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Send us Fan Mail Host Morgan Sullivan, athletic director, coach, and author, sits down with Tara Rose, CAA, Athletic Director at St. Croix Falls in Wisconsin, President-Elect of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association (WADA), and state LTI instructor, to talk about building student leadership and a culture of sportsmanship in education-based athletics. In this episode Coach Sullivan and Tara dig into how her conference built an interactive leadership and sportsmanship summit for student-athletes, how she runs a student athlete leadership team (SALT) at her school, and what every coach needs to know about coaching female athletes. Listeners walk away with a simple, usable definition of leadership: lead self, support others, inspire positive change. Tara also shares why she believes in multi-sport athletes, how NIAAA certification and LTI courses have shaped her as an AD, what it’s been like going for her CMAA, and why representation for girls in athletic leadership matters, especially in small rural schools. She closes with pages from her AD playbook: build efficient systems so you have time for what matters most, which is leadership and culture. In this episode: From three-sport athlete and college softball pitcher to athletic directorWhy multi-sport athletes are more adaptable, resilient, and less injury-proneThe value of CAA certification and becoming an LTI instructorInside the Heart of the North Conference Leadership & Sportsmanship SummitRunning a student athlete leadership team (SALT) during advisory timeCoaching female athletes: confidence, connection, and knowing your kidsThe Performance Pathway: leadership drives culture, culture drives behavior, behavior drives resultsResources mentioned: CoachingHer: coachingher.comThe Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, University of MinnesotaWisconsin W SportsConnect with Tara: TikTok: @tara.rose26Talkin’ with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes – built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan – athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🌐 Website: betteryouthcoaching.com  🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode  📬 Mailbag: Have a question for the show? Go to betteryouthcoaching.com and click “Ask the AD”  ⭐ Rate & review: it helps other ADs, coaches, and parents find the show  📚 Books: Coach on Leadership · MS Education Based Athletics · Before the First Snap 🎙️ We record on Riverside: https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/ltacqatxw6ac #TalkinWithTheAD · #Sports · #Athletics · #AthleticDirector · #CoachonLeadership · #Sportsmanship Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Paris McCarthy interviewed for athletic director jobs six or seven summers in a row and heard "no" every single time. Today she leads athletics at Eastpointe Community Schools in Michigan, and in this episode she shares how every one of those losses prepared her for the chair. If you're a coach working toward becoming an athletic director, a woman building a career in athletic administration, or an AD looking for practical game day ideas, this conversation is for you. Paris takes us from two torn ACLs in high school to a full scholarship at Grambling State, a biology degree she saw through to the end, and a winding road into education-based athletics. She talks about running a small middle school program like a high school (including selling snacks from her classroom to cover officials' fees and zip-tying a torn soccer net back together by hand before a game), building an unbeaten league culture as head girls basketball coach at her alma mater, Romulus, and what it means to show up as a female athletic director when so few young women ever see one. In this episode: Why "what's for you will never miss you" carried her through years of rejectionThe game day itinerary she sends every visiting AD and coachThe all-sports banquet that went sideways, and why thick skin comes with the jobHow "the highest human act is to inspire," a line from Nipsey Hussle, shapes her leadershipPages from her AD playbook: build your network, protect your work-life balance, and have fun doing itChapters:  00:00 Welcome and introduction  01:07 Two ACL tears and a Division I comeback  06:45 From a biology degree to athletics  09:47 Patience, persistence, and years of interviews  13:21 How playing and coaching prepared her to lead  15:50 First AD job at Metro Charter (and the soccer net story)  20:23 School board, college teaching, and time management  23:59 The doctoral journey at Wayne State  27:46 Building a winning culture at Romulus  33:34 What really goes into game day  37:40 The banquet that went wrong  40:44 Being a woman in athletic administration  43:04 What motivated her and the mentors who helped  45:19 "The highest human act is to inspire"  47:46 Pages from Paris's AD playbook  50:20 How to connect with Paris Connect with Paris McCarthy:  TikTok: @ParisMcCarthy  Instagram: @PonyBraxton  Email: [email protected] Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes, built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan, athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🌐 Website: betteryouthcoaching.com  🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode  📬 Mailbag: Have a question for the show? Visit betteryouthcoaching.com and click "Ask the AD"  ⭐ Rate & review: It helps more school leaders find the show  📚 Books: Coach on Leadership, MS Education Based Athletics, Before the First Snap 🎙️ Record your own podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/ltacqatxw6ac #TalkinWithTheAD · #Sports · #Athletics · #AthleticDirector · #CoachonLeadership · #ADLogistics Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail  What does an athletic director actually do when the Friday night lights are off? Jim Harris, CMAA, Director of Student Activities at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, joins Morgan to pull back the curtain on athletic administration, the value of NIAAA certification, and the lessons he's written into his own AD playbook.  