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ATHLETIC PROGRAM DIRECTOR, SPORTS CHALLENGE (BASKETBALL, LACROSSE,OR SOCCER)

Job Description

Athletic Program Director, Sports Challenge (Basketball, Lacrosse, or Soccer)

Job Identification:

  • Permanent or Contract: Contract
  • Stipend: $900

Contract Schedule: 

  • Dates of Contract: Thursday, June 20, 2024 – Friday, July 5, 2024
    • Sports Challenge Staff Training: Sanford School in Hockessin, DE
      • Thursday, June 20 – Sunday, June 23, 9am-5pm daily
    • Sports Challenge Program: Sanford School in Hockessin, DE
      • Monday, June 24 – Friday, June 28, 7am-6pm daily
    • Post Sports Challenge: Remote 
      • Complete student-athlete letters and evaluations by Friday, July 5

Job Summary:

The Athletic Program Director (APD) is responsible for all aspects of their program (girls basketball, girls soccer, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, boys basketball, or boys soccer program) at Sports Challenge. APDs serve as mentors for both the coaches and student-athletes and report to the Director of Sports Challenge. They lead the effort to create an environment in which all student-athletes and coaches feel challenged and supported. APDs are captains of the program while simultaneously participating as a coach, teacher and mentor. All coaches must participate in the four days of staff training prior to the start of the program. 

Strive is seeking Athletic Program Directors and coaches for each of the following programs: boys basketball, boys soccer, boys lacrosse, girls basketball, girls soccer, and girls lacrosse.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Ensure the success of their program.
  • Lead daily practices.  
    • Foster a positive team culture that builds on the Sports Challenge daily leadership themes. 
    • Create and execute detailed daily practice plans for practices (2-hour daily practices). 
    • Assign roles and responsibilities to coaches for each practice.
  • Serve as a supervisor and mentor for their coaches. 
    • Lead daily meetings with coaches. 
    • Provide mentoring and feedback to their coaches throughout the program.
    • Provide formal evaluations to their coaches at the conclusion of the program. 
  • Oversee mentorship of their program. 
    • Prepare coaches for goal-setting and check-in meetings with their assigned mentees.
    • Provide coaching staff with appropriate support to enable successful final mentor letters and sport evaluations for their mentees and ensure these assignments are completed by the deadline post-program. 
  • Serve as a mentor to student-athletes.
    • Goal-set with assigned mentees and frequently check-in on their progress.
    • Write a comprehensive evaluation and letter to your mentees (an outline will be provided).
  • Serve as a teacher for a leadership class. 
    • Staff will be provided with training, curriculum and feedback.
    • Provide short class evaluations of student-athletes.
  • Supervise student-athletes.
    • Oversee the health of their student-athletes. Communicate any injury or illness to the Director of Sports Challenge and Athletic Trainer as needed. 
    • Oversee responsible behavior of all student-athletes throughout each day in all facilities. 
  • Participate in all coach development sessions and preparation time. 
    • Actively participate in coach development sessions to ensure maximum impact for coaching and classroom teaching. 
    • Perform necessary prep work for coaching and class sessions. 
  • Contribute to the planning and implementation of all program-wide activities, such as:
    • Sports Challenge Games.
    • Vitamins morning workouts.
    • Leadership Forum.
  • Collaborate with the other APDs. 
    • Attend daily APD morning meetings.
  • Support with administrative tasks.
    • Assist in setting up and cleaning up the facilities.
    • Support with drop-off, check-in and pick-up.
    • Assist with Final Ceremony preparation and execution.  
    • Complete post-program evaluation survey. 
    • Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

Qualified candidates:

  • Currently or previously play(ed) college sports
  • Currently play and/or coach their sport
  • Possess experience working with young people
  • Possess experience supervising adults
  • Are passionate about leadership and athletics
  • Believe in working hard and working as a team
  • Believe that leadership skills can be taught
  • View sports as an extraordinary medium for teaching leadership skills as well as other life-lessons
  • Believe in self-improvement and continued learning
  • Take their responsibilities seriously without taking themselves too seriously

Expectations:

  • Strive asks that employees utilize their personal laptop for Strive-related work, although it is not a requirement. If you do not have a laptop, please communicate this and we will lend you a laptop for work-related tasks.
  • Strive expects all employees to have a reliable means of transportation to arrive on time to in-person events.
  • Employees are required to obtain a background check prior to Sports Challenge staff training.

 

Details:

  • Housing will be covered by Strive for non-local staff.
  • Lunches and snacks will be provided by Strive.

 

Organization Background:

Strive: How You Lead Matters is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the power of character-driven leadership. We deliver dynamic experiences in sport, school and community spaces. With over twenty years of robust research based curriculum, we develop leaders who are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Strive’s foundational program, Sports Challenge, develops character-driven leaders on and off the field, applying the rigor of sports training to the practice of leadership. We bring together a diverse group of high school student-athletes to play soccer, basketball, or lacrosse at a competitive level. This highly demanding, yet nurturing, program offers a unique 1:5 coach:athlete ratio. Sports Challenge takes place over five days, where student-athletes learn and work together, immersed in a growth-mindset culture.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Strive is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage individuals to apply regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy status, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, and/or any other characteristics unrelated to merit.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

How we define Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Strive

Diversity: Who’s present? Who is not? 

The understanding that each individual is different; the recognition of our differences as it relates to the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

Equity: Does everyone have access to resources that meet their needs?

The presence of structural factors that benefit all individuals, groups, and communities; an intentional effort to transform the status quo by providing opportunity and resources for those who have historically not had access.

Inclusion: Does everyone feel included? 

A state of belonging and connection; the act of including and supporting people who have historically been marginalized or excluded.

How You Lead Matters

Strive’s purpose is to spread the power of character-driven leadership. We know that effective and successful leaders are self-aware and bring their full identities and values to any situation. Through social emotional learning and character-driven leadership, we believe that anyone can lead, and that when everyone brings their differences and individuality to the table, we are all more motivated, innovative, and collaborative.

Strive is committed to ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds have the opportunity to become character-driven leaders through our intentionally designed social-emotional learning curricula and programs. 

We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. 

We know that modeling and leading by example is an integral part of leadership, and we therefore strive to always put our core values into action.

Our Core Values & Principles

Strive upholds the following core values, and expects all employees to do the same.

  • Know Thyself
  • Fill Tanks
  • Brush It Off and Grow
  • Be Fair and Honest 
  • Choose Laughter
  • Stick With It 
  • Find the Best In Yourself so that You Can Inspire the Best in Others

 

How to Apply

Please email your resume to Krista Bacchieri at krista@striveleadership.org. Apply by April 30th.

Apply Now!

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