Mike Oldakowski

This blog so far has been focused on sharing sports news from around the NFL. This post is different in that I am going to talk about an individual that works in the sports industry. I have been exploring various careers within the sports industry. One position that I took an interest in was Athletic Director. I like that the position allows you to be involved with multiple sports for one school. To find out more about the career I was able to shadow and interview Mike Oldakowski. Mike Oldakowski is the Athletic Director for University High School. As the Athletic Director he is responsible for all sports functions that involve University High School. In this post I will first discuss the responsibilities of the job and then I will discuss the benefits and challenges that come with this career.

Mike Oldakowski has various responsibilities that he has to perform on a continuing basis. He is in control of the budget for coaches, equipment, team travel and facility use. Mike Oldakowski decides which coaches he will work with and how much they will get paid based on their sport. When selecting coaches he said he looks for mutual benefit. He wants the coach and the school to benefit from their skills. He does this by making sure that he selects qualified and respected coaches. Depending on the coach this means that he could pay more then he planned in order to get a better value. Mike Oldakowski said his challenge is making sure that he stays within the budget. He has lost great coaches that wouldn’t settle based on the budget. When it comes to equipment Mike Oldakowski has a budget on what he can spend per year. This means that not every team gets new equipment every year. Mike Oldakowski said that he works on a rotating basis making sure that each team gets the proper equipment. This can be changed if there is a safety concern or an immediate need by a specific team. He is looking out for the best interest of all the athletic teams.

Team travel is an additional part of the budget. Teams require transportation to games. Mike Oldakowski is in charge of making sure that all teams have transportation. In addition he is responsible for making sure that rules get followed when it comes to transportation. He said that coaches are unable to drive students to and from games. This is a rule that is for the protection of the coach and the student. Facility use is a demanding part of the position.  Mike is in charge of making sure that his teams have practice and game locations. He needs to make sure that nothing is being double booked. He makes sure that the fields are prepared and kept up. In addition the facilities are rented. Currently the Pop Warner Youth Football League uses University High School for their Saturday football games. He is responsible for the rental on the day of the event. He said he comes in on Saturdays to make sure that everything is prepared and executed properly. He needs to protect the school, field, and equipment. With all of this budgeting Mike Oldakowski is constantly involved in negotiation. He has to look at each situation and find the mutual benefit. He represents the school and he needs to have their best interest at heart, which he does.

Being an Athletic Director comes with both benefits and challenges. On one hand they are a leader in the athletic community and on the other hand they are responsible for any issues that occur within the athletic department. Athletic Directors have the benefit of working with both coaches and players to achieve success. They serve as leaders for the school and the community. They directly contribute to every team and their success. Challenges can include the mediation of disputes, academic eligibility, and rule and budget changes. Any disputes that occur between athletes and coaches or coaches and parents become the athletic directors concern. Mike Oldakowski would be responsible to mediate these issues. He said that he has to separate the people from the problem in every situation. When these disputes happen Mike Oldakowski usually knows the parties involved. He makes sure that he takes a step back and analyzes the problem. He still focuses on making sure that both parties benefit, but this isn’t always possible. He has to make a decision that will result in a positive outcome. Academic eligibility is a huge concern for high school athletic directors. Mike Oldakowski said that his students’ success academically is very important. They want students to have good grades so that they can go to college. Mike Oldakowski is always working with his athletes to be sure they keep their grades up. An additional challenge is rule and budget changes. Rules are consistently changing and Mike Oldakowski is responsible for knowing about all changes. He has to stay on top of all sports and their rules. This takes time and dedication on his part. Budget changes cause many changes. This may mean that a team doesn’t get new uniforms. The athletic director can’t predict budget changes, but they are expected to be able to respond. They need to be able to spend money wisely.

Mike Oldakowski showed me that being an Athletic Director can be rewarding and demanding. He showed me what his tasks are on a daily basis. He works hard everyday to make sure that he does his job to the best of his ability. Now that you have read this maybe you are considering a career in this field or maybe not. I am still unsure myself. I do know that I have an appreciation for all the hard work that goes into this career.