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Audio Interview / Creating an Effective Captain's Council Athletic Director Diane Shuck has found having an energetic Captain's Council has been an effective and rewarding way to develop Team Leaders. A MUST LISTEN FOR ANY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OR ADMINISTRATOR INTERESTED IN STARTING A CAPTAIN'S COUNCIL OR IMPROVING ONE ALREADY IN PLACE! . . . more details Article / Successful Captain 's Meetings Getting the most out of your captain's training sessions is vital. Schools committed to developing their team leaders and captains will schedule meetings that are productive and meaningful. Craig Hillier shares several different models he has shared with students across the country. . . . more details Audio Interview / Creating an Effective Student Athletic Advisory Council Athletic Director Scott Garvis talks to Craig about how to form an effective Student Activity Council. Scott talks about the advantage for an AD of having a group of committed team leaders who an AD can bounce ideas of of and who in effect can connect an AD to all student athletes. . . . more details Audio Interview / Dealing With parents - an AD's Perspective (Part 1) When dealing with the parents of student athletes an Athletic Director faces many challenges. Veteran A.D. Geoff Steinbach has seen just about everything. Listen to Geoff chat with Craig about some of his experiences and some things he has learned from dealing with parents through the years (this clip is part 1 of 2). . . . more details Audio Interview / The Magic of Activities Group activities can be a fun way to teach valuable leadership lessons and to create unity within a team. Bill Cordes has been working with youth groups across the country for over 20 years. In this interview he shares with Craig some of his insights on bringing out the magic in a group activity. . . . more details

Resilience! The purpose/objective of this activity: Going from set-back to come-back! This is a great activity for bouncing back from a painful loss or other competitive set-back. When you or your team is faltering, it's vital you keep working harder. If you fall into a "whatever" mentality so will your team. You need to breathe life into your team. If you start to give in or quit when it's not going well, the rest of the team will follow. . . . more details Puzzled? The purpose/objective of this activity: Explore the power of cooperation/competition. "Hopefully, we understand that no one in this room has all the answers or pieces to the puzzle. We need each other to complete the puzzle. The challenge for you this week is to figure out ways to help others complete their puzzle." . . . more details Looking for the Good! The purpose/objective of this activity: Examine Our Perspective. The challenge is to look for the gold in every situation. Even if it doesn't look there is any, dig a little deeper.... whatever you look for in people and situations you will find. Let's look for the gold! . . . more details Explore Your Potential! The purpose/objective of this activity: Explore your potential. "You have all the potential to change and create the surroundings and climate this year. Our hope is when you look back on your athletic career you opened up the can of potential put some paint on the wall!" . . . more details Stay Hungry! The purpose of this activity: Staying motivated- not getting comfortable. "The empty candy wrapper should be put somewhere as a symbol. I want you to take this wrapper home and tape it to a mirror. Let this serve as a reminder to stay hungry and keep working hard so you have no regrets. . .no matter what the overall record is this year." . . . more details Audio Interview / The Magic of Activities Group activities can be a fun way to teach valuable leadership lessons and to create unity within a team. Bill Cordes has been working with youth groups across the country for over 20 years. In this interview he shares with Craig some of his insights on bringing out the magic in a group activity. . . . more details

