“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” — Warren Bennis
How do you grow your student leaders? Leadership is one of the most important skills we can help our youth develop, and sports provides the perfect medium to practice and grow leaders. While on the field, participation in interscholastic sports provides a great platform for honing leadership skills, this growth can be magnified with intentional off-the-field support by coaches and administrators.
As coaches and educational leaders, we sometimes make the mistake of assuming all of our student-athletes know what leadership means and what effective leadership behaviors look like. We choose student-leaders without providing the necessary foundational information of what it means to be a leader or what expectations exist for captains. Subsequently, captains then “lead” with fuzzy agreements about what the job responsibilities include.
About:
- Leadership program designed for high school student-athletes
- Develop leadership skills, promote sportsmanship, community service, and school spirit
- Provide a voice for student-athletes, communication between student-athletes and administration
- All varsity captains for the current school year are members and coaches may nominate others they deem to be leaders on the teams
We plan to have our first meeting as a group in October. Our focus for the year will be:
- Bridging the Gap – How to Lead Your Friends Without Losing Them
- Communication & Conflict Resolution – Giving Feedback That Works
- The Liaison Role – Connecting Players and Coaches
- Mindset & Pressure – Poise, Imposter Syndrome, and Emotional Control
