The Personal Health of the Athletic Administrator

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The Personal Health of the Athletic Administrator

• Workshop Prepared for the 38th Annual NFHS/NIAAA
  National Conference of
• High School Directors of Athletics
• Workshop 32 (5th Session) Tuesday
• December 18th, 2007 1100 am 1215 pm

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Presenter

• John A. Van Fleet, Sr. CAA
• Retired Athletic Director from Woodstock
• High School, Sterling High School, and
  Streator Township High School (Illinois)
• 15 Years as Athletic Administrator
• 29 Years in Education
• 24 Years in Coaching
• 15 Years of Officiating Baseball, Softball,
  Basketball, Track and Field, and Football
• 7 Years as Illinois Athletic Directors
  Association Leadership Training Program and
  Certification Program State Coordinator

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Typical Day As Athletic Director at Streator
Township High School

• 600 AM to 800 AM Science Classroom Prep
• 800 AM to 1130 AM Teach 4 Periods of
  Fundamentals of Science
• 1130 AM to 1200 PM Eat Lunch and Return Calls
  in Athletic Office
• 1200 PM to 200 PM Work in Athletic Directors
  Office
• 200 PM to 230 PM Prepare FB Practice Plan
• 230 PM to 330 PM Study Table
• 330 PM to 530 PM Football Practice
• 530 PM to 630 PM Dinner at Home / Shower
  Change
• 630 PM to 900 PM Supervision Home Volleyball
  Match

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Typical Day As Athletic Director at Sterling High
School

• 630 am to 800 am Return Emails and Handle Phone
  Calls in Office
• 800 am to 930 am Building Leadership Team
  Meeting In Principals Office
• 930 am to 1100 am Scheduling Work in Athletic
  Office
• 1100 am to 1200 pm Call Accounting Firm for
  Random Drug Testing Numbers, Prepare Student
  Passes for Testing
• 1200 pm to 1245 pm Lunch
• 1245 pm to 200 pm Random Drug Testing High
  School
• 200 pm to 300 pm Random Drug Testing Middle
  School
• 300 pm to 400 pm Return Phone Calls and Catch
  Up on Emails in Athletic Office
• 400 pm to 530 pm Supervision of Basketball and
  Wrestling Practice
• 530 pm to 900 pm Supervision of Home Girls
  Basketball Games

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Typical Day As Athletic Director At Woodstock
High School

• 630 am to 730 am Building Administrators
  Council Meeting
• 730 am to 800 am Observation Pre-Conference
  with Science Teacher
• 830 am to 930 am Return Phone Calls and Handle
  Emails
• 930 am to 1100 am Work in Athletic Office on
  Scheduling Issues and Contracts
• 1100 am to 1230 pm Lunch Meeting with Park
  District Director about CC Course
• 1230 pm to 200 pm Weekly 20 Minute Meetings
  with 4 of 7 Fall Sport Head Coaches
• 200 pm to 315 pm Athletic Office Work
• 330 pm to 630 pm Supervision of Boys Soccer,
  Girls Tennis and Boys and Girls Cross Country
  Competitions
• 700 pm to 930 pm Facilities Task Force Meeting
  at Middle School

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Depending on the school and the job description
and athletic director must wear a lot of
different HATS

• And this can cause stress and confusion!

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As clarification, I wore these hats

• At Streator Twp. High School during my 7 years
  there
• Head Varsity Football Coach
• Science Teacher
• Science Department Chair
• Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach
• Athletic Trainer and Athletic Director
• At Sterling High School during my 4 years there
• Middle School Athletic Director
• High School Athletic Director
• Random Drug Test Coordinator
• Hall of Fame Committee Member

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As clarification continued

• At Woodstock High School during my 4 years there
• High School Athletic Director
• Assistant High School Principal
• Lunch Room Supervisor
• Facilities Task Force Member
• Hall of Fame Chairperson
• Booster Club Capital Campaign Advisor
• The titles were essentially the same, the
  specific responsibilities of the job varied, as
  did the level of stress!