Article / Successful Captain 's Meetings Getting the most out of your captain's training sessions is vital. Schools committed to developing their team leaders and captains will schedule meetings that are productive and meaningful. Craig Hillier shares several different models he has shared with students across the country. . . . more details Article / Unforgettable Coach No doubt coach E is an unforgettable coach. There have been several times in my life where I can hear his voice running through my mind. Sometimes I hear a "kick in pants" talk other times it's "you can do this." No doubt, he has influenced me long after high school football. Read Craig Hillier's reflections on an unforgettable coach... . . . more details Article / Influencing Peers Influencing Peers includes examples from real-life leaders who show that by demonstrating leadership in a positive way, they can influence their peers and yes... change the world. The focus of this article is how to develop and use influence as a team leader. . . . more details A Pebble Feels Like a Boulder (Article) Have you ever been walking down the street and felt a pebble in your shoe? Maybe you just "laced em up" and don't have time to start the process over. One thought is, "If I just tap my toe or heal a few times, the pebble will go away or at least find a spot in my shoe where is won't bother me." While that may have be a temporary fix, it seems the little pebble eventually finds a spot that starts to annoy us again. . . . more details Article / Team Chemistry Great chemists understand that when elements are combined, something greater than the individual parts can be created. Combine gas with a spark, you create a fire. Mix hydrogen with oxygen, you get water. Combine baking soda with vinegar, and you have a miniature volcano. When the elements are combined, they make something they couldn't have created if they had stayed in their original form. The same philosophy applies to great teamwork... . . . more details Article / The Art of Sportsmanship If you've ever watched an artist begin a painting, you'll notice the design is first created in the artist's head and heart. Then it appears on the canvas. Most artists visualize the big picture and then start working one area of a canvas at a time. That's how artists create masterpieces. The same principle can be applied to sportsmanship... . . . more details Article / Delusion of Drugs Imagine a smooth voice on a television advertisement asking, "Are you looking for a way to destroy your health, lose friends, and slow your team's progress?" Who would say yes to this product? It doesn't sound very appealing does it? . . . more details Article / Beyond The Asterisk Beyond the Asterisk begins with a question: "How would you describe your role as a captain/team leader". This question is answered and illustrated by the words of past and current team captains. The highlights the challenges and more. . . . more details

Team Dynamics Evaluation The T.E.A.M. Dynamics personality profile is designed to give you additional insight on your leadership style. You will explore your strengths, challenge areas, communication approach, conflict management tendencies and areas to be aware of as you work with a team. . . . more details

Togetherness Style Overview Togetherness is the "T" in TEAM. What are the characteristics, motivating factors, challenges and areas of improvement for some who exhibits the Togetherness style? . . . more details Enterpriser Style Overview Enterpriser is the "E" in TEAM. What are the characteristics, motivating factors, challenges and areas of improvement for some who exhibits the Enterpriser style? . . . more details Analyzer Style Overview Analyzer is the "A" in TEAM. What are the characteristics, motivating factors, challenges and areas of improvement for some who exhibits the Analyzer style? . . . more details Motivator Style Overview Motivator is the "M" in TEAM. What are the characteristics, motivating factors, challenges and areas of improvement for some who exhibits the Motivator style? . . . more details More

