Off Duty ADs artwork

Off Duty ADs

189 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 62 ratings

The Off Duty ADs are one active and two former high school athletic directors discussing the state of high school athletics today while they're off the clock. This podcast is intended for anyone within the world of high school athletics.

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Episodes

Summer Planning and Mark Wahlberg: Episode 185

July 15, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about effectively using their summer time in the office.  They also discuss some Title IX follow-up, professional development planning for the staff, using those vacation days, and the Mt. Rushmore of Mark Wahlberg.

Hybrid AD Roles and Sports Movie Villains: Episode 184

July 01, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the nature and challenges of ADs holding hybrid roles.  They also discuss a little bit of parenting and cover their Mt. Rushmore of sports movie villains.

Title IX Thoughts and Sports Villians: Episode 183

June 17, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about Title IX complaints and considerations.  They also discuss equity in the department, mediocre baseball in the middle of the country, and the Mt. Rushmore of Sports Villians.

Officiating, Instant Replay, and John C. Reilly: Episode 182

June 03, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MB

The Off Duty ADs discuss modern officiating and the role of instant replay.  They also discuss a little bit of baseball fandom and finish with the Mt. Rushmore of John C. Reilly.

More Youth Sports Structure and Will Ferrell: Episode 181

May 20, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 63.1 MB

The Off Duty ADs continue their ongoing discussion about the youth sports structure.  They also talk about addiction issues in pro sports,  we tease a future episode about embellishment, Mike tries to derail the ending by talking about Avalanche hockey, and we finally get to the Mt. Rushmore of Will Ferrell.

Quotable Leadership Trailer

May 13, 2024 09:00 - 2 minutes - 3.02 MB

Mark from ND has (finally) launched one of his long-promised new podcasts.  Find and follow Quotable Leadership wherever you get your podcasts, and look for Episode 1 coming on May 16!

Blaming Everyone for Youth Sports and Top Fandom Moments: Episode 180

May 06, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MB

The Off Duty ADs discuss their favorite topic: youth sports culture.  They also talk about the cost of raising athletes, finding someone to blame, school-sponsored elementary teams, and their Mt. Rushmore of fandom moments.

Preparing and Training New ADs and Grunge Albums: Episode 179

April 22, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 50.3 MB

The Off Duty ADs discuss to what extent we can help train and prepare the next group of athletic directors.  They also talk about the nature of athletic director jobs and get into their Mount Rushmore of grunge albums.

Changing Jobs, Kids These Days, and Easter Candy: Episode 178

April 08, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 82.5 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the factors that go into changing jobs.  They also discuss kids these days with standardized testing, going into education, and the Mt. Rushmore of Easter candy.

Solar Eclipses and Breakfast Cereals: Episode 177

March 25, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 61.2 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the impact that the upcoming solar eclipse is having on school schedules.  They also discuss their Mt. Rushmore of breakfast cereal.  That's it.  The solar eclipse and breakfast cereal.

Youth Sports Parenting (Again): Episode 176

March 11, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.6 MB

The Off Duty ADs again talk about one of their favorite topics: youth sports parenting.  They also discuss growing the fandom of women's professional sports, a little bit of NIL affect, Mark brags about his kid for a while, and the Mt. Rushmore of Julia Roberts.

Vetoing Coaches' Cuts: Episode 175

February 26, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about when - or if - they would step in a veto a coach's decision about cuts.  They also discuss managing team rules, give medical advice, poke at our brothers, and cover lots of Tom Hanks.

Managing Cuts and the Cutting Process: Episode 174

February 12, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.7 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the high stress days associated with making program cuts, some of the cutting processes and procedures that have worked for our coaches in the past, our Mount Rushmore of Kevin Costner, and a home improvement project that quickly went sideways.

Winter Weather Decision-Making: Episode 173

January 29, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 54.6 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about how winter weather impacts game day decisions.  They also discuss winter travel, managing gray-area weather decisions, Detroit, and a future Kevin Costner debate.