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What is health?

• (World Health Organization Definition) Health is
  a state of complete physical, mental and social
  well-being and not merely the absence of disease
  or infirmity. This is kind of vague.
• An alternate definition proposed by medical
  specialists describes health as a state
  characterized by anatomical, physiological,
  psychological integrity ability to perform
  personally valued family, work, and community
  roles ability to deal with physical, biological,
  psychological and social stress a feeling of
  well-being and a freedom from the risk of
  disease and untimely death.

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Why should athletic directors be concerned about
their personal health?

• Go back to the slides of a typical day at the
  beginning of the presentation (or review Marlins
  job responsibilities). The job of an athletic
  director is certainly demanding physically and
  mentally because of the sheer number of hours of
  work required to perform the various duties.
  These physical and mental demands can be a source
  of stress, and too much stress can have a
  negative impact on a persons health (and their
  ability to do their job). In order to be
  effective in the position of athletic director,
  you must find a state of balance and an ability
  to manage the stress of the job.

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So why did I get asked to speak on this important
topic? (The Bigger Question)

• It truly is a great honor for me to have the
  opportunity to speak with you. I am not quite
  sure that I qualify as any real expert in the
  field of health or healthful living.
• I have great passion for the profession of being
  an athletic director, there is no job that I have
  ever had that I loved or enjoyed more.
• As I share my personal journey with you, maybe
  you will get an idea or two that will help you
  understand the importance of this topic and why
  you should strive for a balanced life style
  between your work life and your home life.
• Time and health are two precious assets that we
  dont recognize and appreciate until they have
  been depleted. (Denis Waitley)

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How I came to the realization that Personal
Health is so very, very important..

• As an adult, I was never sick very often and
  rarely missed a day of work. There were probably
  many days I went to work when I should not of.
• I had yearly physical examinations but I dreaded
  them and complained about having to go.
• When I got to Sterling I found a doctor that I
  really believed in and he identified that my
  cholesterol was a bit high. He recommended a
  plan for us to work on getting that cholesterol
  number down. His plan was to combine diet,
  over-the-counter medications, and prescription
  medications on a monthly trial basis, and each
  month after trying this combination we would do a
  complete blood test. We were making real
  progress on lowering my cholesterol.

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My story continued.

• I continued with this treatment, and when I moved
  to Woodstock and found a new doctor, he thought
  that the doctor in Sterlings idea was excellent.
  We continued with the same regimen.
• In my second year at Woodstock, my doctor noticed
  some irregularities in my protein levels in the
  blood test. He asked me to come back in and have
  some additional testing. In late November 2004,
  Dr. Purdy informed me that I had multiple myeloma
  (a cancer similar to leukemia). I was sent on to
  an oncologist locally, and then on to
  Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago
  for a stem cell transplant.
• Obviously, I was terribly frightened and
  concerned. At the same time grateful for the
  relationship Dr. Ballard had built with me in
  Sterling. By forming a trusting partnership and
  lowering my level of concern about seeing a
  doctor so regularly I ended up being extremely
  lucky. Through my efforts with my doctors to
  lower my cholesterol, we were able to catch a
  cancer in the early stages and get my treatment
  started quickly.

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My story post diagnosis..

• The next six months was treatment with
  thalidomide and steroids. Then intense
  chemotherapy and a harvesting of stem cells from
  my blood.
• In March 2005 I could no longer work with any
  sense of accomplishment or feeling decent. I was
  hospitalized in early April, had the stem cell
  transplant on April 19th, and eventually released
  from Northwestern University Medical Center on
  May 2nd, 2005. A recovered at home for a full
  month and started back to work on June 10th, 2005
  working half days.
• I worked a full year and only was sick one day
  during the 2005-2006 school year. I was careful
  about not overdoing things at work and making
  certain that I got an appropriate amount of rest.
• Our school district made significant changes in
  the way we administered our summer camp programs
  and it required me to work 65 hour weeks during
  the summer of 2006. This took a toll on me. I
  was very tired and weak when the school year
  started.

