2020: Season 1-Year in Review

Welcome to another Special Edition of the Hangin’ with the AD Podcast. Today Josh and I are going to look back at season one of the podcast and talk about some of the highlights and things that we have both learned as we stepped into the unknown a bit and began to record our conversations with leaders all over the country and then polish them up and send them out to the world in the form of this podcast so let’s dive right in.  

0:42- What conversations challenged you the most? 

5:35- The best book purchases we have made from our conversations. 

9:27- Most memorable quotes over the past season. 

17:04- The most applicable lesson from this year. 

19:04- Your biggest surprise from the first year of podcasting. 

23:44- What have we learned about ourselves in Year 1?  

26:04- What is something you hope to improve on in the coming year? 

28:18- What would we do different if we were starting over? 

31:16- What has been your favorite 2-minute drill question to ask?

Well, year 1 is in the books….we officially opened to the public the first week of March…Now 22 Thursday episodes, 14 special episodes, and almost 6000 downloads later, we are closing the doors on 2020 and moving into 2021….We want to say Thank You to the folks out there who have listened in this first year, the ones who have left a review or contacted us via social media, Thank You, and we now ask that you maybe pass this podcast on to a friend as a New Year’s gift…..We have a lineup of incredible guests waiting for 2021-we look forward to who our next guests might be-if you are listening or following us on Twitter, you are in range of being contacted…..In all seriousness, we love doing this and we look forward to another year-hopefully we can continue to enrich what you do in whatever leadership role you serve….Happy New Year, and until next time, Thank you for spending your time Hangin with the AD! 

Episode # 22 … Matt McDonald 

Today’s guest is Matt McDonald who serves as the athletic director at Lanier High School in Georgia. Matt feels he has truly been called to work with student-athletes and has a heart for the coaches he serves daily. An example to others of an active leader, Matt is intentional in focusing on the details of being an athletic director and how he can best create an environment where both his athletes and staff can thrive. Let’s jump in and get to know Matt McDonald.  

0:58 - Introduction 
3:45 - Sound Advice from an Experienced Athletic Director, Mark Whitely, Matt’s Father-in-law 
6:28 - The college athletics department vs. the high school athletics department 
8:40 - Promoting Lanier Athletics on Social Media 
9:12 - Mantras & Disciplines Learned from the Marines 
10:40 - The current state of Lanier Athletics 
12:18 - Required Community Service for All Lanier Athletes 
13:43 - Balancing the Job with Family & Higher Education
15:45 - Challenging and Trusting Your Coaches 
18:55 - How to Celebrate a Championship Team
21:14 - A Leader with a Vision for His Athletic Department 
22:44 - Emergency Preparedness for Athletic Leaders…Mentally Prepare! 
27:17 - Purpose for Attending the National & State Conferences 
29:03 - Communicating Athletics News to the School & Community 
31:15 - Life outside of Lanier Athletics…A Life Serving Students 
32:38 - Being a Servant Leader 
34:30 - The Importance of an Aspiring AD Program- “An Evening with an AD” 
37:30 - 2-Minute Drill 

 Book Mentions:     Lead For God’s Sake (Todd Gongwer)     Miracle Morning (Hal Elrod) 

You can follow Matt McDonald and the Lanier Longhorns on social media 
Twitter: @LanierADNews   
Instagram: Lanier High Longhorns 

Find out more about Coach Matt McDonald and Lanier Athletics at: Lanier Athletics 

About Hangin With The AD Podcast…. Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.        We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.          

Don Baker, CAA.
Josh Mathews, CMAA

EPISODE # 21 ...Dr. Kechia Rowles, Director of Athletics, Rockdale Co (GA) Schools

Today’s guest is dr. Kechia Rowels. Dr. Rowels serves as the Director of Athletics for the Rockdale County School System in GA. A life-long learner from a coaching family Kechia is an advocate for student-athlete safety who has worn two hats as both an AD and an athletic trainer. Dr. Rowels has a passion for professional development at both the state and national levels and truly believes in the importance of sharing information and growing the profession together. Let settle in and get to know Dr. Kechia Rowels. 

