5 Top Tips for Athletic Directors in 2025

High school athletic directors (ADs) are the superheroes behind the scenes of school sports. They take on the responsibility of hiring coaches, organizing schedules, managing budgets and keeping everything running smoothly - it’s no small task. Being an AD means no two days are ever the same, and balancing this workload is the biggest challenge of all. In this blog, we take you through our top tips to make your life as an AD easier by improving the way you run your facility, and give you the tools to navigate your to-do list with ease. 

1. Promote your facility

Promoting your facility by holding open days or parent evenings gives local teams and athletes the chance to see what you offer and rent your space. You can also host extra events such as halftime shows during games or themed days such as a “School Spirit Day” to boost engagement and get more people coming to your facility.  Social media is another great tool to utilize; advertise upcoming games as well as engage with fans and athletes. By increasing awareness of your facility, you can boost your membership.  

2. Collaborate with local businesses

Establishing partnerships with local businesses or community organizations can benefit your facility in so many ways. Businesses can provide sponsorship for sports teams or collaborate with you on fundraising events. Shared partnerships such as these help to boost your facility’s funds and are a great way of engaging with the local community. They connect you with people that may not have considered joining your sports facility before.

3. Host sports tournaments

Sports tournaments are great events where everyone can get involved. You can invite teams from nearby schools and clubs to participate and make the occasion truly special. Serve an array of refreshments and have merchandise booths stocked with spirit items to encourage fan support as well as boost your athletic department’s budget. Charging entry fees for teams and spectators can help with this too. At the end of the tournament, be sure to celebrate team and individual achievements publicly to encourage a strong sense of community.

You can take sign ups and registrations through SportsKey's online booking platform. Book a demo here to learn more.

4. Embrace technology

Effective time management can make or break an AD, and if your budget doesn’t cover hiring extra admin help, this is where technology steps in. Investing in the right tech saves you time by automating everyday tasks, like sending notifications, taking bookings and updating schedules. You’ll not only save time, but minimize the effort you need to put in. Communication apps and social media on your mobile allow quick and easy coordination with coaches, staff, and athletes. With the right technology at your fingertips, managing your facility will be a whole lot easier. 

5. Invest in scheduling software

Free scheduling software works great if you’re only managing the schedule of an individual or a small team. But for AD’s running multiple high school facilities with internal teams, coaches, and athletes all vying for their slot and changing bookings, you need something that is up to the task. A robust scheduling software can help you ditch the endless emails back and forth and make administration a breeze. When you’re on the go, a cloud-based management tool allows you to access information from anywhere. This is perfect for the complexities of athletic departments so you can free up vital time for other tasks.

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Let SportsKey help

SportsKey is a revolutionary sports facility calendar and booking software that's taking high schools across the U.S by storm. We take the hassle out of managing sports fields and other facilities and give you back hours in your week. 

It’s like your trusty teammate for athletic scheduling, with features designed specifically for ADs. One of its standout capabilities is its real-time facility availability, providing a complete overview of booking for facilities in one convenient spot. 

But don’t just let us tell you - hear it from our real customers!

With SportsKey, you won’t just save 10 hours a week on admin work - you’ll also increase your revenue by up to 30% by making the most of your facilities. 

Key Features:

• Increase your revenue with online bookings.

• Accept online payments through our secure payment portal.

• Cutting admin time in half and saving up to 40 hours a month. 

• Make communication between admin, coaches and departments seamless.

• Get key usage, occupancy, and sales statistics with our insights and reports.

• Remote access from your fingertips so you’re not deskbound. 
  

Find out more about how SportsKey can help you change your game by downloading our Ultimate Survival Guide for Athletic Directors today. 

Or, if you like what you’ve heard so far, book in a quick demo to see how it can work for you! 

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