Jim's career has taken him through five Northern Virginia schools, from an admin internship at Briar Woods to rebuilding TC Williams High School during COVID. His CMAA project came out of that work. He talks about coaching the coaches, why he stepped away from the job for his family, what brought him back to Freedom, and the three pillars behind every decision he makes: communication, education, and maximum participation.  His best advice for new and aspiring ADs is simple. Know your pillars, get involved with your state association, and hire good people so you don't have to carry the whole load yourself.  Mentioned in this episode: NIAAA Leadership Training Institute (LTI) courses and CMAA certification, the NIAAA Executive Leadership cohort, the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (VIAAA), and Jim's podcast, On the Road with the VIAAA.  Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes - built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan - athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership.  LEAD · TEACH · GROW  Website: betteryouthcoaching.com  Subscribe for new episodes every Monday Mailbag: Send your question at betteryouthcoaching.com and click "Ask the AD" Rate & review wherever you listen  Books: Coach on Leadership · MS Education Based Athletics · Before the First Snap  Record your own podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/ltacqatxw6ac  #TalkinWithTheAD · #Sports · #Athletics · #AthleticDirector · #CoachonLeadership · #ADLevelLogistics  Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Should playing time in youth sports be equal, or should the best players play? In this impromptu solo episode, athletic director and longtime youth coach Morgan Sullivan answers a new parent's honest question about youth sports playing time and makes the case for long-term athlete development over winning at 8, 10, or 12 years old. A first-time sports parent asked the question the right way on Instagram. The comments answered it the wrong way: "you play the game to win." Morgan explains why that mindset does real damage at the youth and middle school level, and what coaches should be doing instead: keep athletes safe, teach them, and above all keep them in the game. He shares two real stories (including the middle schooler "ranked 13th on a 12-player team" who became an all-conference Division II player), explains why a youth coach's win-loss record truly does not matter, and pushes back on the idea that rec and travel should be handled differently, drawing on his own top-tier 11U team that rotated every player and had 11 of 12 pitch. If you want stronger high school rosters, it starts years earlier by giving every kid a good experience and a reason to stay. — Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes, built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan, athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW Website & free resources: betteryouthcoaching.comSubscribe for a new episode every MondayAsk the AD (mailbag): betteryouthcoaching.comPlease rate and review the showBooks: Coach on Leadership · MS Education Based Athletics · Before the First SnapRecorded with Riverside: https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/ltacqatxw6ac #TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #ParentEducation Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Athletic directors spend all day taking care of everyone else: coaches, athletes, parents, facilities. So who takes care of the AD? This week, host Morgan Sullivan sits down with Dr. Kiristen Robinson, CMAA, Student Activities Coordinator at Harrisonburg High School in Virginia, for an honest conversation about mental health and wellness on both sides of the whistle. Dr. K brings a rare résumé to the chair: former college basketball player, longtime teacher and coach, a PhD in Health and Human Performance, and a dissertation that became her CMAA project studying stress management and well-being for high school athletic directors. She teaches an NIAAA course on student-athlete mental health, led a workshop on AD wellness at the National Athletic Directors Conference, serves on the board of NOMAD (the National Organization for Minority Athletic Directors), and still found the time to write a children's book. In this episode: Support vs. help, and why the difference hits different once you're the one in the seatWhat her research revealed about AD stress, and the simple strategies that actually move the needle (yes, even breathing)Building a genuine "safe space" for student-athletes: what to watch for, and where your role stopsBoundaries that stick, so you can protect your time, your family, and your peaceWhy no one knows this job like another AD, and how to build that circle before you need itThe two or three pages of her playbook she'd hand every new athletic directorWhether you're a first-year AD still finding your footing or a veteran running low, this one's your reminder: you're not the only one who thinks like you, and you were never meant to do this alone. Connect with Dr. K: her children's book It's the Twins for Me (Amazon) · Instagram @twinsforme · NOMAD · reach her by email: [email protected] Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes, built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan, athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🌐 Website: betteryouthcoaching.com  🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode  📬 Got a question? "Ask the AD" at betteryouthcoaching.com. Your question might headline a future mailbag.  ⭐ Enjoying the show? A quick rate and review helps other ADs, coaches, and parents find us.  📚 Books by Morgan J. Sullivan: Coach on Leadership · MS Education Based Athletics · Before the First Snap  🎙️ The show is recorded on Riverside. Try it here: https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/ltacqatxw6ac #TalkinWithTheAD · #Sports · #Athletics · #AthleticDirector · #CoachonLeadership · #MentalHealth Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail What does four decades in the athletic director's chair actually teach you? In this episode of Talkin' with the AD, Morgan sits down with Marc "Hutch" Hunter, CMAA — 41 years in athletic administration, 30 of them as the building AD at Jordan High School — for a master class in certification, the fading three-sport athlete, and building a career in education-based athletics that lasts. If you're a new AD, a veteran, or a coach thinking about the seat, this one's a keeper. Hutch has watched the job grow from an extra duty handed to an assistant coach into the demanding, run-everything role it is today — and he's been honored for it, with a wall of hall-of-fame inductions and Athletic Director of the Year recognition from five different organizations. We get into the things that actually keep ADs in the chair. Why certification isn't just another hoop. The legal courses that will change how you run your department — recommend it, then document it. And the CMAA project that put his Jordan High teams to work serving their community. Then we hit a topic close to both of us: the decline of the three-sport athlete, the real cost of early specialization, and how to reach parents with a little clarity before confusion turns into conflict. Hutch also hands over a few pages from his own playbook: get plugged into your state and national associations, get certified, and make three people your very best friends — the head secretary, the head cafeteria manager, and the head custodian. Trust him on that one. Oh — and he's a novelist, too. We talk his Pinkerton Todd mystery series and the UIAAA Connection podcast, closing in on 300 episodes. RESOURCES & MENTIONS Hutch's novels — Plateau, Hoodoo, and Castlegate (the Pinkerton Todd series), with a fourth on the way. On Amazon under author Marc R. Hunter.The UIAAA Connection podcast — Hutch's show for the athletic administration community, approaching its 300th episode."Diggers in the Community" — the team service-project program at Jordan High that became his CMAA project.NIAAA certification (CAA and CMAA) and the Leadership Training Institute courses — including the legal courses Hutch and Morgan both credit for changing how they run their departments.Leadership with Legacy — an athletic-leadership book Hutch contributed a chapter to.— Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🔗 Free resources and more at betteryouthcoaching.com  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and follow wherever you listen so you never miss an episode  📩 Got a question for the show? Send it in — it might get answered in an upcoming Mailbag  ⭐ If this one helped, leave a rating and review — it helps more ADs, coaches, and families find the show  📚 Read Coach on Leadership, MS Education Based Athletics, and Before the First Snap by author Morgan J. Sullivan #TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #CMAA #CoachDevelopment #MultiSportAthlete #SportSpecialization #EducationBasedAthletics Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Some guests you interview. This one, you just listen to — and take notes. This week on Talkin' with the AD, I sit down with Mike Mossbrucker, CMAA, a recently retired athletic director who spent most of his career at Mooresville High School in Indiana. A state workshop presenter for the IIAAA and NIAAA, a past NIAAA Board of Directors member, the 2025 IIAAA Athletic Director of the Year, and a recent NIAAA Hall of Fame inductee (to be formally inducted at the NADC in Phoenix this winter), Mike has spent more than four decades pouring into coaches, athletes, and the ADs coming up behind him. We trace the whole road — from a multi-sport kid in Bloomington and a state champion wrestler at Bloomington North, to Indiana University, into coaching, and finally into the AD chair, where he learned fast that "you don't know what you don't know." Then we get into the good stuff: why certification matters, the facility audit that became his CMAA project (and a checklist his superintendent couldn't put down), what college scouts actually ask about in his office, and why the scholarship chase steals the joy from too many young athletes. And to close, Mike hands over a few pages from the playbook nobody ever gave him — the ones about listening before you respond, building equity in people's emotional bank accounts, hitting your pause button, and simply loving the job. If you're a new AD drinking from the fire hose right now, this one's for you. In