coaches focusing on every player. Paying attention to not just the starters, but the contributors as well goes a long way.

Another common theme from the athletes was that they respect coaches who take a genuine interest in their players. When coaches ask them questions not related to the sport, the players see the coaches as having a high level of care and concern.

Create a Slogan: For the first time this fall, we will implement a theme for the entire sports year: "Expect Respect." I strongly believe it is a sign of maturity when teams do not react negatively to an opponent exhibiting disrespectful behavior. "Expect Respect" sums up this sentiment in two words.

We will have signs made, place the slogan at the top of our athletics Web page, and have T-shirts printed to distribute to athletes who exhibit great sportsmanship. Along with the visual reminders, there will be the expectation that our coaches and athletes measure up to this standard all year long. The neat thing is that I will be able to just mention the slogan or point to a banner when I see a breakdown in sportsmanship.

Get More on Board: Like many schools, we have seen a decline in student attendance at sports events. Rather than complaining about it, there are some things that can be done to promote attendance.

For example, one year our parent boosters approached the principal about having a cookout for students prior to our first boys' basketball game of the season. All students that attended received free food and a T-shirt. It was a lot of fun and we attracted over 300 students. It also set the tone for the entire season and resulted in the creation of a student section in the stands. Students even planned a "white out" one night since the free T-shirts were white.

Other ideas include offering an all-sports pass, having a special night for cheerleaders, and offering games and prizes during breaks in the action. We also do some boy-girl doubleheaders in basketball to afford the girls' varsity a chance to play before large crowds.

To get ahead in our jobs we often have to look ahead. Instead of waiting for problems to surface, we have to anticipate them and implement strategies to nip them in the bud. Challenging those around us to work harder, get involved, and make a difference can be uplifting.

Have a great summer! And consider using the time to make good things happen in the fall.