“The Leadership Academy is one of the best programs we have initiated for our student athletes.” Chuck Burch, Gardner-Webb University A.D.
The Level Up Sports Leadership Academy is at the core of what we do at Level Up Sports. It is designed for maximum impact with teams, coaches and athletic departments, offering one consistent voice. We’ve also designed an Academy approach for local age-group teams, which is detailed at the bottom of this page.
Level Up Sports will visit your team or campus 3-5 times per year. We will partner with you throughout the process of learning and implementation:
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Universities & Colleges
Using a 2-year approach, the Academy focuses Year 1 on “Leading Yourself” and Year 2 carries the theme of “Leading Others.” Topics or themes can be geared to your specific circumstances but often include: self-awareness, learning from failure, and personal accountability in Year 1.
In Year 2, we go deeper on the self-awareness journey and look at themes of Leading through Conflict, Leading by Questions, and Leading through Relationships.
“The Leadership Academy is a dynamic tool that helped our Gardner-Webb athletic and swim program. Our culture improved dramatically. Our leaders grew tremendously, and learned how to pass on what they learned to the team. I highly recommend Jeff Raker and the academy for any college that wants to take their athletic program to a higher level. As a former college athlete and international level official, Jeff relates to both athletes and coaches. He has also helped me personally in navigating the challenges of running a Div I program.” – (Mike Simpson, Ass’t Coach University of South Carolina Swimming; former Head Coach at Gardner-Webb)
3-time NCAA qualifier in wrestling, Tyler Marinelli, said: “It is the Leadership Academy that helped me finalize my career choice because I knew who I was. The Academy gave me confidence to be who I was.”
Desired Outcomes:
(1) Develop an understanding of leadership strengths and the pitfalls of overusing those strengths
(2) Learn what motivates your the core of your being, your “Why”
(3) Understand some “brain basics,” learning how to cooperate with your brain and avoid emotional reactions in order to respond thoughtfully and productively.
(3) Develop a philosophy of leadership, understanding there are different ways to lead and how to choose wisely to meet the present circumstances.
(4) Learn some key components of communication and how to lead through conflict without that conflict derailing the vision, mission and purpose of the team or company.
How are participants chosen? Each University team selects a certain percentage of athletes to participate (targeting 70-90 total athletes). Those same athletes will continue with Year 2, followed by a new group for a new Year 1.
Special attention is paid to graduating Seniors, most of whom will not be going professional in their chosen sport. With the right tools and training, the transition to life after sport can be productive and smooth.
A full package includes time with athletes and also coaches. Some coaches meetings involve all staff; some only head coaches; some only assistant coaches. The format chosen is whatever works best for your university or college culture.
Contact Level Up Sports Leadership to start planning your Leadership Academy
Local Age-Group Teams
Local teams can also benefit from an Academy format, offered in 1-hour sessions, geared for the pre-college athlete and team.
Topics for age-group teams can include:
- Self-awareness
- Culture & the behaviors that support it
- The Journey from Average to Elite
- Relaxation & Breathing
- Overcoming anxiety & nerves (redefining failure so that it doesn’t exist)
- Focus
- Mindset
- Achieving your peak performance
Age-Group Format:
- Teaching
- Purposeful Group Games and Brain Games
- Homework – simple, short, but bringing thought to the process
Contact Level Up Sports to talk about your Leadership Academy