How Being Assertive Can Help With Athletic Leadership

by | Aug | Best Practices, Featured Videos

Matt Ryder, Director of Athletics for Maine South (Ill.) High School shares his candid reflection on the challenges of leadership in a new environment. Looking back to his first year on the job in 2020, he highlights the struggle between wanting to be liked and staying true to his intuition.

Featured SUPPLIERS

Concordia University Chicago
Enhance your strength and conditioning knowledge while preparing for the CSCS by enrolling in the Strength and Conditioning concentration at Concordia University Chicago. Our fully online MS in Applied Exercise Science program, focusing on Strength and Conditioning, is tailored for working professionals, offering asynchronous classes for flexible learning at your convenience. We maintain small class sizes to foster connections with both your peers and instructors. Additionally, the option for dual concentrations is available.

CSP Global


The Master’s Degree in Sport Management from Concordia University, St. Paul is an online program that explores leadership, strategy, marketing, and legal concepts pertinent to the field. Students will showcase proficiency in applying, analyzing, and assessing fundamental principles in sport management, including sport marketing, financial management, business administration, and facility and event management.
Mondo
Thousands of athletes train and compete on MONDO surfaces and weight room flooring, achieving outstanding results, breaking world records and overcoming their own limits. It is thanks to their help and constant feedback that Mondo has redefined the standards of sports flooring, setting the benchmark for new achievements to come.
Royal Basket Trucks
Royal Basket Trucks, Inc. is a leading producer of carts, trucks and containers used in facilities throughout the United States. The Royal brand is recognizable in markets such as material handling, hospitality, healthcare, commercial laundry, education, recycling, athletics, property management, retail, warehousing and distribution.
Samson Equipment Inc.
Samson Equipment builds affordable weight room solutions personalized to your needs and mission. We deliver the highest quality product in the industry backed by the Samson Lifetime Warranty. We are the weight room manufacturing professionals with over 40 years of experience.
TeamBuildr
TeamBuildr is the #1 performance platform for strength coaches that schools are using all around the world. Our powerhouse platform provides coaches and teachers with an elevated experience when it comes to program development, data tracking, and staying connected with student-athletes, especially during the summer months.
TinyMobileRobots
The high school field is a symbol for the entire community. A professional-grade field sets the stage for greatness, and TinyMobileRobots gives you the precision, consistency, and customization you need to take your field to the next level. Plus, you save on time, labor and paint costs!


With a TinyMobileRobot, any district of any size can achieve an elite field that gets athletes and fans excited for the game.

MORE GREAT ARTICLES FROM PREP ATHLETIC DIRECTOR