this episode: (01:10) Sports beginnings in Bloomington — a multi-sport athlete and state champion wrestler(06:20) From middle school wrestling to Mooresville: building a coaching career(08:39) Stepping into athletic administration — and "you don't know what you don't know"(10:48) Looking back on a career: legacy, energy, and treating challenges as opportunities(14:11) Why certification matters, and the three levels of a coach(19:51) The CMAA project: the facility audit that transformed a district(31:09) Serving coaches and student-athletes — creating culture and buy-in(35:50) The scholarship trap, and what college scouts really want to know(43:44) Mentoring the next generation of ADs — getting them to year two, three, and beyond(52:11) Leading the IIAAA and serving on NIAAA boards: relationships before hard conversations(59:19) On the NIAAA Hall of Fame — humility, gratitude, and the people who made it possible(1:04:11) The Closing Question: a few pages from Mike's AD playbook(1:09:42) Where to reach Mike— Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW Free resources for coaches, ADs, and sports parents: betteryouthcoaching.com Subscribe on YouTube and follow wherever you listen — new episodes every Monday. Got a question for the show? Send it in for a future mailbag — we read them on air. If this episode helped you, please rate and review. It's the easiest way to help another AD find the show. Books by Morgan J. Sullivan: Coach on Leadership · MS Education Based Athletics · Before the First Snap #TalkinWithTheAD · #Sports · #Athletics · #AthleticDirector · #CoachonLeadership · #ADLogistics Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Nate Larsen has spent thirteen years in the athletic director's chair and three decades in education-based athletics — and he still says he wouldn't trade it for anything. In this episode of Talkin' with the AD, Morgan sits down with Nate, a Certified Master Athletic Administrator at O'Neill High School in O'Neill, Nebraska, an at-large Region D representative on the NIAAA Board of Directors, and Nebraska's leadership training coordinator. Nate grew up a coach's kid — in the gym before he could walk, firing the starter pistol at track meets in kindergarten — and that early view of the profession shaped how he leads today. We get into the leap from coaching to administration, and the relationships you have to fight to keep once you leave the gym. Nate makes the case for NIAAA certification — not for the letters after your name, but for the confidence and credibility it gives you when the hard questions land. He walks through his CMAA project — a real emergency action plan for every location, replacing the old "just call the AD" — and how he built community and youth partnerships from scratch as the new name in town. Then the part every AD should sit with: his lessons for the next generation. Find your network — you're not on an island. Be where your feet are. And make time for a few "NATO" conversations: Not Attached To an Outcome. A grounded, generous conversation for anyone who cares about doing this job the right way. In this episode: - From a Lincoln Southeast coaching family to the AD chair - The hardest adjustment when you trade the whistle for the office - Why year two felt "light years" ahead of year one after certification - His CMAA emergency action plan project, start to finish - Building booster and youth partnerships as the new AD in town - Mentorship, presence, and "NATO" conversations — Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW Website: betteryouthcoaching.com Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Got a question for the show? Send it to the mailbag. If this helped, please rate & review — it helps other ADs find the show. Books by Morgan J. Sullivan:  Coach on Leadership MS Education Based Athletics Before the First Snap #TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #EducationBasedAthletics Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Ballet at four. Division I softball at 18. And a question that stuck: the day she got to college and wondered — where are all the women? Morgan sits down with Claire Rietmann-Grout — founder of The Positive Coach, speaker, educator, former D1 softball player and coach, and NFHS Level 3 certified. This one's about connection: why it comes before performance, how it keeps girls in the game, and what shifts when a coach builds people first. They dig into the environment girls learn best in, the leadership most coaches walk right past, the difference between "attitude" and a kid asking to be seen, and the honest gap between being a great player and a great coach. Whether you coach, lead, or parent an athlete — there's a page in here for you. In this episode Why early movement builds athletes — and why kids are moving less"Teacher first": the jump from elite player to coachConnect → cared-for → risk → growth → confidence → leadership (skip a step, it breaks)Keeping girls in sport, and the age-14 dropout gap (Women's Sports Foundation)Handing athletes real leadership: notice it, then name itThe Positive Coach, free coach resources, and her forthcoming book, Heart-Centered CoachingFind Claire: clairerg.net · Instagram @ClaireThePositiveCoach Mentioned: Enough as She Is (Rachel Simmons) · Paul Gamble on athletic development · Betsy Butterick on coaching Gen Z & Gen Alpha · Women's Sports Foundation Webinar mentioned: https://clairerg.net/webinar-for-coaches/  — Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW Website: betteryouthcoaching.comSubscribe wherever