Sports Leadership Academy Online for Athletes and Coaches

Looking for a practical and proven way to develop your athletes and coaches into world-class leaders?

We are thrilled for the first time ever to offer our cutting-edge Sports Leadership Academy Online to everyone so athletes and coaches of all sports and levels (pro, Olympic, college, high school, club) can benefit from the popular programming and become world-class leaders.
 
Top level schools such as Stanford, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, LSU, South Carolina, Illinois, Colorado, and dozens of others have trusted us to train both their athletes and coaches to become better leaders – and now so can you!

 

 

If you and your athletes ever wanted to enroll in our world-renowned Leadership Academies, this is your special chance to do so! Whether your team is on an extended break, practicing only, or competing this year, you'll need your leaders more than ever during this time of uncertainty.

By offering our Sports Leadership Academy online to coaches and athletes of all sports and levels, you and your leaders can take full advantage of this time to develop your leadership skills from the comfort, convenience, and safety of your own home on your own time.

Develop leaders who:

-     hold their teammates accountable to create a Culture of Accountability
-     set high standards for their teammates in sports, school, and life
-     inspire teammates to set big goals and put in the hard work to achieve them
-     foster a strong sense of team chemistry and unity throughout the team
-     keep teammates in-line when it comes to social media and social life decisions


What top coaches, athletes, and ADs say about our Leadership Academy:

“I’ve been in the business for over 30 years and there are a lot of different programs I’ve seen. What the Janssen Sports Leadership Center does is the best out there. The Sports Leadership Academy builds on itself. It is not a one-time seminar. You will see a change in student-athletes in terms of leadership on the field, in the classroom, and everywhere else.”

JEFF LONG

Kansas Athletic Director, Inaugural College Football Playoff Committee Selection Chair


 
"Jeff’s programs have huge value and his resources are extraordinary. I have learned so many things from Jeff and so have my players and teams.”

ANSON DORRANCE

UNC Women's Soccer Coach, 22-time National Champions

 


 
"Jeff Janssen’s work with our student-athletes has been tremendous. His ability to communicate with our student-athletes, along with his ability to draw student-athletes into deeper discussions about leadership is outstanding.”

JOHN BEILEIN

College and NBA Basketball Coach

 

"Not only did I grow up as an athlete but also as a person through Jeff Janssen’s Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy taught each participant how to better handle difficult situations and effectively communicate with teammates. Lessons I learned from Jeff not only made me a better leader on the field but also prepared me for the corporate world. I cannot describe how thankful I am for my experience with the Leadership Academy."

KARA CANIZZARRO

National Champion, UNC Women's Lacrosse, National Player of the Year


“Jeff is an amazing motivator and a truly great listener. He challenged the student-athletes at the University of Illinois to become greater than they imagined, not just in their sport, but in life. He also encouraged us to give back to our local community and to be the selfless and courageous leaders that would impact the world. Jeff has had an immeasurable impact on so many student-athletes. He's given many of us the confidence to succeed, the willingness to do more, and the commitment needed for life.”

CECE MARIZU

Illinois Swimmer


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Why you and your athletes should enroll in our time-tested Sports Leadership Academy:

  • connects with athletes and coaches because it’s been specifically designed for and by them
  • provides tons of real-world value that can be applied as soon as today’s practice
  • produces real, measurable results and a reliable return on investment
  • targets and serves multiple levels of student-athlete leaders and coaches
  • provides world-class sports leadership training at an affordable price at your fingertips
  • has a National Championship track record of success with over 30 NCAA Championships
  • includes Olympic, pro, and top college athletes and coaches sharing their leadership wisdom

 

We've launched, led, and learned from 38 Sports Leadership Academies with tens of thousands of athletes and coaches at Colleges and High Schools Across the U.S.A. and Canada including:

Arkansas, Barton, Baylor, Boston University, Cary Academy, UNC-Charlotte, Charlotte Country Day School, Colby, Colgate, Colorado, Fordham, Georgetown, George Washington, Guelph, Holy Cross, Houston, Illinois, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola, LSU, Michigan, Naperville Central, New Brunswick, North Carolina, Notre Dame, NC State, Pitt, Santa Fe Christian, Sidwell Friends School, Stanford, Stetson, St Francis Xavier, South Alabama, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State, Yale

"The Janssen Sports Leadership Center is the 'Gold Standard' of sports leadership training."

Debbie Yow, Former NC State Athletic Director

Comprehensive Sports Leadership Curriculum with Multiple Levels

Our comprehensive Sports Leadership Academy curriculum spans an athlete’s entire career.

Unlike some programs that use a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership training, our pioneering and proven program allows you to slot your athletes into the specific training level based on their current level of development and readiness to lead.

