Ron Kennedy- LL director: interview
Written by: Dell Jackson on May 31, 2019
Ron Kennedy, AD at Donegal, was recently appointed to the LL’s Director position. He has a wide variety of experiences with the LL and District 3. He took the time to answer some questions from LLhoops. Enjoy!
1) Can you give our followers a brief bio on your background in sports?
Dr. Kennedy earned his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Management from Drexel University successfully defending his thesis entitled “A Qualitative Inquiry Into the Experiences of Transgender Youth on High School Sports Teams.” Dr. Kennedy also holds a Master’s Degree in education with a sports management emphasis from Millersville University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Susquehanna University, and a teaching certification degree from Millersville University.
Dr. Kennedy has been Athletic Director at Donegal High School since 1996, Where he was an assistant football coach for 20 years and the school’s head basketball for four years. Presently, he serves as the Chairman of the PIAA District III Committee and also serves as a member of the PIAA Board of Directors.
2) Can you describe the process of making changes in the LL? Board of control, who votes, when folks vote etc?
The voting body really is what is called the Lancaster-Lebanon League Secondary School Athletic association. This group is made up of principals and athletic directors from each school in the league. Each school gets one vote. According to the PIAA by-laws, the principals are in charge of athletics so in essence, the principals are at the association meetings doing the voting. There is the Board of Control made up of principals, AD’s and superintendents who are responsible for oversight of the daily operations of the league. And then there are the AD’s themselves. These guys are the foot-soldiers of the league, the folks on the front line dealing with the day to day operations of the league. Typically, but not always ideas flow from this group up thought the board to the association.
3) Describe the new position that you will be filling. When do you start? What are your responsibilities?
My position begins July 1st. In a nutshell I would say I am responsible for the daily operations of the LL league. From officials, to realignment, to the financial well being of the league as well as mentoring of new AD’s and everything in between.
4) The LL is expanding. Is there any plans for more expansion, and what is the process involved for a team to want to join the LL?
We are always looking at how we can get better; expansion is part of that. If a school is interested in joining, then they need to apply to the league for entrance. The league then looks at the pros and cons and votes on whether that school would be a good fit for the league.
5) What changes would you like to implement to the LL structure?
Initially I want to see what goes on from the perspective of the Executive Director before making any changes. My perspective for the last 22 years has been from the perspective of an AD, I need to change how I view things before we make any big modifications. Right off I just want to make sure the lines of communication are more open between the AD group, the media, officials, the Board of Control and the public. We have a great product in high school athletics and I want to make sure we promote that.
6) The LL is a fairly large league. What do you see your role as a leader when presenting new ideas and the balance between the “bigger” schools and the “smaller” schools?
That is a tricky balance because not everything that works for a small school works in a big school. I think the league does a good job at balancing those things. In the end, we need to decide what is in the best interest of all schools and how it would ultimately benefit the entire league. That is easier said than done.
7) In what ways does the LL communicate with parents, players, coaches, refs etc?
I think this is one of the biggest areas we can improve on. There is so much social media opportunities that I think we can do better in that area and use social media in a productive manner. We live in a world of electronic media and I think the league can do more to enhance our communication to our constituents through that avenue. Partner up with LL hoops!!!
8) Is there anything that you would like to share that we have not asked? The floor is yours 🙂
I am looking forward to the opportunity to move the LL league forward. We are in a great place with a lot of great people, who are willing to help. My goal is to make the LL League the premier league in the area.
~Dell Jackson
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