Jim McClowry is an athletic director at Appleton West High School in Wisconsin. We (California Canopy)met Jim at the National AD Conference in December and followed up with him in January to discuss product branding solutions for his school. Jim and I (Matt Sulli) began discussing his consulting practice called "Credible Coach" where he assists athletic directors and school districts develop strategic plans. He teaches other AD's how run an athletic department like a business, mapping out a 3-5 year plan, execution of the plan, creating a mission statement, understanding the purpose, coach retention and much more.
There is so much good information that we had break this up into 2-episodes. Part one is about Setting high standards, leadership, accountability, overcoming underachievement, player and parent buy-in and measuring success. However the biggest takeaway in my opinion is how Jim managed a bit of a drug and alcohol issue with many of the student athletes and how he received the player and parent buy-in. The parents were so committed to Jim's plan that they gave up drinking in front of their kids and would host dry parties.
What was the impact of eliminating drugs and alcohol on and off the field and how did everyone react to this drastic change? Let’s find out… in part one of strategic planning w/ Jim Mclowry…
