Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Athletics Graduation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sarasota High athletic director BJ Ivy says academics, mentorship drive sports program
Summary
BJ Ivy, Sarasota High School athletic director and basketball coach, described the administrative work behind school athletics, his coaching routines, and a ‘No Cap, Get Your Cap’ mentorship program intended to help students on the path to graduation.
BJ Ivy, athletic director and head basketball coach at Sarasota High School, said he balances coaching duties, event logistics and student mentorship in his role, and has applied coaching techniques to an academic push called the No Cap, Get Your Cap program.
“I think when you lead by example, it gives people a path to follow,” Ivy said, describing his morning routine of opening the gym and working out with students before teaching a first-period basketball class.
The program aims to identify students not ready to graduate and provide progress monitoring, goal setting and mentorship. Superintendent Terry Connor, who conducted the Trading Spaces interview, noted that “Sarasota actually this past year reached an historic high graduation rate,” and credited schoolwide efforts for that improvement.
Ivy outlined administrative responsibilities that accompany organizing athletic contests, saying, “There's a lot of paperwork involved… making sure that our coaches are properly cleared and have the proper certifications” and that student-athletes themselves are cleared to participate. He also listed on-site staffing needs for events, including an administrator on duty, a ticket taker and an athletic trainer.
Describing the No Cap, Get Your Cap program, Ivy said the school “built a program around progress monitoring, goal setting, and mentorship to help [students] reach their goal of graduation. I've literally coached them like I would coach a team.” He said the approach treats graduation milestones like athletic goals, using regular check-ins and mentoring.
Ivy also described how his role as a successful coach gives him credibility when advising other coaches across sports and how he emphasizes a “family mindset” and equity among programs. He said he checks in with other coaches to help them build programs and share best practices.
A school staff member delivered a ticket-sale report from a recent boys basketball game during the segment; no dollar amounts or attendance counts were specified in the recording.
The segment aired as part of the Trading Spaces feature; Terry Connor closed the interview by thanking viewers and noting the episode would continue in the series.
