After almost 40 years in education, Martin Ryan, CMAA, Director of Athletics at Kennebunk (Maine) High School, is getting ready for a leisurely retirement in 2009. He certainly deserves it.

A member of the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) Executive Board since 1984, Ryan has served as a regional wrestling meet director 11 times and Associate Director of the MIAAA Summer Institute for Athletic Administrators since 1998. On the national level, he was President of the NIAAA in 2000-01, has presented at the NIAAA conference six times, and sat on the NFHS Strategic Plan Committee in 2002. And this only scratches the surface of his resume.

Most recently, Ryan has been a leader in the Sports Done Right program, a statewide plan to promote interscholastic athletic competition without conflict and emphasize sportsmanship over wins. Ryan served on the panel that penned the original proposal for the program and Kennebunk was one of 12 pilot schools to implement it.

Currently serving as the Executive Director of the MIAAA and a faculty member for the NIAAA Leadership Training Program, Ryan talks in this interview about the principles of Sports Done Right, the economic challenges facing high school athletics, and avoiding burnout.

AM: What is Sports Done Right and how did it come about?
Ryan: The overall goal of Sports Done Right is to provide a framework and suggestions so that students can have a successful experience in athletics. It was initiated through a $400,000 federal grant and a group of individuals who had a desire to provide principles and information to those involved in athletics.

By "successful," we don't mean having an undefeated season--you can be successful without being a winning team. We mean creating an environment that promotes positive competition and a spirit of excellence, which includes discipline, responsibility, fairness, trustworthiness, and good citizenship. If I had to summarize it in one word, I'd say "respect." It's about respecting teammates, coaches, opponents, fans, officials, and yourself.

What does it take for a school to implement the program?
This fall, Kennebunk gained accreditation as a Sports Done Right school, which was a year-long process. Our leadership team included two students, two physical education instructors who are also coaches, a community member, the recreation directors for the two communities that serve our students, and myself. We had a diverse group of good people on the committee, and we met 15 times. It was similar to what you would expect from an academic accreditation. Compiling all the required data was a lengthy process, and even though it took a lot of time and effort, we felt it was worthwhile.

I certainly recommend it to my colleagues because it gives you a chance to thoroughly appraise your program. It also shows the community that we take great pride in citizenship and sportsmanship.

How does Sports Done Right's observation process, called iWalkthrough, work?
In iWalkthrough, which is a separate pilot program we're participating in this year, observers make a three- to five-minute observation of each coach in your program. The observers could watch a practice, game, pregame, halftime, post-practice, or even a parents' meeting. After five minutes, the observers use a handheld device to answer a set of questions. For example, did they observe praise? Did they observe criticism? The data is gathered on the Web and athletic directors can use it to develop a general picture of their department.

As athletic directors, we don't often have the opportunity to sit down with our coaches to discuss coaching styles and techniques. A key element of this program is that the observers are experienced coaches. The reports that came out were very beneficial and created an opportunity for enhanced mentoring of coaches, especially younger ones. Our staff members had no problem whatsoever being involved in the program--they thought it was very effective.

How does the Sports Done Right philosophy shape the way you approach your job?
As athletic administrators, we need to be cognizant of the fact that what we do and how we do it is very noticeable to our students, school, and community. Certainly, I want to win as much as anyone else, but I want to do so the right way. The basic principles of Sports Done Right help build solid programs, and as an athletic director I try to keep those principles at the forefront of everything we do.

For example, one of the core values in Sports Done Right is that schools should try to meet the needs of their students. Here at Kennebunk, we have well over 100 students every year interested in playing boys' and girls' lacrosse, but we had just one j.v. team for boys and one for girls. Using Sports Done Right as our guide, we added another j.v. boys' and j.v. girls' lacrosse team using outside funding.

From 1980 to 2001, you directed athletics at nearby Wells High School. Why did you move from Wells to Kennebunk?
At Wells, which is in Class B, I was responsible for student activities in addition to athletics. One of my career goals was to work as a full-time athletic administrator at a Class A school. This job fit the bill very well, and because the two towns are neighbors, I didn't have to move. Seven years later, there are still folks at Wells who kiddingly call me a traitor!

What was the biggest challenge of moving to Kennebunk?
When I came here in 2001, I was the fifth athletic director in four years. So there wasn't a lot of confidence that whoever stepped into this role would be here very long. In my job interview, I described this department as a Viking ship that had everyone they needed at the oars, but no one to steer. So that's what I've tried to do.

There is a projected shortfall of $190 million in the state budget for 2008-09. How are Maine athletic administrators responding?
It is going to be a major challenge to meet the demands that result from the funding cutbacks. At the same time, the governor has proposed plans for consolidating school districts in our state, from the current 170 to 80 or 85. For example, our school district is considering a merger with a smaller adjoining district.

Our conference, the Southern Maine Athletics Association, has put together a panel of athletic directors to think of ideas to reduce expenditures. So far, they include the possibility of lowering the number of contests, scheduling more multiple events, and consolidating some of our purchasing.

Are there ways athletic administrators can take their case to the public?
Certainly, but we need to be careful. If teachers are being laid off, it's very difficult for us to make the argument that we need $3,000 for new uniforms. In these economic times, when schools have already reduced their expenditures as much as they can, we need to avoid competing against people who are losing their jobs.

As a result, I think we have to be more innovative at generating revenue for our programs and more willing to accept outside contributions. Here at Kennebunk, we've been fortunate to have folks in the community who've helped us when a need arises. Athletic administrators must look toward the future and stay open-minded to suggestions from within the community. And if benefactors step forward, be willing to work with them, provided you have the approval of your administration.

I would suggest developing a five-year plan and using it to keep thinking about what could happen with your program. If you don't have a plan, and someone comes to offer help, you may not be able to rally the resources you'll need to respond.

Does working in governance make you a better athletic director?
Without a doubt, my involvement in the MIAAA and the NIAAA has made me better at my job. I now have no problem talking with people, making presentations to groups, and sharing my passion for athletic administration. I'm very proud of my relationship with the NIAAA and having served as its president.

The MIAAA recently conducted a study on turnover among athletic administrators. What did it find?
Some of the data was very interesting. In 2001, we had 113 athletic directors at our spring conference. In 2008, only 37 of them were still working in the same position. Does burnout exist? Most certainly. But we feel some of that burnout can be avoided by preparing people who are coming into our profession, so we've developed mentoring programs, run leadership sessions at both our spring and fall conferences, and encourage new athletic directors to use their free time to take care of themselves. At our spring conference, we offered a training class that dealt specifically with stress management.

Have you faced burnout yourself?
I don't think so. There's always a lot to do, and sure, I get tired. But every new season is exciting for me.

Do you have any tips for time management?
Try to be consistent in the way you do things. Start with an organized system for getting tasks done, so if you're interrupted, you'll know exactly where you need to begin again. For example, I start my morning by checking e-mails, then voicemails, then assignments for officials. In this line of work, there are constant interruptions, and if you can stay on one task until you conclude it, you'll be more productive than if you're always hopping from one task to another.

What's the next step in your career?
This is my 39th year in education, and I'm pretty sure next year will be my last. I'll miss the contact with students, coaches, and colleagues, so I might remain as Executive Director of the MIAAA. But it also may be time for me to mow the lawn and let the next person take over. It will be a challenge, but my wife has promised to keep me busy.

For more information on Sports Done Right, go to: www.sportsdonerightmaine.org.