1:02- Introduction

6:07- Rarity of Being AD & Athletic Trainer

8:07- Using her AT skills at the National Ad Conference

8:50- Student Athletic Aide Camp

13:00- Her AD Pedigree, daughter of Johnny Seabrooks

17:53- Professional Development through the LTI courses

21:00- The Flag Football Initiative

23:50- The Future of the AD role

25:37- What should ADs talk more about?

27:33- How to Prepare to be a HS AD

30:11- What Currently Takes Most of Your Focus?

34:06- Benefitting from Feedback

37:25- Disparities Between Academic Achievement & Athletic Participation in High Schools

43:00- 2 Minute Drill

  You can follow Dr. Kechia Rowels on Twitter @RCPS_AD

 
About Hangin With The AD Podcast….

Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.          

We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.         

Don Baker, CAA.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram)

Josh Mathews, CMAA...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram) 

Today we sit down with Brian Dodd.  Brian’s blog “Brian Dodd On Leadership” is a go to resource for those both in and out of leadership positions seeing over 70,000 readers per month as well as being an author and the co-host of the Pursuit of Service Podcast. 

To learn more about Brian Dodd and to get the following Book List, visit his blog website www.briandoddonleadership.com or connect with him on Twitter @BrianKDodd

Today, Brian Dodd shares his Top 12 Sports Books on Building Winning Cultures
(Listed in no particular order)

• The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict
• Win Forever: Live, Work, and Play Like a Champion by Pete Carroll
• Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson
• Legacy by James Kerr
• The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team by Mike Krzyzweski
• Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Building Teams and Winning at the Highest Level by Michael Lombardi
• Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program by Urban Meyer
• 4th and Goal Everyday: Alabama's Relentless Pursuit of Perfection by Phil Savage
• The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci
• The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership by Sam Walker
• The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh
• Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization by John Wooden

Other Books Mentioned: War Room, 3 Ring Circus, Hardwork, Bear, Chasing the Bear, Homegrown, Uncommon, The Pyramid of Success, Timeless

Episode # 20…Kirk Barton 

Today’s guest is Kirk Barton, Director of student activities at Norcross High School in Norcross, Ga. Under Kirk’s leadership the Blue Devils have recorded 10 state championships and consistently sent student-athletes to both the collegiate and professional levels. A leader with a true heart for kids and a collaborative spirit amongst his peers Kirk delivers so much practical information in our conversation today that I know you will be able to implement in your program immediately. Let’s jump in and get to know Mr. Kirk Barton.  

0:57- Introduction 

6:15- Creating Community through Your Alumni 

8:13- Total Program Leadership 

9:18- Sport Specialization & The Multi-Sport Athlete 

13:44- The Impact of Installing a Videoboard on Your Campus 

16:15- Leading a Program with a History of Pride, Excellence, and Achievement 

22:30- Challenges of Being Director of Athletics & Activities 

25:20- Keys to Event Management 

30:44- Key Events that Shaped Your Life 

33:08- Leading the Next generation of ADs in Gwinnett County 

36:48- 2-Minute Drill 

Book Mentions- The Old Man in the Sea (Ernest Hemingway) 

You can follow Kirk Barton on twitter @norcrosssports  

Find more about Coach Barton and Norcross Athletics at: Norcross High School Athletics 

About Hangin with the AD Podcast…. 

Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.           

We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.          

Don Baker, CAA.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram)

Josh Mathews, CMAA...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram) 

SPECIAL EPISODE … Dan Schuster, Director of the NFHS Learning Center, Indianapolis, IN 

0:17-Introduction 

1:00- What NFHS looks for in adding courses 

2:12- NFHS Parent Credentialing resource 

7:26- Meeting the Parents where they are 

9:26- Molding Parents as an Extension of the School & Community 

11:47- Are you a 10/10 Parent? Interactive Evaluation through this Course  

14:13- Using ‘The Parent Seat’ to deliver expectations for Parent Fans 

17:14- Video Resources for the ADs & Schools 

19:28-How do you recommend using this new Parent Professional Development Tool? 

