J.B.

Wells
Head Football Coach

Mark Kulakowski
Assistant Football Coach

Program Introduction

Character is the foundation of Leadership. Leaders who are ethically grounded have a
huge advantage when it comes to building teams. They will be consistent and steadfast
and will place the needs of the team ahead of their own. They can be counted on in every
situation to do what is right rather than what is expedient. Leaders with personal
character provide a model and foundation of trust, honor and integrity for their followers.
They know themselves, and what they stand for, and by being consistent in word and
deed; they create opportunities for success for everyone on the team. A team can seldom
rise above the character flaws of the leader.

Character education is as old as education itself. Down through history, all over the
world, education has had two goals: to help people become smart and to help them
become good. The American Founders believed that democracy has a special need for
character education, because democracy is government by the people themselves. The
people must therefore be good, must develop "democratic virtues" such as; respect for the
rights of individuals, regard for law, voluntary participation in public life, and concern for
the common good.

In the early days of the republic, the Bible was the source book of both moral and
religious instruction. When disputes arose over whose Bible to use, William McGuffey
offered his McGuffey Readers as a way to teach schoolchildren the "natural virtues" of
honesty, hard work, thriftiness, kindness, patriotism, and courage.

Character education; instruction in virtue through edifying stories, the teacher's example,
and discipline, remained a central part of the public school's mission until the middle part
of the 20th century. It declined for several reasons:

The rise of Logical Positivism ("There is no moral truth, no objective right

and wrong") and moral relativism ("All values are relative")

Personalism ("Each person should be free to choose his own values; who are
we to impose our values?")

The Secularizing of Society and the fear that teaching morality in the schools
would mean teaching religion.

In the 1960s and 70s, values education that emphasized "process" or thinking skills to
clarify your values, reasoning about values (moral dilemma discussions), and decision
making processes. This replaced character education's traditional emphasis on moral
content (learning right from wrong and acting rightly).

The expectation remains that as people advance into adulthood that they are equipped
with a moral compass and have good character. Unfortunately this is not always the
case. In fact, with little formal programming students are arriving on college campuses

expected to know how to handle complex adult situations with little training on how to do
so.

So as societal moral problems have worsened, character education has made a comeback.
Character education is directive rather than non-directive; it asserts the rightness of
certain values such as respect, responsibility, honesty, caring, and fairness and helps
students to understand, care about, and act upon these values in their lives.

We hope that by providing a systematic approach that begins with Character Education
and progresses to Leadership Education we can help our student-athletes develop good
character and then teach and lead others to do the same.

PROGRAM FORMAT:

STEP ONE: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

STEP TWO: DEEDS NOT WORDS

STEP THREE: FINDING YOUR VOICE

STEP FOUR: ALL ABOUT TEAM

TEAM LEADER SELF ASSESMENT

Step One: Character Development

Character formation is not merely the development of skills; it is a way of living on and
off the field; a way of knowing, valuing and acting correctly. A persons character is
formed based on the attitudes and behaviors they exhibit. Getting our athletes to develop
and demonstrate good character means getting them to decide to live by principles and
values that may force them to make some difficult choices along the way. However, we
hope through establishing a set of core values, the effort to make a tough choice, and
follow through with that choice, will eventually become habitual in the life of that
individual.

DEVELOPING A CORE SET OF VALUES

We must teach our players to not self-indulge themselves as younger players. We want
them to work together as a team and not a bunch of individuals. The younger players
cave into temptation easier than the older players.

In developing and teaching the

following stages of character development we hope to aid our young players into making
the right decisions and becoming upstanding young men. The stages we have developed
are: Integrity, Justice, Courage, Moderation/Balance, Caring and Compassion.

INTEGRITY

The first core value of character is integrity. Integrity is defined as a consistency of

acting in a right manner. Doing things the same way and to the same degree whether
anybody is watching or not. Integrity means being the same person on and off the field.
There is no room for fake people on the team. Integrity requires you to be a complete
person who is true to himself and to his teammates. Integrity is not only an individual
responsibility but a social responsibility. A person who achieves integrity is respected by
his coaches and peers. Author Robert Wuthnow says, A role is always bonded, whereas
a self is not. I can take a vacation from my roles; I cannot take a vacation from myself
(Yeager p. 42). To have integrity you must talk the talk and walk the walk. In order for
our players to become leaders they must understand this.

JUSTICE

The second value is justice. Justice is recognizing other people as ends valuable in
themselves and recognizing that they deserve to be treated fairly without any prejudices
or selfishness. In order to achieve the stage of justice our players must see things from
whats inside a person. It is easy to look at a persons skin color, height, weight or
athletic ability, but to become a just person you must look at everyone equal and treat
them as such. Justice also means making just decisions that allows everyone to be treated
equal. A just person treats others with fairness and truthfulness. In order for us to be a
successful team, our players must treat each other in such a fashion.

