Purpose Statement:

Developing character and leadership values in student-athletes and coaches through scriptural-based teaching and mentoring programs while honoring those who exemplify those same principles. In turn, communities will be impacted by those who choose to be culture changers.

"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.” 2 Peter 2: 5-8 The Message

COACH EMPHASIS

Coaches Leadership Academy – The academy will focus on serving coaches by walking alongside them in their professional, spiritual and personal journey. Key coaches and athletic directors in the Greater Dallas area will be invited to commit to ongoing leadership training that will help them to positively influence their fellow coaches, student-athletes, families and communities.

Coaches Leadership Academy

Coaches who sign up for the Coaches Leadership Academy have an opportunity to choose from several different resources provided by The Greater Dallas FCA and its Character & Leadership Initiative.

Coaching Greatness™ - Group and individual training sessions provided by Flippen Sports

Legacy Builders - 12 week study that contains timeless biblical principles that can change your life. “This study has not only helped me become a better coach but it has made me a better husband and a father!” Tom McCartney - Head Football Coach, Fairview HS Colorado

R12 Coach - Discipleship study on Romans 12 written for coaches and available in DVD format or online

The Four Priorities: Life is Too Short to Get It Wrong - Discipleship workbook by Dr. John Tolson that teaches principles on how to become a person of high impact

The Greater Dallas FCA is teaming up with the following partner organizations to provide additional resources for The Coaches Leadership Academy.

Flippen Sports, a division of The Flippen Group, is led by Coach Brad McCoy and is at the forefront of innovative solutions for performance-based coaching leadership and player development. Clients range from NY Yankees, Texas A&M to some of the most successful high school athletic departments in the country. FS also works individually with elite athletes including Colt McCoy, Heath Evans (New Orleans Saints) and Stephen McGee (Dallas Cowboys).

"I want our athletes to grow up and develop into fine players on the field, but more importantly, I want them to turn into great spouses, parents and business leaders; men and women that make this world a better place." Brad McCoy

High Impact Life™ Seminars are part of the ministry of The Tolson Group led by Dallas Cowboys Team Chaplain, Dr. John Tolson. These seminars provide foundational Biblical teaching on becoming a person of high impact and developing a balanced life.

"We have a CRISES of character in our nation. FCA’s focus on Character and Leadership development will have a profound impact on student-athletes lives." Dr. John Tolson

STUDENT EMPHASIS

Winning With Character - This curriculum for student-athletes was created for the University of Georgia under the direction of Coach Mark Richt to challenge athletes to reach their full potential in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. It provides understanding, reasoning and application on moral and ethical principles with the intent to change student’s thinking and behavior.

Character Counts For Athletes - Curriculum for the FCA Huddle Groups (before or after school program for students and athletes from various sports).

Sports Leadership Camp - This camp is an opportunity for high school athletes to develop leadership and character skills on and off the field.

Youth Sports League Outreach - Clinics, Camps and Community partnerships reaching out to youth and parents of non-school directed sports programs

"I believe there is no greater need in our country today than the need to train, develop and equip young people with leadership skills and strong moral character. When we identify key constraints in this nation, most of them can be traced to poor leadership or failures in moral decisions. Who best to lead the charge and to make a real impact in this area than the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As a former pro athlete and current businessman, I could not be more excited to lend my time, talents and treasure to partner with the FCA in this endeavor. Because the FCA is so well respected and positioned within our schools and community, we have the ability to impact hundreds and thousands of coaches and student-athletes in the coming years. This is one of the greatest opportunities we will ever see - to positively impact the development of our nation's future leaders. Sign me up!" Pat Combs

“I’m involved in this Initiative because we are losing too many young student-athletes to drug and alcohol abuse. Our coaches need our support to help them become the best leaders and examples to these students and this Initiative will do that.” Roger Staubach

Sports Leadership Camp Update

Leadership Advisory Board Members

Randy Allen
Pat Combs
O.S. Hawkins
Joel Justiss
Bill Krisher
Dr. Larry Taylor
Dr. John Tolson
Roger Staubach
Rayfield Wright

"While growing up in rural Georgia, I had many mentors in my young life. Without their guidance and leadership, there is no way I would have had the character or faith to play for the Dallas Cowboys. It’s like my grandmother Big Mama used to say, ‘Son, it takes people.’ That’s why I support this Initiative.” Rayfield Wright

The Case for Character and Leadership Development:

*When asked to identify the most significant or challenging issues facing their teenagers, parents listed peer pressure (42%), performance in school (16%), substance abuse (16%), behavioral issues (15%) and values development (6%).

*More than 85% of Americans 20 and older think sportsmanship is worse now than when they were growing up.

*Nearly two-thirds (65%) of the boys and girls participating in sports cheated on an exam in the past year in comparison to 60% of the total high school population (based on survey of 35,000 students).

*A disturbing number of male athletes (6.4%) admit to having used Performance Enhancing Drugs in the past year (2% of females). (Source- Josephson Institute of Ethics, Feb 2007)

*In a recent survey of 125,000 coaches, over 90 percent of the respondents said the number one challenge they faced in dealing with their athletes is the problem of drug and alcohol use.

*According to an annual survey of U.S. youth, three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five 8th graders have consumed alcohol.

*11% of 8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, and 29 percent of 12th graders had engaged in heavy episodic, or binge, drinking within the past two weeks.

*Of 1,225 Baseball Coaches interviewed, 53% agreed with this statement: Because most high school coaches accept responsibility for character building, varsity baseball athletes are less likely to engage in illegal drinking or drug use.