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Re-staging Leads to Retirement

• Late in August, I had a re-staging. This is a
  series of tests including bone marrow biopsy,
  MRI, CAT Scan, PET Scan, Full Skeletal X-ray
  Series, and complete blood work-up. I was in
  remission but the myeloma was causing pitting
  (loss of solid bone material) in my bones.
• My pitting was occurring in my lumbar spine, my
  hips, and my sternum. From time to time, when I
  was on my feet for long periods of time I was
  suffering with back spasms.
• By the end of the fall season, after many hours
  of arguing and discussion, I decided I could not
  do the job in the manner that I had always done
  it. Even though I desperately wanted to
  continue, I decided to take disability
  retirement.
• This was an extremely difficult decision, I still
  felt like I had the mental abilities to do this
  wonderful job, but my body could not answer the
  bell. I did not want to rush myself into a wheel
  chair, and so my career as a full time athletic
  director was over.

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So, now that you are retired, what are you doing
with all of your time?

• I am still working for our state Athletic
  Administrators Association as the Leadership
  Training Program State Coordinator. I teach
  classes, organize registrations, and keep the
  books. Recently we were able to get approval for
  our LTC Classes to count for Administrative
  Certificate Renewal Credits, something we had
  worked on for seven years.
• I mentor two first year athletic directors as
  part of the IADA Mentoring Program.
• I spend a lot of quality time with my daughter,
  and my wife and I am really enjoying that.
• I am playing more golf than I ever have in my
  life.
• I have just finished my CMAA Project, after
  putting it off too many times to count. That was
  a goal I was not going to allow to fall by the
  wayside, it is important to continue to have
  goals to strive for and work on everyday.

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So, did I come to sit in this workshop just to
hear you talk about your life, or why did I come
here?

• I hope that you came here with the hope that I
  have always used when I attend these workshops,
  to get one or two ideas that I can take with me
  and use to make my job situation / life better.
• I hope that in sharing my experiences, for some
  of you who were like me, and dreaded and
  mistrusted doctors that you learn to find good
  health care professionals that will be your
  partners and help you work to maintain your good
  health.

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Ideas from Two Close Friends

• One month before I retired, one of my closest
  colleagues in the profession, Mr. Doug Blundy of
  Crystal Lake Central High School was diagnosed
  this the exact same cancer. Doug was coaching
  volleyball and thought he had sprained his wrist
  doing drills with the team. His arm never seemed
  to get better. Finally he went to the doctor and
  got x-rays and an MRI turns out he had a large
  myeloma tumor on his right forearm.
• Seems rather odd that 2 athletic directors out of
  12 in the same conference would come down with
  the same cancer about 14 months apart. Doug and
  I became closer friends as we spent a great deal
  of time talking about his treatment as he went
  through it.
• In the short period of time the protocol at
  Northwestern University Hospital had changed
  rather significantly. Doug Blundy ended up
  having back to back stem cell transplants or
  what is now commonly called a tandem transplant.
  He is doing very well and just led his volleyball
  team to the Class 3A State title.

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Reflections from Doug Blundy about his health
concerns

• Earlier in the presentation, we talked about the
  many hats an athletic administrator has to wear
  sometimes (depending upon the school district and
  the job description). Listen to the hats that
  Doug Blundy is wearing for his school district
  Athletic Director, Mathematics Department Chair,
  Head Varsity Volleyball Coach, and last year he
  gave up Student Council Advisor and after 25
  years and hundreds of victories Head Varsity
  Softball Coach. This is Dougs 38th year in the
  Crystal Lake School District. I will tell you
  that I do not know anyone that is more organized
  and helpful to others than Doug Blundy.
• Dougs cancer was discovered in a round about
  manner as well. During volleyball practices in
  August and September of 2006, he found that he
  had intense pain in his right arm. Doug thought
  that he had injured the arm in drills, so he
  wrapped it up in an elastic bandage and gave it
  basic first aid care each night. It never seemed
  to get any better, and in October, Doug went to
  get an x-ray and see the doctor. They discovered
  a large myeloma tumor had taken over Dougs
  forearm. What followed was the complete medical
  work-up of test after test to determine how far
  along Dougs cancer was.