Working with Officials Working in a positive way with officials should be a major goal for all team captains. What are some things that tick an official off? How important is the pre-game meeting? Craig will discuss these topics and more in part 1 of a 2-part interview with veteran official Dave Kelliher. . . . more details Interactive Interview / 10 Mistakes Athletes Make When it Comes to Nutrition Parts 1-4 Being healthy and in good physical condition begins with a healthy diet. Wellness Coach and fitness professional Troy Eichers continues his discussion with Craig about nutrition. Troy talks about the proper timing for meals... some things you should know about over-the-counter supplements... the importance of refueling after a workout... and more! . . . more details Audio Interview / Creating an Effective Captain's Council Athletic Director Diane Shuck has found having an energetic Captain's Council has been an effective and rewarding way to develop Team Leaders. A MUST LISTEN FOR ANY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OR ADMINISTRATOR INTERESTED IN STARTING A CAPTAIN'S COUNCIL OR IMPROVING ONE ALREADY IN PLACE! . . . more details Audio Interview / Life as an Adventure (Part 1) Rob Kesselring has led over 15 expeditions into the Arctic; two of his expeditions were first ascents to places no one had previously explored. In part one of a two part interview, Rob talks about how students and adults often come to regret chances not taken, and the life changing event in his personal life that helped him realize this. . . . more details Audio Interview / Life as an Adventure (Part 2) In part 2 of Craig's interview with Arctic Explorer and Author Rob Kesselring, Rob shares actual experiences from some of his Arctic expeditions. . . . more details Audio Interview / Dealing With Drama Drama is a part of everyday life. Learning to deal with the drama created by the relationships in life begins with being true to yourself. Listen to inspirational speaker Jill Esplin talk to Craig about dealing with life's drama . . . more details Audio Interview / Creating an Effective Student Athletic Advisory Council Athletic Director Scott Garvis talks to Craig about how to form an effective Student Activity Council. Scott talks about the advantage for an AD of having a group of committed team leaders who an AD can bounce ideas of of and who in effect can connect an AD to all student athletes. . . . more details Audio Interview / Creating Team Unity When planning a trip to the Arctic, provisions, equipment and experience are valuable (not to mention warm clothes!). But According to Rob Kesselring, the most important ingredient is unity among the group. Listen to him discuss some strategies he uses to develop strong team unity. . . . more details Audio Interview / Dealing With parents - an AD's Perspective (Part 1) When dealing with the parents of student athletes an Athletic Director faces many challenges. Veteran A.D. Geoff Steinbach has seen just about everything. Listen to Geoff chat with Craig about some of his experiences and some things he has learned from dealing with parents through the years (this clip is part 1 of 2). . . . more details Audio Interview / Dealing With Parents - An AD's Perspective (part 2) Veteran Athletic Director Geoff Steinbach continues his conversation about working with the parents of student athletes. . . . more details Audio Interview / The Magic of Activities Group activities can be a fun way to teach valuable leadership lessons and to create unity within a team. Bill Cordes has been working with youth groups across the country for over 20 years. In this interview he shares with Craig some of his insights on bringing out the magic in a group activity. . . . more details Audio Interview / CLASSing It Up A successful team leader not only sets a good example on the athletic playing field, but also in the classroom. Author and speaker Bill Cordes shares his insights to help student athletes develop good habits that will lead to success in the classroom. . . . more details Audio Interview / The Importance of Letting Go Paul Gauche and Craig discuss the importance on letting go of anger and not carrying a grudge. . . . more details Audio Interview / Being Yourself as a Team Leader One key element to being a team leader is be comfortable being yourself in group settings. Harriet shares some personal anecdotes and key insights to being yourself as a team leader. . . . more details Audio Interview / Having a Vision The ability to develop a vision certainly helped former Minnesota Gopher and NBA veteran Walter Bond have a successful careeer in athletics. He has continued to use vision to guide himself after sports as well. Listen to Walter and Craig talk about the importance in life of developing a vision. . . . more details Audio Interview / Making Big Picture Decisions What drives our decisions? What are the keys to making positive big picture decisions? Craig and Minnesota Hall of Fame Speaker John Crudele answer these questions and more as they break down decision making for high school students. . . . more details Audio Interview / Bleacher Captains Craig has a lively conversation with a group of high school students who are able to generate enthusiasm at sporting events and are able to keep it positive. . . . more details Audio Interview / Working With Parents of Student Athletes Veteran high school coach Tom Saterdalen and Craig talking about some of the challenges when dealing with the parents of student athletes. . . . more details Audio Interview / Dealing With Difficult Teammates Everyone has experienced a team with a prima donna; someone who feels the rules apply to everyone else and not to him or her. In this interview former Minnesota Viking captain Keith Nord discusses dealing with difficult teammates . . . more details Audio Interview / Making Daily Decisions Craig and nationally renowned Speaker John Crudele continue their discussion on decision making for high school students. . . . more details Audio Interview / A-Game for Success (Part 1) According to author and speaker Eric Chester, "if you win at work, you win at life." Listen to Eric and Craig talk about the valuable lessons for leaders when considering successfully transitioning into the workforce. . . . more details Audio Interview / A-Game for Success (Part 2) Eric Chester and Craig continue the discussion on developing an athlete's "A-Game" . . . more details

Streaming Videos on Leadership The first in High School Sports Leader.com's series of streaming videos is "Leadership Myths". Site founder Craig Hillier will discuss 10 commonly held Leadership myths, then close by discussing the truth about leadership. . . . more details