Episode 22: Matt McDonald, CAA – Activities/Athletic Director - Lanier High School – Sugar Hill, GA

Episode # 22 … Matt McDonald Today’s guest is Matt McDonald who serves as the athletic director at Lanier High School in Georgia. Matt feels he has truly been called to work with student-athletes and has a heart for the coaches he serves daily. An example to others of an active leader, Matt is intentional in focusing on the details of being an athletic director and how he can best create an environment where both his athletes and staff can thrive. Let’s jump in and get to know Matt McDonald.  0:58 - Introduction 3:45 - Sound Advice from an Experienced Athletic Director, Mark Whitely, Matt’s Father-in-law 6:28 - The college athletics department vs. the high school athletics department 8:40 - Promoting Lanier Athletics on Social Media 9:12 - Mantras & Disciplines Learned from the Marines 10:40 - The current state of Lanier Athletics 12:18 - Required Community Service for All Lanier Athletes 13:43 - Balancing the Job with Family & Higher Education15:45 - Challenging and Trusting Your Coaches 18:55 - How to Celebrate a Championship Team21:14 - A Leader with a Vision for His Athletic Department 22:44 - Emergency Preparedness for Athletic Leaders…Mentally Prepare! 27:17 - Purpose for Attending the National & State Conferences 29:03 - Communicating Athletics News to the School & Community 31:15 - Life outside of Lanier Athletics…A Life Serving Students 32:38 - Being a Servant Leader 34:30 - The Importance of an Aspiring AD Program- “An Evening with an AD” 37:30 - 2-Minute Drill  Book Mentions:     Lead For God’s Sake (Todd Gongwer)     Miracle Morning (Hal Elrod) You can follow Matt McDonald and the Lanier Longhorns on social media  Twitter: @LanierADNews   Instagram: Lanier High Longhorns Find out more about Coach Matt McDonald and Lanier Athletics at: Lanier Athletics About Hangin With The AD Podcast…. Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.        We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.          Don Baker, CAA.Josh Mathews, CMAA