At Framingham (Mass.) High School, Boys' Ice Hockey Coach Paul Spear isn't satisfied with hosting a typical end-of-the-season banquet. So he's using the celebration as a way to teach student-athletes about their team's tradition.

With the implementation of a new NCAA rule limiting Division I media guides to 208 pages, this year's football guides are the first to see major renovations. The change is an attempt to help athletic departments save money and level the playing field.

Whether they call it school shopping, school hopping, or athletically motivated transferring, most state associations have rules to keep students from changing high schools in search of a better athletic experience. The federal government's 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, however, is throwing a curve ball at many states' long-held transfer eligibility policies.

This summer, the athletic department at the University of California-San Diego, found itself caught between competing interests. Upper-level administrators at the NCAA Division II school were asking for the implementation of athletic scholarships for the first time in the school's history, in part to meet a new NCAA rule that requires all Division II schools to offer at least $250,000 in scholarships. Some members of the faculty, however, were set on never allowing the former Division III school to award athletic-based scholarships.

After years of dialogue, a nationwide minimum weight requirement for high school wrestlers will soon become a reality. In an effort to make the sport safer, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee is requiring every state to implement a weight-management program by the start of the 2006-07 season.

In many communities, there's a longstanding tradition of booster clubs giving coaches thank-you gifts at the end of the season. But what happens if that token of appreciation is a sum of money larger than the coach's stipend?

As the controversy over Native American imagery in athletics continues, the NCAA remains undecided about any potential penalties for schools that keep their Indian logos and mascots. Earlier this year, the 30 schools that still use Indian logos or nicknames were asked to provide self-evaluations to the NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC).

In 2001, nine years after graduating from Carmel (Ind.) High School, Jim Inskeep became the school's sixth athletic director, taking charge of a department with 63 teams, 98 coaches, and over 800 student-athletes. Over the past five years, he has worked with the district and community to make improvements in facilities, expanded the school's strength and conditioning program, and upgraded the department's Web site.

Choosing to be positive over being negative is not a skill we are born with. But it is something we can teach on our athletic teams.

By Mitch Lyons

Mitch Lyons has recently retired after coaching youth, high school and college basketball for 22 years. He is the President and founder of GetPsychedSports.org, Inc., a nonprofit corporation based in Newton, Mass. He can be reached at: mitchly@comcast.net, or www.getpsychedsports.org.

Whether you've thought about it or not, your athletic department has its own unique culture. Here's how to make sure that culture gets everyone pulling in the right direction.

By Steven Austin Stovall

Steven Austin Stovall is Professor of Management at Wilmington College in Ohio and is also a trainer and management consultant. He can be reached at: steven_stovall@wilmington.edu.

From boosting rankings to getting on television to appeasing alumni, scheduling your Division I football team can be a chess game. A look at the latest trends will help you make the right moves.

Dr. Robert Zullo

Robert Zullo, PhD, is a faculty member in the Sport Administration Program at Mississippi State University. He has worked in athletic departments at Georgia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and VMI. His research focuses on intercollegiate athletics and outsourced marketing.

How do you eliminate battles with your school district's board of education? The keys are to understand their needs and communicate well.

By Laura Smith

Laura Smith is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management. She can be reached at: ls@MomentumMedia.com.

As licensed merchandise becomes more lucrative, college and high school athletic departments are butting heads over who can use whose logo.

By Dennis Read

Dennis Read is an Associate Editor at Athletic Management and can be reached at: dr@momentummedia.com.

More and more coaches are looking to balance family lives with their careers. Forward-thinking athletic departments are finding ways to help them.

By David Hill

David Hill is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management.