POLAND – Sometimes learning can be like gardening. Eventually the bounty is so plentiful that you pass along some of the fruits of your labor.

When Susan Robbins went to this year’s conference of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, she had a more active role than her two previous trips. The director of co-curricular activities at Poland Regional High School went to New Orleans earlier this month and had a unique opportunity to share her experiences.

“The first couple of times I focused primarily on my own professional development and doing the workshops and trying to suck in everything I could,” she said. “This was more about information sharing for me. So that was kind of exciting. There was definitely a difference. Whenever I’d go, I’d try to learn, but I really felt like this time, it was a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge with people around the country.”

Robbins was part of a five-person discussion panel and was also a presenter, speaking on the culture of middle school athletics. Being from a relatively new school and of a new generation of female athletic administrators, Robbins provided a unique perspective.

“Three of the gentlemen on the panel had been educators for over 25 years, and one was over 30 years,” said Robbins. “So being on the panel with other people that had been in it for so long provided some of the greatest learning. I have been at it for seven years. Just to hear the differences and kind of pick the brains of people that have been at it a long time was really interesting.”

The panel, which met once for three hours, was given three areas to discuss – hazing, administrators dealing with so many different tasks and the effects of No Child Left Behind.

Robbins prepared by researching the topics and speaking with PRHS Principal Derek Pierce and her coaches.

“I just answered them as best I could in terms of how they related to Poland Regional High School and Whittier Middle School,” she said.

The panel’s comments will be printed in future issues of Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Magazine as will Robbins’ presentation about middle schools.

There were about two dozen representatives from Maine at the conference. The diversity of administrators provided a wealth of ideas and scenarios. One panel member oversaw a region in Las Vegas that built a new high school every nine months. Another administrator asked Robbins how big her stadium was?

“There are athletic directors that have maybe 100 people in their school and there are athletic directors that have 5,000 in their high school,” said Robbins. “That’s relatively unheard of, especially in Maine.”

Still, many of the issues that administrators wrestle with around the country are no different than those in Maine.

“I think athletics is athletics is athletics,” said Robbins. “Certainly the larger high schools have a bit more headaches, but I think they generally have the same issues. You always have parents that have issues and try to live vicariously through their children or talk about playing time. These are issues that we all deal with. That’s what was interesting to me about that blue-ribbon panel. Though there were five athletic administrators on the panel, while the school situation was different, everybody had similar issues in their schools.”

Robbins was planning to attend the conference, primarily to campaign for Gerry Durgin, the Gorham athletic director, who won a position as an NIAAA board member. Robbins and Greely’s Jack Hardy were co-chairs of that cause. In August, she received a letter from the National Federation of State High School Associations asking her to be on the panel. Soon thereafter, she was also asked to be a presenter.

“At that point, I was like I’m pretty busy while I’m down there, but I’d really like the opportunity,'” she said. “One of my goals this year is to actually promote our middle school athletic programs with the community and middle school philosophy and let people know what that is. I figured, Why not? I can meet my goals and get my name out there on a national scene. It was a lot of fun.”

Amid her other activities, Robbins took in workshops, attended the general sessions with guest speakers and took three Leadership Training Courses.

“If we weren’t passing out lobster pins or stickers or something from Maine, it was going to workshops, presenting and doing a bunch of different things,” said Robbins. “It was busy. I was definitely tired and ready to come home by the end of the sixth day.”

She returned with new ideas and even something to add to her list of things to do. One of the LTC sessions she took was on mentoring coaches.

“It really helped me,” said Robbins, who also coaches the Knights softball and field hockey teams. “I think I challenge myself to be more of a mentor for coaches. I try to lead by example. I want to know how to get our coaches to mentor each other.

“That information sharing between coach to coach is important, and that’s not something I have set up at this point, but hope to implement.”