COURAGE

The third value is courage. Courage is acting on what is morally responsible without
rashness or cowardice. Doing what is right when emotionally drawn in another direction.
As coaches we need to instill a sense of confidence in our players mind, body and heart.
If we believe in them, they will believe in themselves.

The same goes for their

teammates. This is why everyone must learn courage. A team with instilled courage
faces risk with confidence and resolution. Having courage does not only mean being
brave.

It consists of patience, perseverance and self-discipline.

Through teaching

courage to our football players we believe that they will readily accept challenges on and
off the field.

MODERATION AND BALANCE

The fourth value is moderation and balance. Moderation and balance are taught in order
for our athletes to react to failure. We will not win every game and the young men must
learn how to persevere from this. When the going is good everyone is up and happy, but
good teams are built when times are not so good. The way teams react to the down times
and pull themselves out of them makes that team good, despite wins and losses. The
players that can use good character are able to put football in perspective and act
moderately.

CARE AND COMPASSION

The last value of character is care and compassion. Showing care and compassion is
something we hope comes natural to our players.

This means we did a good job

recruiting the right young men. The players must not only treat each other with justice
but with compassion as well. Our football team is a brotherhood. It is a privilege to be
an Endicott football player. The young men on our team will sweat, bleed and shed tears
together on and off the field. We plan to develop a sense of compassion among them all.
The friends that are made in college last a lifetime.

These are our 5 core values of character towards creating good character within the
Endicott football team. Each value will be taught to the underclassmen. The players will
understand each value before moving onto the next one. Each value will be taught in a
session, resulting in 5 sessions overall. As these men become juniors and seniors they
will share these values with our younger players.

In developing and teaching these stages of character the coaches hope to develop fine
young men individually. Once the men are developed individually that is when the team
will develop as a whole. As a team they will develop a sense of sportsmanship among
themselves. As our team goes through this character education, they will develop levels
of teamwork.

By the end of the character education our players should go from

understanding their role as a member of the team and seeking opportunities to display
teamwork to understanding their role as a contributing team member (no matter what
capacity) and model the value of teamwork. Also at the conclusion of the teaching of
these five stages the team will learn respect and responsibility for each other.

Having a solid base built on character we are now ready to discuss leadership
development.

Step Two: Deeds Not Words

DEFINING LEADERSHIP

There are as many definitions of leadership as there are leaders. There are also a variety
of ways that coaches and teams use to determine their team leaders. Some are chosen by
their teammates, while others are named by their coaches. John Gagliardi, coach of St.
Johns University (MN) names every senior football player a captain. Regardless of how
team captains are selected, leadership can be something that everyone can participate
in. While captains may be named, or given the title; true leadership is a privilege that
must be earned and maintained.

Since we are a team, we will focus on developing good team leaders. This type of leader
leads by positive example. They endeavor to foster a team environment in which all team
members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. A team
leader encourages the team to reach team goals as effectively as possible, while also
working tirelessly to strengthen the bonds among the various members. They form and
lead the most productive teams. This is a great undertaking and should not be entered into
without proper thought. In order to become a team leader you must understand the risks,
rewards and responsibility of doing so.

THREE Rs OF LEADERSHIP RISKS, REWARDS AND RESPONSIBILITY

RISKS

1. You Will Constantly Be Watched

2. Trust And Respect Are Extremely Fragile
3. You Wont Always Be Liked
4. Some Teammates May Be Jealous Of You
5. You Must Deal With Conflict
6. You Will Take The Heat When Things Go Wrong
7. You Might Be Disappointed

REWARDS

1. Satisfaction Of Helping Others Succeed

2. Ability To Significantly Impact Your Teams Success
3. Position You For Future Leadership Roles

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Set The Mental And Emotional Tone For The Team

2. Keep The Coaches Informed About Team Issues
3. Provide Input On Team Decisions
4. Talk With Struggling Teammates

5. Handle Conflicts Within The Team

6. Be Loyal To The Coaches And Support Their Decisions

TYPES OF LEADERS

There are also many types of leaders and leadership techniques. In athletics, coaches and
athletes typically speak about two types of leaders: Leaders By Example and Vocal
Leaders. Both types of leaders are important for team success and each has certain
characteristics that are associated with it.

LEADERS BY EXAMPLE

Leaders by example are those individuals that let their actions speak for themselves. They
are the athletes that work hard in everything they do; they are calm and composed in
pressure situations and do the right thing on and off the field. Leaders by example are
measured by 4 characteristics: Character, Commitment, Confidence, and Composure.

COMMITMENT

To be an effective leader you must be committed. You must be ready to give yourself
completely; your time, energy and passion to help the team reach its goals. This
investment is ultimately what leadership is all about. You must care so much about what
you are doing that you are willing to do everything ethically to make it happen. You must

also be so passionate about the team goals that you are willing to endure all the
challenges and setbacks that will come your way. This is a total investment in SUCCESS.