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Reflections from Doug Blundy about his health
concerns continued.

• Doug started down the same road I had with
  treatment awaiting his stem cell transplant. In
  the six months since I had my stem cell
  transplant, the medical protocol had changed and
  Doug was scheduled to have two stem-cell
  transplants almost back to back. This is called
  a tandem transplant. Doug struggled as I did
  with the steroids and other medications while he
  awaited the transplant. For a man with a
  tremendous amount of energy and zest Doug finally
  mentioned that his energy level had dropped off a
  bit.
• Doug learned (as I did also) that building a
  trusting relationship with your doctor is
  critical. Doug says that the key is keeping a
  positive attitude even though things can go wrong
  and the test results are not always great, you
  must remain upbeat and focused on the positive.
• Doug said that he learned how really important it
  was to be able to delegate responsibilities to
  others during this time. During Dougs self
  reflection during this time he learned that
  finding out what things he really loved about his
  job, and doing them as much as possible was
  helpful in maintaining the positive attitude.

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Reflections from Doug Blundy about his health
concerns continued .

• Doug has learned that doctor visits both locally
  and at Northwestern University Medical Center are
  a part of his regular routine. Doug gets monthly
  chemotherapy and regular blood test to monitor
  the status of his cancer. Doug is currently in
  remission and doing extremely well. We have
  become closer friends and talk regularly about
  our progress and concerns with the disease.
• Doug states that during times like this he has
  learned who is real friends are. The ability to
  be much more positive in terms of general outlook
  allows him to enjoy his job more. He tries to
  live each day as though he did not have the
  illness. I believe Doug is a great role model
  for maintaining positive personal health in the
  face of great adversity.
• I cannot stress enough how important the
  development of a positive outlook helps a person
  with an illness like cancer learn to function and
  contribute in a positive manner. Seeing a doctor
  regularly and early detection are also very
  important.

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Doug Smiths Struggle for Good Personal Health

• Doug Smith has been a close friend of mine for
  about ten years. I was hired at Woodstock High
  School as Dougs replacement when he took the job
  at Naperville North High School as their Athletic
  Director. Doug was a great mentor to me as a
  young athletic director. Doug was and is very
  active in the IADA and the NIAAA. He currently
  is on the NIAAA Board of Directors, a position he
  was elected to at last years National
  Conference.
• During Dougs tenure at Woodstock, he was going
  through a battery of tests for what he and his
  doctor thought was an ulcer. During these tests,
  a tumor was discovered on Dougs colon. Doug
  remembered when we spoke about this that the
  doctor clearly identified stress as one of the
  contributing factors to this disease.
• Doug Smiths battle with cancer had a significant
  impact on his attitude about doing his job. He
  started to focus on teaching his coaching staff
  about the importance of the balance between home
  life and job life.

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Doug Smiths Struggle for Good Personal Health
continued

• Doug also learned to accept stressful things in
  stride better. Things that used to really set
  him off he was able to learn to accept better.
  Doug became more appreciative of the little
  things that he used to take for granted.
• Doug turned his battle with cancer into a
  community service opportunity. He developed in
  two communities very successful basketball
  tournaments called Hoops for Healing. Teams
  play in these Thanksgiving time tournaments and
  the proceeds go to the local cancer foundation in
  these communities. Doug feels as though someone
  had been there for him, it was only right for him
  to give back to his community in the same way.
  The 8th Annual Hoops for Healing Tournament took
  place at Woodstock High School this fall and
  generated several thousand dollars for the local
  cancer foundation.
• Doug stress the importance of having age
  recommended tests. Yearly physical exams,
  prostate exams regularly at age 50. He also
  stress the importance of exercise a couple of
  times each week. Doug admits that he was not
  very good about this before he got sick, and now
  he is. Dougs focus was on being around for
  awhile.

