What does it look like to be a leader? Self-awareness, clear communication, and respect toward others are what come to mind at first, but how does one learn to apply all these traits together? Is it really that important to have such characteristics? This spring, Mr. Joyner, along with Mr. Manderscheid, held a leadership class to help student athletes understand what leadership looks like and the importance of it, not just competing in sports but throughout life.
The class lasted four weeks, with four meetings in total, starting at 6:45 just before school to avoid overlapping with other activities. During gatherings, the book The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate by Jon Gordon was studied for the majority of the time. The self-help book is based on a true story of George Boiardi, a Cornell lacrosse player and phenomenal teammate, using his legacy to teach 21 lessons on teamwork. Selflessness, Hardwork, Accountability, Commitment, Respect, and Giving all, taking nothing were the key ideas being shared. To keep the class interactive, posters are made, and small/large group decisions are added in.
Although only 14 football players were attending for their off-season, it is open to any student who wishes to be involved. Brock Austin, sophomore, speaks positively about his recent experience with attending the course. “I can apply the things we go over in class to my everyday life, for example, communication, by being willing to be communicative to my parents and coaches about anything that may come up, and just in general.” High school is meant to prepare students for the future; therefore, an opportunity to attempt new ideas and expanding on communication skills in a class such as this is key.
This isn’t the beginning, and from the sound of it, the group has more in store. Michael Joyner, varsity football coach, highlights that the class was previously held and is making an impactful comeback. “I wanted to get it back because I wanted to see some of those characteristics pop back into our program. When we first started this, my 1st year as head coach, I could definitely see the difference it made for some of us, and we needed to make sure that continues.” Parentally, there may be a next level for an add-on. Mr. Joyner mentions what the future could look like for the class. “We do have a second level eventually that we’ll bring out. We’re trying to gear it more toward what we can do now that we know what a leader is. It’s more like an advanced leadership.” Having a next step after taking the first class may push students to dive even deeper into the meaning of it all, while giving them something to look forward to and a way to apply everything learned throughout all seasons of life.
Overall, learning how to be a great leader as a student will stick with one for the rest of their life. This class gives the opportunity to learn what looking into different perspectives can do to positively impact a person while striving to be the best version of oneself, not just for them but for the whole team. If more students got out of their comfort zone and gave the class a shot, our high school could be full of the world’s future leaders.