Seeking Professional Development Opportunities: Episode 172

January 15, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 65.7 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about seeking professional development opportunities.  They also discuss a little bit of college athletes, middle school bus routes, their desert island album selection, and - of course - some fandom.

THROWBACK: Rewarding Job Aspects, Major League, and Tempter IPA: Episode 3

January 01, 2024 09:00 - 54 minutes - 54 MB

This episode was originally published on May 14, 2018. The Off Duty ADs talk about some of the more rewarding aspects of their jobs; Ryan likes beer and wings, hates fish water, and strives for apathy; Mike intros his favorite daily beverages including one from the Telluride Brewing Company, looks for officials on someone else's field, and never gets told "good game"; Mark rants about technology usage, talks about rapport with coaches and kids, and offers listeners a Sports Dork Would You ...

NCAA New Division Proposal: Episode 171

December 18, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the proposal for a new, opt-in division to the NCAA.  They also talk about youth sports halftimes, NIL and more trickle down to the high school level, and, of course, some fandom.

Ending the Fall Season: Episode 170

December 04, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about closing out the fall season.  They also discuss a little bit of NIL and the transfer portal, revisit their soccer corner, and a lot of fandom. 

Responding to Social Media Posts: Episode 169

November 20, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about responding to social media posts.  They also discuss government interference in ticket sales, taking the bus to Abilene, and the return of alcohol to the pod.

Youth Sports Parents and the Prisoner's Dilemma: Episode 168

November 06, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about how parents are more-or-less stuck in today's youth sports climate.  They also welcome in a guest and discuss ancient radios and TVs, wonder about Mike's Halloween costume, and introduce a new soccer segment.

Managing Coaches' Systems: Episode 167

October 23, 2023 05:01 - 1 hour - 61 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about managing coaches' systems, particulary when you don't agree with the coaches' systems.  They also discuss plenty of fandom and our #1 fan, Mike's mom.

Homecoming and Big Events: Episode 166

October 10, 2023 04:54 - 1 hour - 51.2 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about hosting homecoming, rivalries, and other big events.  They also discuss fireworks at games, supervising dances, and being old dads with young kids.

Program Messaging: Episode 165

September 25, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 53 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the messaging from ADs and coaches following the Colorado vs. Colorado State football game, how impressive Mike's teams have been (if we ignore the White Sox), Ryan's Browns in live action, and whether Mike's mom prefers episodes with or without him.

Parents as Coaches: Episode 164

September 11, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about some of the pros and cons of hiring parents as coaches.  They also discuss their own stubborn kids, Mike as the elder statesman of the pod, weather issues, and Nebraska volleyball.

Youth Sports Coaching: Episode 163

August 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about volunteer coaches in youth sports, the structure of youth sports, arthritis, little kid fights, and the American Gladiators.

NIL Deals: Episode 162

August 14, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 69.9 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about NIL deals in the collegiate and high school space and their effect on school transfers, various past collegiate athletes, and a selfish driver as a metaphor for Tim Anderson.

Hazing: Episode 161

July 31, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about staying engaged as a youth sports parent, hazing, and Kirk Cousins. 

We're Back (Again): Episode 160

July 17, 2023 10:00 - 57 minutes - 59.8 MB

The AL Garbage, NL Garbage, hot dogs, PBR pounders, and the potential for regularly published episodes in our future.

Missing Uncle Bill: Episode 159

May 31, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 96.9 MB

Hey, look; an episode in 2023!  It's a catch-up pod driven by the passing of our beloved #1 fan, Uncle Bill.  We cover a lot of ground with our fandom - most of it negative - but the band was back together for a night.

Advanced Degrees and Female Coaches: Episode 158

August 10, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 77.1 MB

Mike was covided-out, so it's just Mark and Ryan talking about their bourbon collections, AD internships, female coaches and AD, not being ready to discuss Maverick yet, and Ryan's pseudo-ambulance driving skills.