you listenSend a question to the MailbagRate & review to help other ADs find the showBooks: Coach on Leadership · MS Education Based Athletics · Before the First Snap#TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #CoachDevelopment Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Can AI actually save an athletic director real time and money? In this episode of Talkin' with the AD, host Morgan J. Sullivan sits down with Brandon Davis, CAA — Athletic Director at Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas — for a practical, steal-it-today conversation on using AI in athletic administration, building a can't-miss game-day experience, and rethinking "the way we've always done it." If you're an athletic director, coach, or school leader, this one's a toolbox. Brandon's path is anything but a straight line: a small Connecticut town, college lacrosse at the University of Louisville, coaching stops at Kentucky Country Day and powerhouse Sacred Heart Academy, ten years coaching collegiately at Georgetown College, an AD role at Highlands Latin School, and finally Texas. Along the way he picked up a lesson that shapes everything he does now — your message isn't interpreted at your mouth, it's interpreted at their ear. From there, Morgan and Brandon dig into the stuff that actually fills an AD's week: Certification — why Brandon pursued his CAA, how it helped him broaden his horizons across state lines, and the CMAA project he's building now: an AI-assisted system that flags academically at-risk athletes before they slip through the cracks. AI as a time-and-money tool — how Brandon uses Claude Projects to standardize PA rosters, run his athletic-department branding, write social captions, and turn a board request into a fully detailed 10-page proposal in about 90 minutes (always proof it, he warns). Game day as an experience — the plan to remove every reason a family might skip a Friday night: a YMCA-run kid zone, professional childcare, a new picnic and tailgate area, mini-camps that funnel young kids and their families into the stands, a bucket drumline, Wagyu burgers, and a 19-foot inflatable Ram tunnel. Why "this is how we've always done it" is dangerous — and the scheduling overhaul Brandon built around it, giving each team its own home day to ease multi-sport athletes and trim transportation costs. And to close, the marquee question Morgan asks every guest: the two or three pages Brandon would hand a new AD. His answer — get a taste of everything, find a mentor who's five or ten years ahead of you, and keep changing up your daily rhythm, because AD burnout is real. RESOURCES & MENTIONS Claude Projects — the AI workspace Brandon leans on for PA rosters, department branding, and social captions.TAPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) — Allen Academy's governing body, and the eligibility gap that sparked his CMAA project."Knowing Your Why" — Brandon's practice-planning talk on giving today's athletes the reason behind the reps.Cold spark fountains — the safer, cheaper smoke-cannon swap he landed after an AI-built options report.The YMCA partnership behind the Friday-night kid zone, childcare, and Little Ram Athletics.Connect with Brandon: [email protected] · Allen Academy Athletics on Instagram CHAPTERS  00:00 — Welcome & intro  00:24 — Who is Brandon Davis: the winding road  06:07 — One lesson from every stop: communication  09:32 — Certification: the CAA, and a CMAA project using AI to flag at-risk athletes  18:10 — AI on game day: standardizing PA rosters  22:26 — Claude Projects for branding & social captions  25:07 — Time and money: an AI-built board proposal  28:29 — Game day experience: kid zone, childcare & the Ram tunnel  35:31 — "This is how we've always done it" — why it's dangerous  37:21 — Rethinking the schedule: one home day per team  40:35 — Closing lessons for young ADs + beating burnout — Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🔗 Free resources and more at betteryouthcoaching.com  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and follow wherever you listen so you never miss an episode  📩 Got a question for the show? Send it in — it might get answered in an upcoming Mailbag  ⭐ If this one helped, leave a rating and review — it helps more ADs, coaches, and families find the show  📚 Read Coach on Leadership, MS Education Based Athletics, and Before the First Snap by author Morgan J. Sullivan #TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #ADLogistics #AIinSports #SportsTech #GameDayExperience #EducationBasedAthletics Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail From the Squad Car to the Sidelines — Colby Tillman | Prescott Local School District (AR) What does a patrol officer, a school resource officer, and a police chief have in common with a game-day operation? In this episode of Talkin' with the AD, Morgan talks with Colby Tillman — now heading into year two as athletic director at Prescott Local School District in Prescott, Arkansas — about how a career in law enforcement sharpens you for the AD chair: quick decisions, sound decisions, made in the heat of the moment and scrutinized later. Before he ever ran a sideline, Colby was making split-second calls on the street — patrol, school resource officer, criminal investigations, drug task force. He even helped stand up a school district's own police department and served as its chief. He's also the first African American athletic director in his district's history. Colby and Morgan get into what actually transfers from law enforcement to athletic