CONFIDENCE

Having confidence means that you believe in yourself and your ability to lead others.
Athletics are filled with peaks and valleys that will test your confidence. Confidence is a
fragile thing and must be repaired, rebuilt or restored many times over the course of a
career. Personal confidence must come from within you. There will be many times that,
as a leader, you must go it alone and stand up for something that you know is right. If you
worry too much about what other people will think, or if you believe that popularity is
more important than principles, you do not have the personal confidence to be a good
leader.

COMPOSURE
Great leaders are able to keep their cool when everything is in chaos around them. This is
critical since your teammates will be looking to you to see how they should be reacting to
the situation. How you personally react to adversity will often have an immediate impact
on how them teammates choose to respond to it as well. You need to have the mindset
that the tougher the situation gets the tougher I get. Remember, composure is contagious.

Step 3: Finding Your Voice

Becoming a Vocal Leader requires you to develop your communication skills, both
listening and speaking. For some this is and easier transition than others. However, it is a
crucial part of team leadership and is an area that will help more than anything after your
playing career is over. While everyone has the capacity to become a good leader by
example it takes much more effort to become a Vocal Leader.

Vocal Leaders not only display the 4 characteristics of Leaders By Example, but they
take leadership a step further by verbally encouraging their teammates. Vocal Leaders are
also Servant Leaders, extending themselves and putting the needs of the team ahead of
their own personal needs and dreams. They instill confidence, help the team find their
focus in difficult times, build team unity and chemistry and hold teammates to a higher
standard.

The first role of a Vocal Leader is that of Servant. The best form of leadership is Servant
Leadership putting the needs of the team before your own personal goals. If you think
that leadership is being able to tell others what to do and having the team serve you, your
teammates will quickly resent you as their leader. The servant leader philosophy seeks to
humbly serve those who you hope to lead.

Vocal Leaders are also Confidence Builders. You must develop a working relationship
with your teammates. Get to know what pushes their buttons, that gets them going and
what knocks them down. The better you know your teammates and what motivates them
the better you can build their confidence in their abilities regardless of the situation.

You must also encourage your teammates by being a Focus Finder. That is, when
something is not going well and the team seems to be falling apart you must be able to refocus your teammates on the task at hand. This is essentially appealing to your teammates
individual levels of composure. You must be patient as possible and help your team get
through situations that you yourself may find extremely frustrating.

Team Chemistry and unity are essential to the success of any group. Vocal Leaders create
an environment where individuals trust and care for one another. Not everyone on the
team is going to like or get along with everybody, however, as a Team Builder you must
develop a situation where the team feels a sense of family and belonging to something
special.

THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT

The most difficult part of being a leader is when you must confront a teammate who is
not living up to the expectations of the rest of the team. This type of conflict is often
uncomfortable and unpleasant. However, the ability of team leaders, and not just the
coaches, to enforce the team standards is crucial to the teams chemistry, commitment

and success. As a leader conflicts will be inevitable so be prepared to deal with it. Dont
sacrifice being respected for being liked and remember if you need to confront a team
member it is for the good of the team.

Step 4: Its All About T.E.A.M.

As players progress through the program they will (hopefully) reach the status of a Vocal
Leader. Players will arrive at this at different times in their careers, some sooner, some
later. Once they are capable of really understanding Servant Leadership and how to
resolve conflicts, they will move on to educating new additions to the program in the area
of character. Since we believe that character is the cornerstone of good leadership, the
new players will learn about the core values from their older teammates peers that
walk the walk and are models of good character and leadership that live with them on
campus 24/7.

TEACH

Tell your teammates that their character counts that their success and happiness will
depend on who they are inside, not what they have or how they look. Tell them that
people of character know the difference between right and wrong because they guide
their thoughts and actions by our 5 Core Values of: Integrity, Justice, Courage,
Moderation/Balance, Caring and Compassion. Use examples from your own life, history,
and the news.

EDUCATE

Instill the five core virtues of character by encouraging and praising good behaviors and
by discouraging all instances of bad behavior by imposing fair, consistent consequences
that prove you are serious about the teams overall character. Demonstrate courage and
firmness of will by enforcing the core values when it is difficult or costly to do so.

ADVOCATE

Continuously encourage your teammates to live up to the teams standards in all their
thoughts and actions. Be an advocate for character. Dont be neutral about the importance
of character nor casual about improper conduct. Be clear and uncompromising that you
want and expect your teammates to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring,
and good citizens.

