By Derek Smolik, Sports Information Director
Texas A&M - Kingsville
Preparation
One surefire way to help avoid the troubles of seasonal transition is to be prepared for it. Also, remember that if you have the combination of football and basketball; basketball and baseball or softball that the months of October, November, February and March will be difficult. There’s no getting around it, especially in a small shop. If you accept that these months will be hard, then you have taken the first step to dealing with it effectively.
Ways to Prepare for the Transition
- Update your bios, records, career stats and write a season review (if needed or wanted) as soon as you can after an athletic year is over.
- Take advantage of the summer. We know that summer is a time of rest for most people, but it can and needs to be a time that you prepare for the upcoming season. By getting media guides and programs finished or nearly finished during the summer, you allow yourself more time during the active school year.
- Don’t put off projects that may impact you come transition months. It will only make that time harder. Research projects should be done when you have down time, usually the summer.
Ways to Work Through the Transition
- Make a composite schedule as early on as you can to identify dates that will have multiple home events or in which you will be stretched thin.
- Use your help wisely. If you have full-time assistants, interns, graduate assistants or student assistants, take advantage of them. Taking on too much work while you help sits idle is a waste of material. Use them to take the load off you.
- As the season approaches mentally and physically prepare for it. Clean off your plate as much as you can. Getting projects wrapped up or delegated will be a big help. Don’t take on more projects unless absolutely necessary. There’s no sense in making your job harder than it is.
- If there are things you can do that will help prepare you for the transition (finish media guides or programs, do releases in advance, planning for events, etc.), do them early so you won’t have to worry about them during the rougher times.
- Remember that, in the end, there’s only so much you can do. You have limits, just like everyone else, don’t push yourself over the edge or your work will suffer.