Our guest this week is the Athletic Director at West Covina High School; he’s been doing that for 6 years. He got his Master’s degree in Coaching and Athletics Administration from Concordia University Irvine. He loved it so much, he’s now teaching a class at Concordia University Irvine. He spent 14 years as a teacher before becoming an Athletic Director, teaching math, pre-algebra, and AP stats. He was a coach for baseball, football, and golf at West Covina High School. He is Brian Barnes and he joins us now.
Show Highlights
- How a proactive plan during the pandemic helped their student-athletes get back to practice safely
- How getting back to practice improved the student’s mental health
- Why coaches and ADs are uniquely suited for pivoting during a pandemic
- How observing other groups safely gathering informed their plan for athletics
- His plan A and plan B out of high school
- What he has focused on as an Athletic Director
- Why student-athletes benefit from focusing on their academics
- The challenge of communicating without face-to-face time
- How their district set up a Coach’s Academy for their high school coaches
- How the course Ethics in Sports offers coaches perspective and builds empathy
- The power of a student-athlete / coach relationship
- How a graduate education can help you succeed in your career
Tags: Masters in Coaching, Baseball, Football, Golf, Coaching, Athletic Director, Alumni, MCAA Podcast