MODEL

Be careful and self-conscious about setting a good example in everything you say and do.
Hold yourself to the highest standards at all times. Everything you do, and dont do,
sends a message about your values. Be sure your messages reinforce your lessons about
doing the right thing even when it is hard to do so. When you slip, act the way you want
your teammates to behave when they act improperly be accountable, apologize
sincerely, and resolve to do better.

TEAM LEADERSHIP SELF EVALUATION

USING A SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE RATE YOURSELF ON THE FOLLOWING 24 QUESTIONS

1 = STRONGLY DISAGREE, 2 = DISAGREE, 3 = UNDECIDED, 4 = AGREE, 5 = STRONGLY AGREE

CHARACTER
1. I CONSISTENTLY DO THE RIGHT THING ON AND OFF THE FIELD
2. I AM HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY
3. I TREAT MY TEAMMATES, COACHES AND OTHERS WITH RESPECT

1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5

1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5

1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5

1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5

COMMITMENT
4. I AM ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKERS ON THE TEAM
5. I CARE PASSIONATELY ABOUT THE TEAMS SUCCESS
6. I AM A COMPETITIVE PERSON WHO WANTS TO WIN

CONFIDENCE
7. I BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND MY ABILITY TO LEAD
8. I WANT TO PERFORM IN PRESSURE SITUATIONS
9. I BOUNCE BACK QUICKLY FOLLOWING MISTAKES AND ERRORS

COMPOSURE
10. I STAY CALM AND COMPOSED IN PRESSURE SITUATIONS
11. I STAY FOCUSED WHEN FACED WITH OBSTACLES AND ADVERSITY
12. I KEEP MY ANGER AND FRUSTRATION UNDER CONTROL

LEADER BY EXAMPLE TOTAL (ADD QUESTIONS 1-12)

SERVANT LEADER
13. I REACH OUT TO MY TEAMMATES WHEN THEY NEED HELP
14. I TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO MY TEAMMATES

CONFIDENCE BUILDER
15. I REGUARLY ENCOURAGE MY TEAMMATES TO DO THEIR BEST
16. I REGULARLY COMPLIMENT MY TEAMMATES WHEN THEY SUCCEED

FOCUS FINDER
17. I COMMUNICATE OPTIMISM AND HOPE WHEN THE TEAM IS STRUGGLING
18. I KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO MY TEAMMATES WHEN THEY ARE STRUGGLING

TEAM BUILDER
19. I HAVE DEVELOPED AN EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OF MY TEAMMATES
20. I AM A TEAM PLAYER WHO SEEKS TO UNIFY THE TEAM

ENFORCER
21. I HOLD MY TEAMMATES ACCUNTABLE FOR FOLLOWING TEAM RULES/STANDARS
22. I CONSTRUCTIVELY CONFRONT MY TEAMMATES WHEN NECESSARY
23. I AM WILLING TO ADDRESS AND MINIMIZE CONFLICTS BETWEEN TEAMMATES
24. I AM FIRM, FAIR AND DIRECT WHEN DEALING WITH CONFLICTS AND PROBLEMS

VOCAL LEADER TOTAL (ADD QUESTIONS 12-24)

TEAM LEADERSHIP SELF EVALUATION

LEADER BY EXAMPLE TOTAL _________
12-44

= NOT A LEADER BY EXAMPLE

45-52

= SOLID LEADER BY EXAMPLE

53-60

= SUPERIOR LEADER BY EXAMPLE

IF YOU SCORED LESS THAN 45 ON THIS SECTION YOU ARE PROBOBLY NOT SUCESSFULLY
LEADING YOURSELF TO EARN THE RESPECT OF YOUR COACHES AND TEAMMATES.

THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO 60 THE BETTER JOB YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE DOING AND THE
MORE RESPECT YOU WILL LIKEY GAIN FROM OTHERS.

YOU CAN ALSO EVALUATE THE INDIVIDUAL SECTION SCORES TO SEE HOW YOU RATE ON
YOUR CHARACTER, COMMITMENT, CONFIDENCE AND COMPOSURE. SECTION SCORES
SHOULD TOTAL 11 OR HIGHER.

VOCAL LEADER TOTAL

24-89

_________

= NOT A VOCAL LEADER

90-105 = SOLID VOCAL LEADER

53-60

= SUPERIOR VOCAL LEADER

ONCE YOU HAVE TOTALED YOUR SCORE FOR QUESTIONS 1-12 YOU NEED TO ADD UP YOUR
SCORE FOR QUESTIONS 13-24.

ADD THE TWO TOTALS TOGETHER TO GIVE YOU YOUR RATING AS A VOCAL LEADER.

TO BE CONSIDERED A VOCAL LEADER YOU NEED TO SCORE AT LEAST 90, IF NOT HIGHER.

THE CLOSER YOU SCORE TO 120, THE MORE YOU ARE DOING TO EARN YOUR COACHES
RESPECT AND YOUR TEAMMATES TRUST.