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The 40th National Athletic Directors Conference was held at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, December 11-15, 2009. This annual event is sponsored by the NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).

The keynote speaker was Aaron Davis, who won a national championship as a member of the University of Nebraska football team, and he gave an inspirational talk entitled "The Enthusiastor." The closing address was given by Drew Pearson, the outstanding former wide receiver of the Dallas Cowboys.

The schedule of events also included a tour of Cowboys Stadium, which was a huge hit with this athletic administrator. This design and layout of this state-of-the-art facility were off the charts--it has to be the most fan-friendly professional sports arena in the country.

At the show, Athletic Directors from across the nation were treated to a range of opportunities for professional growth. These included both Leadership Training Courses (LTC) and Workshops on current topics in athletic administration. Some of the workshop topics offered strategies for dealing with budget cuts, inappropriate communication via the Internet, and communicating with challenging people in your community.

Sharing ideas and programs on sportsmanship and respect is a recurring theme at the national convention. I attended a session entitled "Sportsmanship Success Stories - Ideas that Work," given by Harold Slemmer, EdD, Executive Director of the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Slemmer talked about a program that helped decrease the number of contest ejections in his state by 400 a year. The program emphasized educating officials and offering recognition programs to member schools.

Along the same lines, Diane Schuck, Athletic Director at Air Academy High School in Colorado, gave a presentation about a positive sportsmanship program that is student-initiated and student-run at her school. At Air Academy, the "Kadet Crazies" attend every athletic event from ice hockey to golf. Started nine years ago, the club features over 200 members, with at least 40 students attending each event.

The notion of student buy-in has paid big dividends for this outstanding initiative on positive cheering. One of the more valuable lessons Schuck imparted is that if you are considering initiating a sports program, it needs to have staying power.

Another worthwhile session I sat in on was entitled Cooperative Facility Projects with Local Parks and Recreation Departments. The presenters were athletic directors and athletic coordinators from Stone Mountain, Ga. They told the audience that the DeKalb County Schools had five regional stadiums shared by 20 schools. The scheduling and transportation issues described were monumental.

In their case, relief came from the Parks and Recreation Programs, which provided playoff venue opportunities in sports such as golf and tennis. While there were associated costs with using these sites, they revolved around staffing and utilities; this was a win for the school system. As budgets become tighter, shared facilities may become more and more prevalent.

The opportunity for both educational growth and interaction with athletic directors from other states enabled all attendees to return home both informed and rejuvenated. The ability to gain insight into new ideas and initiatives made the trip to the Lone Star State a worthwhile and rewarding one.

Dan Cardone is Athletic Director at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is a frequent contributor to Athletic Management, and an unfortunate fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.