administration, how to build a coach's handbook coaches actually reach for (his lives as a hyperlinked digital doc with a hard copy — and the compliance section gets the most mileage), the real weight of keeping a district in good standing, and everything hiding inside "game-day operations" that the crowd never sees. Colby opens up about the backlash he faced coming home to take this job, why he stood firm anyway, and what he hopes it opens up for the next person. And he closes with education-first advice every young AD should hear: fit the program to your kids, start with small, reachable goals, and lead with the classroom — the approach that took his department to a 3.6 GPA. IN THIS EPISODE Law enforcement lessons that transfer straight to athletic administration — making quick, sound decisions under scrutinyWhat makes a coach's handbook a tool coaches actually reach forGame-day operations, start to finish — the part nobody seesBeing the first: leading through backlash and standing on your "why"Why the AD community shares freely — and how to lean on itColby's playbook for new ADs: fit the program to your kids, start small, lead with the classroomRESOURCES & MENTIONS LTC 630 — Athletic Administration: Interscholastic Contest Management (Planning, Preparation and Methods), part of the NIAAA Leadership Training Institute. Morgan's pick for anyone who wants to go deeper on game-day operations.Dragonfly — the athletic compliance and management platform Colby runs through his coach's handbook.The Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) — Colby's state association, and his advice: never be afraid to call yours and ask questions.A tip of the cap to Philip Turner ("Chief"), the coach and AD who mentored Colby into this work.— Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🔗 Free resources and more at betteryouthcoaching.com  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and follow wherever you listen so you never miss an episode  📩 Got a question for the show? Send it in — it might get answered in an upcoming Mailbag  ⭐ If this one helped, leave a rating and review — it helps more ADs, coaches, and families find the show  📚 Read Coach on Leadership, MS Education Based Athletics, and Before the First Snap by author Morgan J. Sullivan #TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #SchoolLeadership #ADLogistics #GameDayOperations #EducationBasedAthletics #Leadership Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Youth sports move fast — and most families step into middle school and high school athletics without anyone telling them what's actually changing. In this episode of Talkin' with the AD, Morgan sits down with Stephen Anderson, Athletic Director at Providence Academy in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and creator of the Rising Athlete Project, for a wide-ranging conversation about helping young athletes navigate every stage of their sports journey — from a first youth season all the way through high school. Stephen brings a rare perspective from overseeing athletics across a 4K–12 program, seeing how sports culture develops from the earliest youth levels through high school. Together, Morgan and Stephen break down what athletes actually need at each stage, why middle school may be the most misunderstood developmental period in sports — "the messy middle" — how puberty and late development can dramatically change an athlete's trajectory, and why coaches and parents should be careful about deciding too early who does — or doesn't — have a future in sports. The conversation also explores how the role of parents should evolve as athletes grow up. At the youth level, the priority is creating positive experiences and keeping kids excited to come back. In middle school, patience becomes critical as athletes develop at dramatically different rates. By high school, parents should increasingly empower athletes to communicate with coaches, advocate for themselves, and take ownership of their own experience. Stephen also shares the story behind the Rising Athlete Project — a collection of resources designed to help parents, coaches, and athletic directors better understand the transitions from youth sports to middle school and, ultimately, high school athletics. The goal is simple: educate families before problems develop, and give athletic leaders practical tools to build healthier sports cultures. The episode closes with three lessons Stephen has learned across nearly a decade in athletic administration: Athletics is a people business — relationships matter more than schedules, spreadsheets, and logistics.Clarity early beats cleanup later — set expectations before problems arise.Protect the mission no matter how noisy it gets — keep athlete development and the purpose of education-based athletics at the center of every decision.Whether you're raising your first young athlete, coaching middle school sports, navigating the high school experience, or leading an entire athletic department, this conversation is packed with practical perspective for making the sports journey better for everyone involved. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Rising Athlete Project — everything is at RisingAthleteProject.com  Free downloads: the First Season Starter Kit, the Middle School Reality Check, and the High School Readiness Checklist.  Field Guides (available to purchase): the Rising Rookie Field Guide, the Rising Middle Schooler Field Guide, and the Rising Freshman Field Guide — roughly 50–60 pages each, or grab the full collection.  