Engaging in Better Sportsmanship and Leadership

Engaging in Better Sportsmanship and Leadership

Captains and student leaders from six high schools and seven junior high schools attended the NeboSchool District’s Fall Academy. The purposes of the Captains’ Academy are to promote sportsmanship between the schools through the captains and leaders working together at the academy, promote better relations between the students and athletes, develop leadership through the academy activities, and develop relationships with coaches and administrators as they present at each academy.

This Fall Captains’ Academy included captains from girls’ soccer, football, cheer, boys’ golf, student council, volleyball, girls’ tennis, and girls’ and boys’ cross country.

Each high school sends a captain for each sport. The captains do not sit with their own school; rather, they sit with sport captains and leaders from other high schools. The captains listen to each presenter, and then work collaboratively to present their position and ideas back to the entire group. 

Athletic Coordinator Everett Kelepolo and Assistant Superintendent Scott Wilson started the academy by welcoming the leaders from across Nebo School District.
Maple Mountain’s Athletic Director, Dave Boyack, led a discussion on “What is a leader?” Then the students worked in groups to answer the questions, “What is a leader?” and “What is the role of a captain?”

JoLynn Ford, Assistant Principal at Spanish Fork High, introduced “Sportsmanship” and the students worked in groups again to answer the questions, “How can we as leaders instill sportsmanship at our school?” and “How can we instill better sportsmanship at our school?”
The keynote speech was given by Professor Josh West, PhD, MPH Associate Professor of Health Science Brigham Young University. Professor West’s keynote speech was titled, “Kids these days: Being a confident leader.”
Everett Kelepolo, Nebo School District’s athletic director and organizer of these academies, said, "Captains’ Academy has provided a powerful forum for athletes and school leaders to discuss and implement essential leadership traits and the value of great sportsmanship."

A big thank you to Laura Salazar, Communications Director at Intermountain Healthcare, for the delicious lunch provided for the captains and leaders.