It’s Safe to Assume Craft’s Daily To-Do List Is Lengthy

As the Director of Athletics for Fulton County Schools, Dr. Steven Craft oversees 16 high school athletic departments, with each of those programs’ athletic directors reporting to Craft. “My days are quite full, and there’s never a dull moment,” Craft said just prior to joining us during this week’s recording of our Next Take Georgia podcast.

Fulton County is the state’s fourth largest school district, and the job offers many rewards as well as challenges, Craft said.

“Among our biggest challenges is making sure that we keep our kids involved in something,” he said.

With approximately 10,000 students participating in at least one sport, I’d say Craft is doing a pretty good job. That is about 60 percent of the entire student enrollment that is playing sports, and while that number is significant, Craft said he would like to see more student athletes take part in different sports year-round.

“We really need more multi-sport athletes,” Craft said, echoing many other coaches and administrators who are hoping to see a move toward diversification among student athletes and the sports they play, versus the specialization that has seemingly become the norm among a growing number of high school student-athletes. “Specialization is a big challenge for all of us involved with overseeing student-athletes.”

Craft spoke about two of the fastest-growing sports in high school athletics, and at least one of them may surprise the general high school sports fan.

“E-Sports is coming on strong as one of our fastest growing sports not only in Fulton County, but statewide,” he said.

One of the great things about E-Sports, Craft added, is how it gives the non-traditional athlete an opportunity to become involved in a competitive sport.

“It’s a great way to get more kids involved, and that’s our ultimate goal,” he said.

Flag football is the fastest-growing sport in Georgia high school athletics, and Fulton County is no exception. Two of the county’s high schools faced each other in this year’s GHSA flag football Class 7A state finals, with Blessed Trinity from Roswell defeating the Milton High School Eagles. Craft also mentioned competition dance as yet another growing sport among Georgia high school sports.

Perhaps the hottest topic being talked about involving Georgia high school student athletes is the advance of Name in Likeness, more commonly known as NIL. The subject of high school student athletes benefiting from the use of their name and/or likeness was at first rejected by most administrations among Georgia high schools, and that included the GHSA.

However, as Craft pointed out during the Next Take Georgia podcast, NIL is not only here, its acceptance is, too.

“We will pass the NIL,” he said, admitting what others have also acknowledged.

Craft did say that the responsibility of administrators and athletic directors like him must be to make sure it is introduced and rolled out appropriately.

“I don’t have a problem with the NIL, but we have to make sure it doesn’t become a recruiting tool,” he said.

Be sure to hear our entire conversation with Fulton County AD Dr. Steven Craft on the Next Take Georgia podcast, brought to you by ITG Next Georgia.