We decided to roll this resource out a little sooner than the 1st of the month because we know many fall sports will be kicking off their summer training sessions next week.

The summer is a great time to identify and invest in your student athletes that you are going to need to step into leadership roles for your team in the upcoming season. It isn’t enough to just designate a particular student athlete as a leader, we need to recognize their individual strengths as a leader and equip them to lead in that area.

A strong culture demands strong leadership in 6 critical areas.  However, it is important for a leader to lead from their strengths, and it is a rare leader who can lead from a strength in each of these areas.  Below are the 6 CEOs (leaders) that every team needs to reach its potential.

To prepare your student athletes for a conversation about leadership, we would encourage you to watch this video first:

After watching the video and giving the student-athletes the opportunity to share anything that stood out to them from the video. Next we utilize the “Who is the CEO?” Activity.

If you don’t have time to do both (Watch & Discuss Video & Who is the CEO Activity) in one day, then consider spreading this out over two or three sessions. Session 1 - Video & Discussion. Session 2 - "Who is the CEO? Activity, focus on the the characteristics of each type of CEO. Session 3 - Discuss the Reflection Questions on page 2 of the Activity.

ACTIVITY: Who is the CEO?

Go back and pause the video at the 2:25 mark, which shows Pilots 2, 3, & 4 with their eyes locked on Pilot 1.

Use the activity linked below to engage your student leaders about the type of CEO role they see themselves filling!

Here are the 6 CEOs every team needs:

CHIEF ENERGY OFFICER – This type of leader helps set the tone for each day.  Their positive energy is infectious and raises the energy of others on the team.

CHIEF ENGAGEMENT OFFICER – This type of leader helps form connections within the team.  They can do this from a whole team perspective or individually.  Whole team usually involves organizing & leading team activities or bonding parties.  Individually means noticing who is by themselves on the team and keeping them plugged in.  This leader is usually one of the first people to introduce themselves to someone new.

CHIEF ENCOURAGMENT OFFICER – This type of leader is great at reading people.  They notice when a teammate is down and make it a priority to connect with them and pick them up.  They are skilled at interacting with their teammates in a one-on-one setting.   

CHIEF EXPECTATIONS OFFICER – This type of leader helps hold the team accountable in their actions towards their goals.  They are quick to redirect the team or individuals when their choices and actions are drifting off course from the team’s goals.

CHIEF EFFORT OFFICER – This type of leader sets the tone when it comes to workouts, both in-season and in the off-season.  They regularly push themselves outside of their comfort zone and invite others to join them in that process.

CHIEF EMOTION OFFICER – This type of leader is also known as “the Rock.”  They are a steady presence during times of challenge and adversity.  They are a source of calm in the midst of chaos.  They are the person people turn to for comfort when it seems like things are spiraling out of control.

CONFIDENCE CAMP - June 5 & 6 in Omaha, NE

We have our First Confidence Camps of the summer scheduled for this coming week. If you have an athlete that could benefit from investing in their mental skills, then encourage them to sign up!

NEBRASKA COACHES ASSOCIATION MULTI-SPORT CLINIC

We will be presenting three sessions at the NCA Multi-Sport Clinic in Lincoln, so even if you aren’t part of the group we are presenting for we hope you’ll join us for at least one of our sessions! We know you’ll take something away from it! Here are our scheduled session times:

Tuesday, July 23rd: 2:20 - 3:10 - XC and T&F Coaches

Wednesday, July 24th: 11:20 - 12:10 - Athletic Directors

Wednesday, July 24th: 2:30 - 3:20 - Tennis Coaches

If you aren’t registered to attend we encourage you to do that TODAY!

PASS IT ON!

If you found value in today’s newsletter, please share this link with someone you think would find value in it as well!

HOW DID IT GO?

When you use this activity, we’d love to know how it went for you & your team. If you have an idea to make it even better, we’d like to hear that as well. Reply to this email to share your thoughts!

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Are you in need of a resource over a specific topic or issue to use with your team? Reply to this email with your request and you may see it show up in a future newsletter!