Some athletes need to focus first on effectively leading themselves (Emerging Leaders) while others have proven themselves and are ready to lead your entire team (Veteran Leaders) – so we have dedicated and developmentally-appropriate Sports Leadership programming for all athletes.

With multiple levels of programming that build on each other, you have all the flexibility and freedom to enroll your athletes and coaches in the leadership levels and courses that best meet their unique level of development and readiness to lead. Our levels include:

EMERGING LEADERS

Designed for potential and aspiring leaders who may be a year or two away from being your team’s primary leaders, the Emerging Leaders program teaches athletes how to build their essential platform of leadership and respect by becoming strong and respected Leaders by Example.

Enroll your sophomores and juniors (and advanced freshmen) in this level who show leadership interest and/or potential but may still need some development before taking on the critical role of captain or core leader for your team. Athletes who successfully complete the two courses will get an Emerging Leaders Certificate they can use as a tangible sign of their commitment to being a better leader.

Emerging Leaders courses include:

Emerging Leadership 310: How to Earn Your Teammate’s Trust and Respect (Fall Semester)

This inspiring course teaches athletes how to earn their teammates' and coaches' trust and respect to build their platform of leadership. The four-part interactive course provides leaders with tons of tools and strategies to become respected Leaders by Example.

Emerging Leadership 410: How to Become an Effective Leader by Example (Spring Semester)

This next level course teaches athletes how to develop the confidence, composure, character, and competitiveness necessary to lead. The four-part interactive course includes numerous customizeable exercises and worksheets for leaders to use with themselves and their team.

Emerging Leadership 310 is offered in the fall and meets Sunday evenings online via Zoom from 7:30-8:15 pm eastern time (6:30 central, 4:30 pacific) on the following dates:

August 30  •  September 20  •  October 11  •  November 1

VETERAN LEADERS

Veteran Leaders focuses on the junior and senior (and advanced sophomore) core team leaders and captains you need strong leadership from for the current or upcoming season.

This program teaches and trains your key leaders how to be strong and effective Vocal Leaders who set the standard for your program and hold people accountable to it. Your Veteran Leaders will learn how to get everyone on the same page and build a strong sense of team chemistry.

Enroll your juniors and seniors (and advanced sophomores) in this level who are your respected core team leaders or team captains who you’ll need to provide strong and vocal leadership for the current season or school year. Athletes who complete the two courses will get a Veteran Leaders Certificate they can use as a tangible sign of their commitment to being a better leader and add to their resume.

Veteran Leaders courses include:

Veteran Leadership 450: How to Become a Respected Vocal Leader (Fall Semester)

This course helps established leaders get their teammates on the same page working toward the same goal. It also shows them how to effectively enforce their team's standards.

Team Culture Leadership 510: How to Lead a Championship Culture (Spring Semester)

This next level course shows leaders how to build and sustain a Championship Culture within their program. Leaders will learn how to establish, endorse, and enforce a culture of high standards and strong commitment.

Veteran Leadership 450 is offered in the fall and meets Sunday evenings online from 8:45-9:30 pm eastern time (7:45 central, 5:45 pacific) on the following dates:

August 30  •  September 20  •  October 11  •  November 1

 

 

How the Courses are Structured

Each course includes four inspiring and interactive classes of roughly 45 minutes each taught over the course of the semester and held every three weeks using the convenience and safety of the Zoom platform.

Thus, your leaders will have time to absorb the material and apply it to themselves and your team over three weeks before the next class.

You'll also have time to follow up with them to discuss how the leadership strategies directly apply to your team.

Online Access: Each participant gets a virtual "front row" seat and a customized Zoom link to access the class via their laptop, iPad, and/or phone on the dates listed above. Classes will be recorded and available to watch in case your athletes cannot meet at the scheduled class time.

Practical Leadership Wisdom from Top Athletes and Coaches: Graduates from our programs have gone on to win Olympic gold medals and Super Bowl rings, sign multi-million dollar contracts, become ESPN commentators, and even win Oscar awards. With this high-level leadership experience, we will have some of our top graduates share their practical advice as part of some of our classes.

Office Hours: In between classes, we will also offer regular office hours for you to get your specific implementation or troubleshooting questions answered.

Practical and Proven Tools to Use with Your Coaches, Captains, and Team with Each Class

Each online class offers tons of practical and proven tools and strategies you can implement immediately with your athletes and coaching staff.

You and your leaders will receive at least one tool, evaluation, and/or link per class you can use to positively and immediately impact your program.

