Dr. David Hoch

Balancing the athletic director job with family
Our position as athletic director is extremely time-intensive, demanding and unforgiving. It's not uncommon to have contests scheduled every day of the week, some during the evening in either the stadium or gym, and even some on Saturdays. Our one...

Use E-mail to Your Advantage
Even if my incoming phone calls are being screened by the answering machine at my desk, the phone remains the most intrusive part of my day.If used properly, E-mail can be much more effective and efficient. It is my preferred mode of communication. A...

Mentoring the coaches in your program
Since mentoring has never been a generic art form, there are several things you may want to consider when implementing or restructuring a mentoring program for your coaches. It must fit into the structure and culture of your program, school, and c...

Every Minute Counts
Between meetings, appointments, and perhaps teaching a class – if you still have one – our daily schedules have a number of built-in time restrictions. When you also consider your, “To Do List,” there will be some tasks that m...

Controlling Interruptions
Does anyone doubt that the passage of time complicates the Athletic Director position? Almost monthly, it inherits new responsibilities without disinheriting the old.Since many A.D.s, including myself, have neither an assistant nor a secretary, they ...

Contingency Plans
Considering the complexity of our positions, the number of participants, coaches, and contests that we direct, and the endless responsibilities we have, something surely has to go wrong sometimes.Even though we plan and have good procedures in place,...

Timing is Everything
We often get so wrapped up in our own little world of athletics that we may forget that timing is everything. Years ago, someone pulled me aside and pointed out that it is important to know when to approach your principal, with a request for money or...

The Dearth of Women Athletic Directors
nAn old friend who has been involved with athletics his entire adult life recently made an observation to me that proved he was not involved as much as he should have been about a questions asked of him:n"Why aren’t more women serving as athlet...