About Hangin With The AD Podcast…. 

Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.           

We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.    

Don Baker.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram)

Josh Mathews...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram) 

EPISODE # 19 ...Charlie Cobb, Director of Athletics, Georgia State University

Today’s guest is Charlie Cobb. Charlie serves as the Director of Athletics at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Cobb was hired in August of 2014 to build a winning program “the right way” per President Mark Becker. Since his hire, multiple new facilities have opened, while student-athletes maintained above a 3.0 Grade Point Average for the 12th-straight year, including a record 3.40 GPA in spring 2020. Georgia State has also received the Sun Belt's Institutional Graduation Award twice under his tenure. 

Among Cobb’s biggest projects has been participating in the acquisition, purchase, and re-purposing of Turner Field, transforming the former Major League Baseball home of the Atlanta Braves into the home of Georgia State football. 

Through the implementation of the department's strategic plan, Cobb is focused on building a Culture of Success at Georgia State based on five themes: Academic Achievement, Competitive Greatness, Ethical Behavior, Social Responsibility, and Community Engagement. 

Get ready to take notes and learn from another great leader as we settle in and get to know Mr. Charlie Cobb.  

1:30- Introduction

7:37- Implementing a Strategic Plan into Your Athletic Department

12:52- Fundraising for Capital Projects

17:38- Building the Facilities at Georgia State

20:51- Importance of the Locker Room

24:36- Learning from Coach Bill Curry’s time at Georgia State

28:59- State of the Program Statement: Informative, Detailed, Emotional

34:03- Being an Active Athletic Department on Social Media

39:52- Keys to the Hiring Process

49:34- Finding Courage through Adversity

50:55- “The Dream is Free.  The Hustle is Sold Separately.”

54:05- 2 Minute Drill

  You can follow Charlie Cobb on Twitter @CCobbGaStateAD 

About Hangin With The AD Podcast…. 

Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.           

We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.      

Don Baker.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram)

Josh Mathews...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram) 

EPISODE # 18 ...Doug Killgore, Retired Athletic & School Demonstrator, Arkansas 

Today you all are in for a true treat. Our guest on this episode of Hangin’ with the AD is Mr. Doug Killgore, also known as the Bow Tie AD. Mr. Killgore is a state and nationally recognized athletic administrator who brings decades of experience to the table and provides some great information that you will immediately be able to implement into your athletic department. Let’s jump in and get to know the Bow Tie AD…Mr. Doug Killgore. 

0:58- Introduction 

3:47- The Bow Tie AD 

7:15- Being a Good Speaker and Presenter… ‘SWOT’ 

10:22- Focusing on Learning… ‘Learning is all about Connections’ 

13:32- LTI: 790...Learning How to Present Professionally 

14:17- Being Involved at the NIAAA level 

16:35- What to Look for in a Candidate for Hire? 

20:36- Connection & Admiration for UCONN Women’s Basketball 

23:54- The Making of a Hall of Fame Career  

“...warm by fires others built and we drink from wells others dug...” 

26:38- Positive Communication with Parents 

29:35- Future Challenges for the Athletic Administration 

32:39- Social Media: What Have You Learned from It? 

35:41- Desserts and Bow Ties 

35:54- Leading, Learning, & Growing from Feedback from Staff & Experiences 

38:22- 2 Minute Drill 

Book Mentions: Leading with Integrity: The 28 Essential Leadership Strategies of Solomon by Pat Williams with Jim Denney 

 You can follow Doug Killgore on Twitter @BowTieAD 

About Hangin With The AD Podcast…. 

Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.           

We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.      

Don Baker.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram)

Josh Mathews...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram)