There are many misconceptions related to the summer months on a college campus within the athletic department, some include:
- No school and no sports, so no work;
- Two months of vacation;
- If we go to the office, it's only for a couple of hours a day;
- Summer time is "kick back" time.
Let me repeat, these points are both misconceptions and completely false. I can better summarize the summer months of June and July within the athletic department by referring to them as the months of the “3-R’s”.
REVIEW: We spend the majority of these months reviewing the details of not only the previous year, but also the previous three years. There is much we can learn about ourselves as we evaluate our successes and shortcomings both immediate and over several years collectively. We review our budgets, scholarships, schedules, travel, seniors, staff, facilities, procedures and objectives to name a few. The results of our reviews tell us a lot about our potential for the coming year and years.
RECRUIT: Not only do we spend many hours and dollars recruiting top student-athletes, but we also recruit new ideas and often new staff when the opportunities arise. New ideas and new people add strength to a program. We are constantly exploring new opportunities, new methods, and new techniques to be successful, and the summer months seem to work best for implementing these new resources.
REST: As hard as we work, we better grab a break at some point during the summer. The human body and mind must re-new and re-charge itself annually to function at a highly effective rate. This “R” is just as important as anything we do all year, if we want to be strong August through May. If we don’t take the time to grab a brake in June or July, it will make for a very long year emotionally.
Have a great productive and restful summer. Travel safe!