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Doug Smiths Struggle for Good Personal Health
continued .

• Doug states that he learned these things through
  his battle with cancer
• 1. Dont spend all your time at the office.
• 2. Learn to delegate more. Other people can do
  things as well as you do.
• 3. Go home early and spend some time with your
  kids, they would really like to see you.
• Doug says that life has slowed down a bit for him
  and he enjoys things a lot more.

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Doug Smiths Struggle for Good Personal Health
continued .

• Doug advises his colleagues facing similar
  concerns this way This is a demanding business
  we are in, but very enjoyable. Many upsides to
  it, slow down and enjoy those moments, because it
  is easy to get caught up in the politics, red
  tape, gossip, and parental complaints that we
  have to deal with constantly.

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Doug Smiths Struggle for Good Personal Health
continued ..

• Doug has a regular schedule of check-ups and is
  doing very well. He has been cancer free for a
  number of years now and follows the doctors
  recommendations religiously.
• Doug shares that having cancer was very draining
  mentally and very difficult on his family (in his
  case Dougs daughters). I was identified as
  being at Stage IV when my cancer was discovered,
  and I worried about how they were to be cared
  for. This was very difficult.

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Doug Smiths Struggle for Good Personal Health
continued ..

• Doug has demonstrated a positive attitude and has
  handled his illness well. He has a great
  perspective on positive personal health.
• Dougs school won the class 8A State Football
  Championship this fall, along with many other top
  ten finishes in the state for his schools teams
  this fall. Doug is a great leader and a positive
  example for all of us in dealing with the
  adversity of challenging personal health issues.

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Leading Health Indicators

• The Leading Health Indicators are a set of 10
  high-priority public health issues in the United
  States. I am sharing these with you in the hope
  that you will more easily understand how healthy
  we are as a country and which of these are the
  most important the we can change to make
  improvements in our own health as well as the
  health of our families and our communities.
  Examine this list in terms of your own personal
  perceived level of health.

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Leading Health Indicators (Priorities for Action)

• Physical Activity
• Overweight and Obesity
• Tobacco Use
• Substance Abuse
• Responsible Sexual Behavior
• Mental Health
• Injury and Violence
• Environmental Quality
• Immunization
• Access to Health Care

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Leading Health Indicators, Food for Thought

• Examine that list on the previous slide, how
  would you rate yourself in each area?
• Also consider that each of these indicators
  depends to some extent upon
• 1) The information people have about their
  health and how to make improvements
• 2) Choices people make (behavioral factors)
• 3) Where and how people live (environmental,
  economic, and social conditions)
• 4) The type, amount and quality of health care
  people receive (access to health care and
  characteristics of the health care systems)

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Final Thoughts about the Leading Health Indicators

• Examining of our own level of personal health
  through these indicators is good and can be
  useful.
• These indicators are designed to motivate people
  and communities to take actions to improve their
  personal health and the health of their
  communities.
• As you examine where your health is in each of
  the areas examined by the indicators, possibly
  you can identify one area that deserves your
  greatest focus for the most significant positive
  improvement in your health. (Example Mental
  health as in dealing with stress, after all the
  mind manufactures stress.)
• Resource http//www.healthypeople.gov/LHI/Prioriti
  es.htm

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Preventive Care The best tool to maintaining
good personal health

• Earlier I mentioned how I dreaded visiting the
  doctors office and tried to avoid it at all
  cost.
• As I matured, I learned that I could build a
  solid relationship of trust and respect with a
  doctor that would have a positive impact on my
  health. In reality, the positive nature of my
  cancer treatment is a result of me finally being
  able to figure this out.
• The American Medical Association recommends that
  people have a medical check-up every 5 years
  until the age of 40. After age 40, a check-up
  every 1 to 3 years is recommended based upon what
  your doctor feels is best for you.