The Rising Athlete Report — Stephen's free newsletter, including his seasonal fall lead-in series.  Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephentanderson  Providence Academy (Green Bay, WI): ProvidenceGB.org A FEW MEMORABLE MOMENTS "You're shaping a child's relationship with sports more than you're shaping who they become as an athlete."On middle school: "They put them in a different building for a reason. It's the messy middle.""A sports journey should be 80 or 90 years long — not eight."On judging kids too early: "You're trying to draw a conclusion from the middle chapter of a book. Keep reading."— Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🔗 Free resources and more at betteryouthcoaching.com  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and follow wherever you listen so you never miss an episode  📩 Got a question for the show? Send it in — it might get answered in an upcoming Mailbag  ⭐ If this one helped, leave a rating and review — it helps more ADs, coaches, and families find the show  📚 Read Coach on Leadership, MS Education Based Athletics, and Before the First Snap by author Morgan J. Sullivan #TalkinWithTheAD #Sports #Athletics #AthleticDirector #CoachonLeadership #ParentEducation #YouthSports #MiddleSchoolSports #HighSchoolSports #StudentAthletes #SportsParents #Coaching #Sportsmanship Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail Athlete mental health can't be fixed with a slogan, a one-time awareness day, or "toughen up." In this Talkin' with the AD roundtable, five professionals — mental health counselors, an athletic trainer, coaches, and a mental performance specialist — break down what today's student-athletes are really facing (anxiety, depression, perfectionism, burnout, recruiting pressure, and the loss of identity when a career ends) and the well-intentioned coaching habits that quietly do damage. If you're an athletic director, coach, or sports parent, this is the practical playbook for putting the person before the athlete. The panel gets into the coaching behaviors that hurt without meaning to — public criticism, indirect communication, unexplained lineup changes, and correcting an athlete who's still highly emotional — and what to do instead: build the relationship, communicate directly, give athletes room to process, and make sure young people know their worth isn't set by their stats or their spot in the lineup. The core message: when adults build environments where athletes feel seen, heard, and valued beyond the scoreboard, they don't soften competition — they build healthier teams, stronger athletes, and better people. MEET THE PANEL Liza Simrell, LPCC-S — Licensed professional clinical counselor and certified mental game coach (Toledo, OH); former collegiate basketball player, varsity coach, recruiter, and official. (Liza Simrell Counseling) Bill Hoopes — Navy veteran, former educator and coach, founder of Lead Your Journey; leads Florida Premier Girls Fastpitch and has helped hundreds of softball players pursue college opportunities. Danielle Vallas, LMHC, M.Ed. — Licensed mental health counselor, former school wellness director, author, and founder of D&G Wellness Consulting; creator of The Inner Game: A Mental Health Journal for Peak Performance in Sports and founder of Buffalo Believes. Meghan Johnson, MA, LAPC, LAT, ATC, NCC — Licensed associate professional counselor, certified athletic trainer, and mental performance coach with Next Level Mental Performance; former collegiate softball player. Kim Griffin, MHC-P — Mental health counselor and former NCAA Division I softball coach; nearly two decades at Canisius University, including 11 seasons as head coach. (Core Mental Health Counseling) MEMORABLE MOMENTS "Put the person first — not the athlete." — Liza Simrell  "You're not building a softball player. You're building a strong, powerful woman who can use the game as a vessel." — Bill Hoopes  "It doesn't take a special certification or a fancy degree to be an active listener." — Meghan Johnson  "Our brains are prediction machines." — Kim Griffin  Athletes often don't need a coach to fix the situation — they need the coach to stay present.  Be the thermostat that regulates the environment, not the thermometer that just reflects it. ACTION STEPS FOR ATHLETIC DIRECTORS Create a written mental health emergency action plan for home and away contests.  Set clear procedures for when school counselors aren't available.  Build mental health awareness and referral steps into preseason coach training.  Connect coaches, counselors, athletic trainers, administrators, and nurses before a crisis.  Keep a vetted list of local and telehealth mental health professionals.  Explain mandatory reporting and confidentiality boundaries to every coach.  Create recurring athlete check-in systems across every program.  Model help-seeking, emotional regulation, and healthy boundaries from the top. PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR COACHES The Percentage Check-In — Athletes name the energy they brought that day ("I'm at 60%"); the team answers, "We've got the other 40%." Builds a habit and surfaces patterns.  Weekly Athlete Journal — Short reflection (what went well, what challenged you, what support you need) — an easier route for athletes who struggle face-to-face.  Shoulder-to-Shoulder Conversations — Many young people open up more while moving and looking ahead, not in direct eye contact.  