Mark's New Job; Mike's New Baby: Episode 157

July 18, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 92 MB

The long-awaited post-July 1 episode includes additional good news from Mike about his Boy #2.  After some initial chatter, Mark describes his last school year, and then Mike (of course) has to chat about the White Sox.

Dads Over 40, Baseball Stadiums, and NIL: Episode 156

June 23, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.3 MB

It's just Ryan and Mark today because Mike became a Dad x2!  It takes a while, but the guys eventually get to some semi-professional content by chatting about NIL.

The Dog (or Horse?) and Pony Show of Professional Development: Episode 155

May 24, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 50.1 MB

We know it's Tuesday, but there are no rules anymore!  Professional development, NIL, Rethinking Fandom, Candlebox, and the marching band.

Can You Be Friends With Sports Parents?: Episode 154

May 09, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.2 MB

We're back!  It's a new format with the same nonsense: a little of this, a little of that, some things that might be helpful, and a lot that won't be.   No guarantees for the time between this one and the next one, but for today, we're back.

We're Back (for today, at least): Episode 153

December 20, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MB

Like Arnold, Slim Shady, and Michael Scott, we're back.  The people have demanded it, so we're delivering.  Enjoy.

152 is Apparently our Limit: Episode 152

June 28, 2021 10:00 - 37 minutes - 30.8 MB

The Off Duty ADs say so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight.  We also discuss our level of professionalism vs amateurism, the growth of HS AD podcasts, getting snubbed by the NIAAA, a handful of our longtime listeners, our t-shirt ideas, and a parting shot at Uncle Bill.

Association Roster Limits: Episode 151

June 14, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 50.1 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about activities association imposed roster limits.  They also discuss the impact of oversize rosters during the post-season, possible advantages to unlimited rosters, trying to compare sports rosters to classroom rosters, dollar and beyond dollar impacts, how we'd deal with unlimited rosters, youth baseball parents, and new legislation for Colorado.

Tax Funded Entities: Episode 150

May 31, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 52.8 MB

The Off Duty ADs engage in a thought exercise regarding the coordination of related tax-funded entities.  They also discuss the White Sox and the Browns, overcoming the political gaps between schools and parks, the positives of turning over all programming to the schools, the positives of letting the city manage facilities, putting pride back into neighborhood teams, managing a full K-12 program, naming mountain towns in Colorado, two different officiating stories, and watching movies on qua...

Replacing OK Coaches: Episode 149

May 17, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about replacing perfectly OK coaches.  They also discuss getting that first AD job, navigating internal personnel interest, balancing AD loyalty against recruiting high-level talent, combining teaching and coaching jobs, running into coaches at the grocery store, PE teachers, an almost really exciting volleyball match, a new cable cutting option, Quad Cities River Bandits, and jungle juice.

Student-Athlete Free Speech: Episode 148

May 03, 2021 10:00 - 56 minutes - 46.4 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about managing student free speech using a well-known current case as a starting point.  They also recap a great story from Joe from Washington, how student free speech laws apply to athletes, kids these days and their snapchats and tiktoks, Ryan's MySpace, Coach Mike dealing with angry Mark, Mike's legal counsel, the new classic rock, and massive cans of good beverages from a Minnesota brewery.

Officials Shortage: Episode 147

April 19, 2021 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.1 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about the continued officials' shortage in many sports.  They also discuss their month-long hiatus, Uncle Bill's critique of our eating habits, Mike and Siri, reaching the tipping point of lost officials compared to new officials, the difficulty with young officials getting started, competing with other leagues, Mark's wad of reffing cash, and a long trip to Florida that included many beers and a lost pair of shoes.

