New Changes to Athletics Development Frontier

Athletics Development Frontier is proud to announce the launch of their newly redesigned website, an upgraded version that will increase interactivity and ease of navigation of the site. For one, the four pictures located at the top of the page now represent the four major categories of posts to find information-Annual Giving Practices, Events, Facilities, and Tips. Each section has all the posts written under the respective category and can be reached by clicking on the text that appears on the shadow.

Additionally, there is a search bar located in the upper right section of the site. This will allow users to search for key words, such as young alumni giving programs or for a specific facility. Also located in the right toolbar, there is the listing of all categories, a section of links, and the ability to sign up for the Athletics Development Frontier RSS feed in an application such as Google Reader.

The new design of the site is just one part of the future for Athletics Development Frontier. Feel free to leave any comments on stories, the redesign, or new offerings you would find useful as we move towards enhancing the collegiate athletics development industry.

New page launched covering Athletics & the Economy

Athletics Development Frontier has recently launched a new page dedicated to studying the ways college athletics departments around the nation are dealing with the economy. During the past couple of months, budgets have been passed and, with the exception of a few schools, most have been trimmed to some degree. This page, which can be accessed by clicking here or the tab at the top of the main page, features links to articles that detail what is currently happening in the industry.

Despite the suspension of programs and limited budgets, these articles also detail the hope and actions of every department as they push to keep the student-athlete experience intact. Times are tough, but for the most part departments are finding ways to keep their sports competing on the playing field and in the classroom.

While not directly development related, any news that impacts the department on the whole will affect the fundraising arm. Whether it is dealing with upset donors or helping the public understand how they can help, the development office is very much an external arm in these situations.

The page will be continually updated as new articles and news happens around the country.

Navigational changes and site improvements

Athletics Development Frontier has been up and running for the past two months and so far the site is gaining steady readership. During this time, we have been seeking feedback on how to make the site more managable and practical for users who seek to apply the knowledge in the workplace.

Through the help of professionals, we have restructured our new categories to aid in the ability to navigate the site. The new names, found on the right side column, should give greater detail to the content located under each.

Additionally, there is a Tag Cloud located underneath the categories. Tags are essentially one or two words that the article addresses in some manner. The larger the text of the tag, the more articles there are detailing that topic.

In the coming weeks, we plan on continuing developing our content through new posts on professional development books, interviews with industry professionals and reports on current practices of the industry.

If there are any more suggestions for navigation, application, and content that would be relevant, please feel free to contact us at developmentfrontier@gmail.com.

Athletics Development Frontier Launches

Athletics Development Frontier was created out of the need for an easily accessible, unified destination to discuss, learn and gather information surrounding the practices of athletics development. These vital fundraising arms are crucial to every athletics department across the nation, no matter how big or small the department. This site will seek to enhance the knowledge of all who visit.

The name Athletics Development Frontier describes this mission. While a frontier may describe the outer limit of our knowledge of fundraising, it also encompasses all we currently know. This site will seek to cover the current best practices as well as the innovations occurring throughout the nation on a daily basis.

The site will also dedicate time to the results of these fundraising activities, namely the facilities and success stories created with these funds. This will include updates on current construction, progress of capital campaigns, and the impact these new buildings have on current and future student-athletes. Posts are placed in categories which can be easily accessed in the right side toolbar.

To put it quite simply, this site will cover the innovations, practices and results of athletics development. In the future, posts will cover the aforementioned topics as well as industry news and interviews. Feel free to comment on any post, share your ideas and discuss any methods that will enhance athletics development—after all, the knowledge we can share will only lead to a better experience for all student-athletes.