The Need for Post-Season Summaries [NIAAA]

The end of any sport season is a complex time for athletic directors. There are awards to determine, budgets to balance, banquets to plan, equipment to check in, inventories to total, and evaluations to be completed. All this rests on the shoulders of the head coach and athletic director to complete at a time when they are both the most exhausted. The information comes together piece by piece until the athletic director has his or her hands full with a puzzle of season ending paperwork. Adding to the challenge is another upcoming season that often time overlaps the end of the season just ending. The task of gathering the needed information becomes convoluted and time-consuming. The athletic administrator needs one form to gather all information neatly in a file and stored safely in a place that is useful. The Post-Season Summary (PSS) is the catchall report to assist the athletic director.

PSS - A Reference

A PSS gathers all needed information at one time from the head coach for the athletic director. The PSS is a reference that includes rosters, inventories and awards. It simplifies the process of gathering the end of season information. When the term, “Post-Season Summary” is used, the entire administrative team knows this refers to a comprehensive athletic report.

The PSS can assist the Athletic director in:

• Checking the past records of teams.
• Informing the media of a successful athletic program when all PSS are filed.
• Following the progress of a team(s) over the years.
• Collecting all inventories to determine the needs for budgeting the next year.
• Having a final roster to award four-year lettermen or end of the year three-sport participants/lettermen.
• Assist new head coaches on information about their team, players, and lettermen.
• Tracking the number of victories and appearances in the state playoffs.
• Collecting team rosters and captains for future reunions.
• Awarding All-State or All-Region players from each sport.
• Passing athletic program information along to the principal, superintendent, or booster clubs for support.
• Summing participation numbers for Title IX compliance.
• Determining the size of the team for the following year.

Tracking /Filing Reports

The athletic director must require the coach to return the PSS electronically. This will allow for easy mobility and storage of all athletic information. The athletic director can file the forms in a folder labeled by the academic year. Keep this information stored electronically on a server that can be accessible from anywhere by the athletic director and principal. One location should be used for all PSS files. This allows quick access and sharing features within a program such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

Timing

The easiest method for the athletic director to gather the complex information is to require the head coach to bring the completed PSS to the formal evaluation. The completion of all paperwork (physical exams, insurance, injury reports) is part of any thorough evaluation. The PSS falls into the same category as other required paperwork forcing the head coach to complete it before the evaluation date is set. The time it will take the head coach, or their designee, to complete the PSS can be used by the athletic director to complete the evaluation of the coach’s program, staff, and professional evaluation.

Inventory

The inventory becomes part of the Post Season Summary in order to summarize all equipment and apparel. While coaches often times find this to be an unbearable task, the athletic director knows the importance of a detailed inventory. An accurate inventory is critical to the budget process for the upcoming fiscal year. Moreover, an accurate inventory is the only document to prove possession in the event a catastrophe destroys all equipment and apparel. A fire or severe storm could devastate an athletic program if all PSS and inventory information were destroyed. Insurance companies will insist on this inventory for their appraisal of loss.

Information for a New Head Coach

Nothing can be more frustrating for an athletic director than hiring a new coach who is asking about their new team and the athletic director not having the PPS information. It is three years down the road when the new coach is looking for the number of four lettermen. The PSS makes this information easy and factual. It also allows the new coach to see what players they have returning in the program and the quality and quantity of equipment in the program.

Summary

The PSS makes information of the past teams accessible to the athletic director in one easily accessible file. There are many times the athletic director needs this information throughout the school. The PSS also gives the athletic director accessibility to past teams when trying to compare record-breaking performances by a player or a team.

The responsibility for completion of the PSS is left to the head coach. This makes the information reliable and useful for the coaches trying to submit budget requests. The athletic director has full confidence that the PSS is completed more precise and accurate because the head coach completed it. Athletic directors must be sure that PSS is completed in a timely manner. Adding this task to all head coaches’ job description is critical for success of the program and longevity of irreplaceable information.