Columbia
In the morning, Laird Veatch hops on his Peloton bike. The workout is one of his favorites: He used to enjoy lifting weights daily as a linebacker for Kansas State from 1990-94, but the former football team captain now only pumps iron occasionally because of back problems.
For Veatch, the Peloton is not just an easy, low-impact workout. It is a way he relieves and attempts to manage stress as Mizzou’s 22nd athletic director and its fourth in the last nine years.
“My wife would tell you I don’t always manage it well,” Veatch joked. “Having faith and trying to live fairly healthy, exercise, those kinds of things are the two biggest things that I try to lean on.”
A 2022 data set from Athlete Viewpoint and Athletic Director U, entitled “ADU Burnout,” revealed 61.2% of college administrators are at high risk of disengaging with their work. The report stated 85.2% face high risk of exhaustion, with 35.2% exhibiting a high risk of burnout.
While Veatch deals with stress daily as the athletic director of a Power Four school in the Southeastern Conference, he still tries to stay grounded in the expectations and demands the role entails.
“Just keeping perspective on the role and what we do every day, and recognizing while it’s changing, it’s stressful and it’s demanding. It’s hard. In some respects, it’s also still college sports,” Veatch said. “And we’re dealing with a fun, engaging group of young people and fans, and there’s a lot to enjoy and not let get to you, too.”
But what exactly is an AD in the age of revenue generation, talent acquisition and name, image and likeness policies?
A REDEFINED ROLE
Carla Rosa of myPerforma, an athletic relationship management platform, argues athletic directors now assume a role similar to that of sports agents.
In a 2023 article entitled “The Crucial Mindset Shift for Today’s Athletic Directors,” Rosa explained that ADs create environments in which student-athletes can be mentored and educated to build their brands.