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Part of Preventive Care A Complete Medical
History

• Doctors should gather information for a complete
  medical history on their patients. Information
  included in this complete medical history
  include
• Diet
• Exercise
• List of medications being taken
• Alcohol and tobacco use
• Sexual behavior
• Family history of diabetes, asthma, heart
  attacks, cancer, glaucoma and the like.

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Routine Medical Tests Doctors Routinely Request

• Blood Pressure
• Urinalysis
• Blood Tests (lots of important information here)
• Cholesterol levels
• Chest X-rays
• Electrocardiogram
• Cancer Testing (Age specific important tests for
  men (prostate and PSA after age 50 for women
  mammograms annually after age 50, PAP smears
  every one to three years, as well as tests for
  osteoporosis where risk factors dictate)
• Colonoscopy used to detect colon cancer
  recommended once every five years after age 50.
• Resource http//www.answers.com/topic/health?cat
  health

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Dont Overlook Dealing with Stress and
Maintaining Positive Mental Health

• I have learned that dealing with stress and how
  well I am able to demonstrate and maintain
  positive mental health has a great deal to do
  with my overall sense of well being.
• I highly recommend Leadership Training Class 724
  Athletic Administration Stress Management
  Methods, Techniques, and Systems. This course
  offers a lot of great ideas for handling stress
  and keeping that positive balance in our lives.
• The ability of a person to function efficiently
  and successfully can be one way to view mental
  health. A person that functions efficiently and
  successfully feels capable and competent, is able
  to handle and deal with normal levels of stress,
  can maintain satisfying relationships, and has
  the ability to bounce back from difficult
  situations. The job of an athletic director is
  full of stress, where stress is thought of as the
  everyday wear and tear the body experiences in
  response to tension and pressures of the day.
  The ability to handle stress varies from person
  to person, getting it under control can really
  improve our personal health.

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From LTC 724 Characteristics of Stress Hardy
Individuals

• In reviewing the materials from LTC 724, mental
  health professionals identify these
  characteristics of people who are stress hardy
  (capable of handling stress properly)
• View challenges as opportunities for personal
  growth and development
• Take personal responsibility for their actions
• Are adaptable
• Are open to new ideas
• Are open to new perspectives
• Take a proactive stance
• Maintain a high level of attentiveness to the
  entire self and the effect of the environment
• Anticipate stressful circumstances and take
  active measures to avoid the cause of to minimize
  the effect
• Are self-confident
• Are resourceful

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From LTC 724 Self Care Techniques to Reduce
Stress (From Appendix 8 in LTC Manual)

• Learn to relax
• Practice acceptance
• Talk Rationally to Yourself
• Get Organized
• Exercise
• Reduce Time Urgency
• Reduce Competitiveness
• Quiet Time
• Talking to Peers and Colleagues

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Summary

• Realize that the job is demanding, take time for
  yourself and find the balance between home and
  work.
• Strive to find a doctor that you believe in and
  can trust. Take advantage of the good things in
  the health care system. Dont be afraid.
• Maintain a positive outlook, enjoy the job and
  look forward to the great things in it.
• Learn to keep positive mental health at the top
  of the priority list, deal with and manage
  stress.
• Learn that there are many peers and colleagues
  out there to help you along the way.

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Summary continued

• Thanks for attending this Workshop. Marlin and I
  are honored to have had this opportunity to spend
  time with you. Hopefully you have gained some
  practical insight into good health. I will
  answer any questions at this time if you have
  any.
• My contact information is
• John A. Van Fleet, Sr. CAA (or CMAA)
• 12313 Roger Road
• Woodstock, Illinois 60098
• 1-815-308-5825 Home and Office Phone
• 1-815-308-5826 Home and Office FAX
• 1-815-441-9334 Cellular Phone
• jvfsr_at_comcast.net Van Fleet Family Email Address