FLASHBACK - Exploratory sports: Episode 23

March 22, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.5 MB

The Off Duty ADs first talk about whose baseball team is worse then eventually get to exploratory sports at the youth level.  Ryan empathizes with the parents of young athletes and kicks the tires on intramural programs; Mike wants people to understand there is no correlation between travel program success and the ability to play varsity sports and effectively summarizes exploratory sports today; Mark recognizes the difficulty in choosing public vs. private youth leagues and hates the word i...

Spring Break!: Episode 146

March 15, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about managing contests during spring break.  They also discuss the Imogene Pass Run, Trevor Bauer, our historical sports game time machines, concerns about teams making long trips, crossing fingers to avoid bad decisions, when family causes a you gotta minute, stubborn dads, managing emergency absences, a podcast episode to check out, highballs and eight balls, and Mike's favorite tagline.

Evaluating Coaches During Covid: Episode 145

March 08, 2021 16:50 - 1 hour - 60.9 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about how they're evaluating coaches during covid-changed seasons.  They also talk about Mark's episode patching skills, tater tot hotdish, air fryers, Arrested Development, FCS football, Big Ten Minute, changing evaluation topics, cattle on the train tracks, Mike's four components of coaching, learning what coaches value, potential loss of participation this spring, Star Wars stuff, "I know you're busy" messages, a walkout in Ohio, and a potential Montana vs. Kentucky ...

Listener Email with Various Topics: Episode 144

March 01, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 74.7 MB

The Off Duty ADs respond to a listener's questions.  They also discuss recording without Mike last week, Big Ten Minute, FCS football, reporting ineligibilities in Covid (and normal) times, working with a part-time or no-time administrative assistant, parent feedback leading to growth, Mark's unfortunate interaction in a store, Ryan's fortunate interaction in a watering hole, Mike's movie moment at home, and a delicious Rogue Ales stout.

An AD as a Sane Youth Sports Parent: Episode 143

February 22, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 54.1 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about being a sane youth sports parent while also being an athletic director.  They also discuss the cold weather across the Midwest, craft beverages, comparable college football and basketball teams, coaching your own kid's team, gauging your words and tone after contests, choosing your sports parent friends wisely, assessing the quality of your kid's volunteer coaches, switching jerseys while at home, little kid fandom, a creamsicle inspired ale, and bourbon tastebuds...

Accommodating Officials During Covid: Episode 142

February 15, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 65.7 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about accommodating officials during Covid restrictions.  They also discuss small-town wrestling, Mike's family, a unique replay decision, Super Bowl incorrectness, Big 10 minute, various regulations for officials in our states, getting through the winter to make it to the spring, rescheduling games, an unfortunate injury to a colleague, Mark's variety pack review, and small colleges in Iowa.

Character and Student Awards: Episode 141

February 08, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about whether character should matter when selecting student awards.  They also discuss Ryan's eye, the MLB Hall of Fame, coaches operating as the moral police, missing great athletes because they're "bad" people, trusting coaches with their nominations, new volunteers for game worker positions, Mark's Boy #4, karate fights in high school, Alone, new beers that are basically the same as old beers, and our sure to be wrong Super Bowl predictions. 

The Relationship Between Coaches and Athletes: Episode 140

February 01, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 50.3 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about positive relationships between coaches and their athletes.  They also discuss Ryan's Brownies, Uncle Bill, whether coaches need to be liked, being judged by character and competence, finding resources to improve relationship building, Mike's library, coaches as teachers, rebuilding coaches who have "lost it," referee motivation, running trails that fight back, and another Kentucky bourbon. 

Coaches' Improvement Plans: Episode 139

January 25, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 64.7 MB

The Off Duty ADs talk about putting coaches on improvement plans.  They also discuss responding to emails, marshmallow beer, music for babies, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, Urban and the Jags, using or not using formal improvement plans, improving comparing to terminating, leopards or zebras, parent complaints leading to improvement plans, being a parent AD, the benefits of covid changes, Alone, a great bourbon from Iowa, and some really bad Super Bowl predicitions.

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