The Importance of Establishing a Leadership Program

Braxton

It is important to implement a character and leadership academy within our program for many reasons. An academy bolsters many benefits that we not only as a staff but as a program can utilize, to accomplish our main goal and that is building good young people for the future. Our leadership academy is woven into the fabric of our program, so much, that we dedicate and set time in our regular schedule to teach character and elements of leadership. We invite guest speakers every week, learn new ways to become better leaders, and utilize our core character building blocks as we participate in many community service projects and team building activities. We can not ignore the fundamental character traits that influence our leadership on the field, in the classroom, and out in the community. We as a program continually practice the lessons, we learn through out the academy within our regular season. Having the full cooperation of our coaching staff, parents, and school administration in regard to enabling our athletes through character is vital as well. Our academy aims to change lives, while creating leaders for the future.



When we talk about leadership development, the focus is often on people skills, communications skills, vision, intelligence, athletic acumen, even boldness. Yet none of that will make a leader without the foundational leadership quality of great character. Character is fundamental to effective leadership because good character builds trust, and without trust, people will not follow you. Without followers, obviously, one cannot lead. Good character is not just for the noble hearted. It is a choice. In fact, it is a series of consistent choices over a length of time. Our character is formed every time we face a defining moment that challenges us to sort through our core values and principles. If we are willing to use our self-discipline and self-control to try and do the right thing, each and every time, during those defining moments, over time these decisions will shape our personal and professional identities. So, character is not just talk. It is not just a matter of knowing who you are and what your values are. Your character is the balance of your values, virtues and vices; it expresses itself through your actions, and that is the foundation of LEADERSHIP.





Our Pillars of Character:





- Family



- Pride



- Discipline



- Service



- Conviction





Coaches Responsibilities:



We as a staff are committed to the mentoring and building of our athletes. We have the responsibility to setting our athletes up for success by arming them with the tools to succeed well after they leave our program. Our staff makes themselves available 24-7 to discuss and aid our athletes in any facet of their life. Our open-door policy along with giving our parents and players a contact list of our coaches is key. We take pride in perfecting our communication skills. Our coaches are not only homed in on building our program but building our individual athletes from the ground up. Academic excellence is a large component within our program. Without the leadership academy being fully implemented within our program our athletes would not have the extra ability to succeed within the classroom. Being a champion of character involves more from those that teach than those that are being educated. Our staff has an undying love for our athletes and that is reflected through the responsibilities of our staff.





Our Leadership academy breaks down our pillars of character and implements them within the first 5 months of the preseason. Each month has an associated pillar and is introduced using guest speakers and team building activities. Each pillar and associated month is as follows:





January (Family):



The first month into our leadership academy, the foundational pillar of family is the focus. Without the understanding of family, that we all depend on one another, that we see each other more than we see our own family we are dead in the water. The first month we will not have any outside guest speakers, but we will have an individual speaker from within our team. Every athlete will get a chance to speak through out the day of what family means to them and the importance the role of being a family plays in the success of our program and within their own lives. We will concentrate heavily on team building and team bonding activities, we as coaches will design activities that not only challenge our athletes but will inspire them to work together through adversity. Through adversity, a family is forged.





February (Pride):



Pride is defined as, “a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” Within month 2 we implement weekly outside guest speakers. In direct correlation to pride we intentionally bring in speakers from the military, law enforcement, medicine, teachers, and corporate business. Our speakers speak about their background and their road to their careers. We specifically ask the speakers to highlight the pride in which they have in what they do professionally and translate that to football. Through out the week we have small items we consider as awards; for example, the “go to work” lunch box. I found an old 1950’s steel lunch box, we award the lunch box to the athlete who is working the hardest inside and outside of the program. Once the lunch box is awarded that athlete must carry it around school and before turning it back into the coaches, they must write a one-page inspirational letter to the team and leave it inside. The letters are collected and read at the banquet. Pride in our everyday activities and in themselves is the aim.





March (Discipline):



Discipline is one of the main core foundational pillars our program stands on. Doing the little things right when no one is watching and attention to detail is consistently harped on. We continue our weekly guest speakers from military personnel, motivational speakers, former athletes, and professional athletes to speak about their background and the importance of discipline. We start this week with the video of Marcus Luttrell, a navy seal that endured tremendous pain during operation Iraqi Freedom. The video is a speech to the University of Texas football team where he speaks about his encounter, it is very motivating and sets the tone for the months spotlight on discipline.





April (Service):



Being part of something bigger than yourself, selfless not selfish are the main themes that play into our monthly pillar of service. Throughout the month we schedule volunteer community service projects that every athlete takes part in. We as coaches schedule anywhere between 2 to 3 service activities a week. We volunteer at convalescent care centers where we visit with residents and play bingo. We also attend community clean ups and volunteer at local hospitals. We as a program are drilling in the sacrifices that others make, that ability that our kids are given to play the game is not always afforded to others. It is a gift, and a gift deserves respect and thanks.





May (Conviction):



The final foundational character pillar within our leadership academy is conviction. The establishment of the belief that our athletes must possess in order to battle adversity in their everyday lives. Being a person of conviction isn’t easy, we again bring in guest speakers that speak directly to our kids about having and possessing the care needed in order to obtain their goals. We incorporate our youth camp along with our team building projects for our athletes to visually see what conviction means. This is by far the most important pillar within our foundation. Coaches are asked to speak sporadically throughout the day about conviction, about extreme belief in something that it carries you to success.







Understanding the importance our leadership academy plays in the overall development of athletes is key to our overall success not only as a program but in general as a coach. Our main purpose in coaching, is to ensure our athletes never fail themselves. An athlete's character, good or bad, can inspire other team mates to greatness or discourage them from trying. In a team setting, the role of leadership character can't be understated. Authentic leaders lead from a strong, personal, moral value that can have a profound effect on our program. The importance of maintaining and procuring elements of character and influencing situations where the importance of leadership can be highlighted is key. Don’t just talk about it, be about… Lead from the front. Character is an essential trait for leadership. Character builds trust and credibility, promotes loyalty, and as Fred Kiel’s research for “Return on Character” proved, even leads to an increased average return on assets. So intelligence, talent and all those skill-based competencies are irrelevant to leadership without character. That is also why the totally self-serving & talented may sometimes get ahead initially, but eventually not rise to the top as they are untrustworthy and people will not follow them, however good they are. As US Army General Norman Schwarzkopf said, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”