Developing Leaders On and Off The Field

St. Michael’s College School’s new character curriculum aims to further strengthen athletes in mind, body and spirit.

Last year, when decision-makers at Toronto’s St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) began laying the groundwork for what has now become their coaching character curriculum, their focus was simple: to add a layer of experiential development to all athletic teams that would strengthen student character while amplifying their leadership skills.

“The initial idea was born out of a desire to create an additional and intentional opportunity for our young men to not only challenge themselves to be great teammates and athletes, but to be the best possible versions of themselves on and off the field,” said David Lee, vice principal of St. Michael’s College School, a Catholic university-preparatory school for boys in Grades 7 to 12.

To accomplish this goal, a team of teachers and administrators took part in a series of workshops to discuss what a character-building athletics program would entail, what it would look like in practice, and how it would eventually be incorporated into the school’s curriculum.

“What we determined and committed to was creating impactful and ongoing learning experiences that would consistently build student character while promoting excellent leadership skills in team sports and beyond,” he said.

Once it was clear that students would benefit from this dedicated program, SMCS took part in a full day of professional development to prepare for the program’s 2024-25 implementation.

Facilitated by Jonathon Reed, program manager for NextGenMen, a Canadian non-profit dedicated to changing the way the world sees, acts and thinks about masculinity, the day included sessions from two engaging keynote speakers: coaching and development expert, Dr. Ivan Joseph, who has served as a professor, vice president, championship coach, and TEDx Talk speaker; and Akim Aliu, a former NHL player who is a leader in the fight for racial equality, diversity, and accessibility to BIPOC youth in sports, and particularly within the hockey community.

Not only did these engaging and passionate speakers share a wide range of insights on how to further encourage self-confidence, camaraderie, diversity, inclusion, and more in students, Lee said they were instrumental in helping the SMCS team further finesse the curriculum.

“One key impact area was the development and inclusion of an agreed upon set of behaviours and values for each team member to live by,” said Lee. “This not only ensures that all participants have a positive experience and that we continually promote positive leadership within St. Michael’s teams, but it also helps us build and encourage students from a holistic point of view: in mind, body and spirit. We’re committed to developing our young men’s understanding that they can be an excellent athlete who excels in sports, but it doesn’t mean much if they’re not an excellent person who treats their teammates, opponents, coaches and officials with respect before, during and after a game.”

“Since 1852, we’ve been guided by the mission to build good men who will impact the world for good, and our continual focus is on doing all we can to help our students thrive. While our commitment to creating dynamic, engaging, and meaningful academic experiences touches every St. Michael’s program, curriculum, and co-curricular, by being intentional about cultivating character in team sports-specific settings, we believe it affords us significant and unique opportunities to consistently build our students’ character while promoting their developing leadership skills.”

Having briefly piloted the curriculum with SMCS junior hockey and basketball teams last year, Lee said participants have shared that they found it very valuable.

“One consistent piece of feedback we received was that the program gave many students the opportunity to reinforce and exemplify meaningful values, morals and disciplines they are focused on strengthening as they move into adulthood,” said Lee. “As educators who are passionate about helping our students thrive, we’re truly thrilled to see a newly launched curriculum having a positive impact on our students in a short amount of time.”

“For 172 years, everything we’ve done at St. Michael’s has been rooted in guiding and equipping our students to become the leaders and change-makers of tomorrow, and we’re proud to say that our coaching character program adds another valuable layer to our efforts to nourish our students’ mind, body and spirit through their formative years,” said Lee. “By enabling our young athletes to understand the impact and importance of exemplifying character on and off the field, we’re further shaping them to impact the world for good now and in the future.”

For more information about St. Michael’s College School, visit stmichaelscollegeschool.com.

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