"Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”
- Vince Lombardi
There are numerous benefits to students when they participate in high school athletics. Athletics teach lessons that help prepare our students for their adult life. In order to assist our student athletes in excelling as leaders in their adult life, the Champions for Life program was created. The program is designed to bring these intangibles into focus and help the student athletes to translate the lessons from the playing field into his/her personal and professional life.
The foundation of the program starts freshman year. At the beginning of each season, all freshman student athletes participating in a sport attend a workshop entitled, How to be a Highlander. The workshop is given by the Athletic Director in conjunction with members of the Captain’s Council. The workshop covers the high expectations that come with participating in athletics at Oak Hills High School. Topics of discussion include academic performance and expectations, sportsmanship, ethics, Oak Hills Athletic Code of Conduct and learning to lead themselves as individuals properly.
The next stage of the program is the Student Athlete Leadership Training (SALT). Each varsity coach nominates one sophomore and one junior he/she feels has demonstrated leadership potential within the scope of their sport. This group meets during monthly and addresses a series of topics and activities that give the student athlete the tools needed to be a strong leader. Members of SALT are encouraged to implement these lessons into the real-world situations they come into contact with through their teams, school and community and lead others through conflict management. The goal is to build leadership and character qualities within the student athlete that will carry over to not only their teams but into their lives as well.
The final stage of the program is the Captain’s Council. This group is made up entirely of the team captains (generally seniors) for every varsity team at Oak Hills High School. The Captain's Council meets monthly with the Athletic Director to discuss issues facing the players, teams, school, and community. They work to find and implement solutions through their role as leaders.
The program has a direct influence over a core group of individuals. Leadership and character are teachable. By empowering our student athletes with these skills, we will make a positive impact on our school and community as a whole, creating Champions for Life.