More Than Muscle: How Sports Shape Leaders for Life

“Sports ideally teach discipline and commitment. They challenge you and build character for everything you do in life.” – Howie Long

Thought of the Day

Sports and training offer a powerful opportunity to learn lasting life lessons. You learn respect, for yourself and for others, the grit to rise to challenges, and how to take responsibility for your life and how you spend your time.

When we challenge our youth athletes, we give them the opportunity to learn these lessons that can support them far beyond the gym. It’s not just about box jumps and air squats; it’s about learning discipline, respect, and ownership over their health, which is what truly matters.

Sports and training have been there for me and have shaped many of my best traits. Learning to get through hard things in a controlled environment, and realizing that my effort leads to improvement, are just two of the many important lessons. When life gets tough, it’s easier to rise to the challenge because I’ve built the habit of showing up, doing the work, and overcoming adversity.

It’s a pleasure to share these lessons in the gym and on the mats each week.

The first battle is simply getting to the gym on time

In our youth classes, the first battle is simply getting there on time. Showing up, especially when you know a challenge lies ahead, is the first act of ownership and responsibility for their training. It doesn’t matter if they had a bad day, are tired, or would rather be playing Roblox. Getting through the door is the first step to progress.

Being present and engaged shows respect for their own time and for those around them. How many times in the real world have you dealt with people casually showing up fifteen minutes late? Because our activities start and end on time, they teach the value of punctuality. And really; how does life work when you consistently show up late?

We need more leaders in this world

We need more leaders in this world—people who take responsibility for themselves and have the discipline to do hard things. With the support of teammates and coaches, our youth rise to challenges and grow into people who will show up in life.

My favorite part is watching our young athletes go out into the world and become people we can all be proud of—because they do the little things right, in an environment that supports growth.

Sports and training are powerful spaces for learning. The respect, discipline, and responsibility built here transcend the gym. Hard things will always come—but with these lessons in their toolkit, life gets a little easier to face.