Post-Competition Feedback Rule — Right after a game, lead with effort and connection; save technical correction for when everyone's regulated. ⏱️ Chapter timestamps go here once you pull them — chapters boost both watch-time and search. MORE PODCASTS FOR ADs, COACHES & SPORTS PARENTS If you care about education-based athletics, these are worth a follow:  Educational AD Podcast  Hangin' with the ADs Podcast  Pure Athlete Podcast  Youth Inc with Greg Olson Podcast  Healthy Sports Parents Podcast  AD 360 Podcast  Middle School AD Podcast  AD Insider Podcast — Talkin' with the AD is a podcast for athletic directors, school leaders, coaches, parents, and athletes — built around education-based athletics and the people who make it work. Hosted by Morgan J. Sullivan — athletic director, coach, and author of Coach on Leadership. LEAD · TEACH · GROW 🔗 Free resources and more at betteryouthcoaching.com  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and follow wherever you listen so you never miss an episode  📩 Got a question for the show? Send it in — it might get answered in an upcoming Mailbag  ⭐ If this one helped, leave a rating and review — it helps more ADs, coaches, and families find the show  📚 Read Coach on Leadership, MS Education Based Athletics, and Before the First Snap by author Morgan J. Sullivan #TalkinWithTheAD · #Sports · #Athletics · #AthleticDirector · #CoachonLeadership · #AthleteWellBeing Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail When your athlete is not starting—or is playing fewer minutes than expected—what should you do next? In this episode of Talkin’ with the AD, Coach Sullivan tackles one of the most emotional and difficult conversations in youth and school sports: playing time. You’ll learn why the athlete should usually speak with the coach first, how parents can advocate without creating confrontation, who should attend a meeting, and when it is appropriate to involve the athletic director. This episode also offers practical questions athletes and parents can ask, phrases that can make the situation worse, and important reminders for coaches about honesty, consistency, communication, and treating every athlete with dignity. The goal is not to guarantee a starting position—it is to help young athletes develop ownership, resilience, and the ability to respond when things do not go their way. Have a question for Coach Sullivan? Visit betteryouthcoaching.com and click “Ask the AD.” Your question could be featured in a future episode. #PlayingTime #SportsParents #StudentAthletes #YouthSports #Coaching #AthleticDirector #Sportsmanship #Baseball #Football #Basketball #Soccer #Volleyball #TrackAndField #HighSchool #MiddleSchool #JuniorHigh #Sports Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD

Send us Fan Mail What really makes a winning athletic program? In this episode of Talkin’ with the AD, Coach Sullivan explores why culture is not the opposite of winning—it is the foundation that makes winning sustainable. From youth sports and high school athletics to travel ball and club sports, adults often chase trophies, scholarships, playing time, and early specialization. But what happens when athletes stop having fun before they ever reach their potential? This episode takes an honest, research-informed look at why young athletes leave sports, how playing time and coaching behavior affect retention, and why positive team culture matters for parents, coaches, athletic directors, and players. You’ll hear practical insight on: • Why “fun” and friendships remain central reasons kids continue playing sports • How limited playing time can affect athlete retention and confidence • Why coaches’ communication, relationships, and daily habits matter so much • The risks of early sport specialization, burnout, and overuse injuries • Why families cannot outspend a poor team culture with travel teams, private lessons, or elite programs • How strong cultures help teams keep athletes involved, connected, and competitive over time • One practical action parents, coaches, athletic directors, and athletes can take this week This is not an argument against competing, pursuing championships, or wanting to win. It is a reminder that education-based athletics should develop people while pursuing excellence. The best programs build relationships, create belonging, teach resilience, and give athletes a reason to keep showing up. Whether you are a sports parent wondering how to best support your child, a coach building a team, an athletic director shaping a department, or an athlete trying to find your place, this episode is for you. Subscribe to Talkin’ with the AD for weekly conversations designed to improve amateur sports through better communication, healthier culture, stronger leadership, and practical solutions. Learn more and submit a question for the mailbag at BetterYouthCoaching.com. #TalkinWithTheAD #YouthSports #HighSchoolSports #SportsParent #CoachingCulture #Sportsmanship #AthleticDirector #StudentAthlete #PositiveCoaching #TeamCulture #YouthSportsResearch #MultiSportAthlete #SportsSpecialization #TravelBall #AAUSports #CoachDevelopment #AthleteWellBeing #EducationBasedAthletics #BetterYouthCoaching Welcome to Talkin' with the AD!  LET'S GO!! Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletes Better Youth CoachingMission is to improve amateur sports through education of parents, coaches, and athletesDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Visit betteryouthcoaching.com - information for parents, coaches, and athletes. SOCIALS Facebook - talkinwiththead X - Talkin’ with the AD Instagram - talkin_with_the_ad YouTube - Talkin' with the AD Tik Tok - Talkin' with the AD