Interviews | Tuinternship

Interview #1

Roger Achter

Assistant Athletic Director

Clay High School, Oregon City Schools, Oregon, Ohio

Roger is the In-School Suspension (ISS) Coordinator and Assistant Athletic Director for Clay High School. His responsibilities include supervising home games, collecting and ensuring the validity of physicals, eligibility, the conduct of senior appreciation nights, team photos, awards banquets, and national signing day festivities.

Roger enjoys working with and watching the kids improve in their sports, watching student-athletes try something new, helping people, and being part of the organization. Some of the things he dislikes are that he feels like he cannot please everyone, parents have “too much control,” and the challenges faced with finding coaches and administrators.

Roger stated the winter is his busiest time and typically devotes 30-40 hours a week as the Assistant AD. Roger noted that since his position is supplemental, he only makes an additional $6,000 per year.

Roger split time between Bowling Green State University (where he played baseball) and the University of Toledo. He earned his bachelor’s degree with a double major in elementary and special education. Roger’s related experience includes coaching and playing baseball, the Oregon Recreation Department, and volunteering at his church.
Write a second paragraph to summarize industry information.
Nearly every high school and several junior high schools in the U.S. have an athletic program. With every sport program comes a need for an Athletic Director (AD). ADs have responsibilities that include scheduling, budgeting, marketing, and organizational management and improvements. The AD position is included in the postsecondary education administrators for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021), postsecondary education administrators earn a median income of $97,500 annually, and there is a projected growth rate of 8% between 2020-2030. There are approximately 14,500 openings each year in this field due to employees transferring to different jobs or retirement (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021).
Write a third paragraph (or add to second paragraph) the advice for students pursuing a similar career path.

Roger shared some tips for students aspiring toward a similar position. Those tips include developing “thick skin,” being “overly prepared,” and “always prepare for the worst.” Be prepared for a lot of hours. It is “gratifying but can be a pain in the butt.” It is also essential to have “someone who supports you” and try and “involve your family” as much as possible.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, September 8). Postsecondary education administrators: Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/postsecondary-education-administrators.htm.

Emily Sibbersen

Clay High School Athletics Assistant, Softball Coach, and Paraprofessional

Clay High School and Eisenhower Intermediate School, Oregon City Schools, Oregon, Ohio

esibbersen@oregoncs.org

Emily states that she loves her job. "It's a lot of hard work, very long hours, tons of communication, and a lot of commitment and dedication." Emily likes working with outside Athletic Directors, building schedules for the different sports. She says it is frustrating at times but can be super rewarding.

The only dislike Emily has surrounding her responsibilities is the awards banquets at the end of each season. Much like Roger stated above, the department will always receive complaints from parents no matter what. "I don't think they understand how much work we put into these nights, and not a lot of parents appreciate what we do. It gets frustrating always hearing the complaints."

Emily leaves her job as a paraprofessional around 2:35 and heads directly to Clay High School every workweek day. She typically stays until about 8:00 pm on non-game days. When there are events, she usually does not leave until 10 or 10:30. Saturdays are not a day of rest either. If there are no events that day, there are usually e-mails that need to be answered.

For Emily, the biggest perk of the job is building relationships with the student-athletes. The players see the dedication from the athletic department staff, especially when they show up for away games. Emily wants the student-athletes to feel comfortable talking to and taking advice from the staff. "Going to work every day knowing you get to work with kids and help them achieve their goals is an awesome feeling."

Emily has a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in special education. Her coaching background over the past seven years got her interested in working with the athletic department. She has now been assisting the AD for six years.

Nearly every high school and several junior high schools in the U.S. have an athletic program. With every sport program comes a need for an Athletic Director (AD). ADs have responsibilities that include scheduling, budgeting, marketing, and organizational management and improvements. The AD position is included in the postsecondary education administrators for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021), postsecondary education administrators earn a median income of $97,500 annually, and there is a projected growth rate of 8% between 2020-2030. There are approximately 14,500 openings each year in this field due to employees transferring to different jobs or retirement (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021).

Emily has an excellent relationship with the Athletic Director, Mark Beach. Mark has stated on several occasions that she is like the daughter he never had. Emily would agree that having that kind of relationship with the AD and several other faculty members is excellent advice for students pursuing a career in high school athletics.

References

Interview #2