What Coaches and Athletes Say about the Value/Impact of the Courses:

"Jeff’s content is extremely practical, beneficial, and useful to any team at any level. The lessons have a very clear progression and a clarity which creates an environment for discussion. This discussion and communication is paramount to creating the trusting relationships needed to build a team and a championship culture. The biggest reason I love Jeff’s content is that it allows both the individual and the team to grow!" Ryan McGinnis, Kimberly High School Athletic Director and Baseball Coach

"Thank you Jeff for a powerful and insightful 4-week course. Allowing our upcoming leaders time to assess and evaluate their leadership strengths, analyze and reflect on their team's culture, and strategize for their future roles as leaders was invaluable and could not have come at a better time. They now have the tools to begin their work!" Carol Cantele, Gettysburg Women's Lacrosse Coach, 3-time National Champions

"As a rising high school junior wrestler, I was looking for something to elevate my own leadership skills and identify my areas of weakness. Jeff’s course allowed me to achieve great insights into myself and raise my leadership potential — not just for my wrestling team, but for my life. Thanks Jeff!" Cody Stern, J.J. Pearce High School Class of 2022

Partner with Your Leaders by Participating with Them

The absolute best leadership occurs when coaches and athletes partner together to co-lead the team. Thus, what is unique about our Sports Leadership Academy is that the courses are structured so you and/or members of your coaching staff can participate right along with your athletes if you’d like.

You and your leaders can virtually attend the classes together online from your respective locations for roughly 45 minutes. To get the most out of the classes, we highly recommend you schedule a 15-30 minute time to discuss, customize, and apply the strategies to YOUR TEAM using the practical tools provided at a mutually convenient time some time later in the week.

By going through the courses together, you can share your collective insights on your team and customize the concepts directly to your program in real-time. You’ll also create layers of leaders on your team who all speak the same language as you work together to co-lead your team.

Finally, the programming provides a great professional development opportunity for coaches as we offer special coach designations as part of our Coaches Leadership Academy outlined below.

COACHES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

We also offer professional development courses for coaches and athletic directors through our Coaches Leadership Academy.

These practical courses provide head coaches, assistant coaches, and athletic directors at the college, high school, and club levels with tons of takeaway tools and strategies to become better leaders and build their programs.

The popular courses focus on the critical intangibles of coaching and building a championship program and include such topics as leadership, creating a championship culture, motivating athletes, selecting and developing staff members, building buy-in and commitment, and communicating with today's generation of athletes.

"Jeff's Leadership Academy has been an integral part of the growth and development of our program. The leadership principles outlined and the practical applications provided are extremely beneficial to our student-athletes and our entire coaching staff." DAVE VAN HORN, Arkansas Baseball Coach

Leadership Lessons Learned from Championship Coaches

The championship-winning strategies you'll learn and implement come directly from many of the legendary coaches Jeff has been privileged to learn from and work with including:

  • ANSON DORRANCE, North Carolina Women's Soccer (22 National Championships)
  • PAT SUMMITT, Tennessee Women's Basketball (8 National Championships)
  • MIKE CANDREA, Arizona Softball (8 National Championships)
  • ROY WILLIAMS, North Carolina Men's Basketball (3 National Championships)
  • MUFFET MCGRAW, Notre Dame Women's Basketball (2 National Championships)
  • JOHN DUNNING, Stanford Volleyball (5 National Championships)
  • KAREN SHELTON, North Carolina Field Hockey (8 National Championships)
  • BILL WALSH, Stanford AD/San Francisco 49ers (4 Super Bowl Championships)
  • JERRY KINDALL, Arizona Baseball (3 National Championships)
  • JOHN BEILEIN, Michigan Men's Basketball (2 Final Fours)

Professional Development Designations

Coaches who successfully complete a certain number of courses per level will receive special recognition from the Janssen Sports Leadership Center and be designated as a:

  • Janssen Sports Leadership Level 1 Coach = Successful Completion of 4 Courses
  • Janssen Sports Leadership Level 2 Coach = Successful Completion of 8 Courses
  • Janssen Sports Leadership Level 3 Coach = Successful Completion of 12 Courses

Courses for Coaches and Athletic Directors include:

Developing Your Emerging Leaders 311

Run concurrently with the Emerging Leadership Course 310 for your athletes, this course helps you develop your aspiring leaders into effective Leaders by Example. (Fall Semester) Course Dates: August 30, September 20, October 10, November 1

Developing Your Emerging Leaders 411

Run concurrently with the Emerging Leadership Course 410 for your athletes, this course helps you develop the confidence, composure, character, and competitiveness of your leaders. (Spring Semester) Course Dates: TBA

Developing Your Veteran Leaders 451

Run concurrently with the Emerging Leadership Course 450 for your athletes, this course helps you partner with your core team leaders to become vocal leaders for your team on the field, in the locker room, and on campus. (Fall Semester) Course Dates: August 30, September 20, October 10, November 1

Developing Your Veteran Leaders 511

Run concurrently with the Emerging Leadership Course 510 for your athletes, this course helps you partner with your core team leaders to build and sustain a Championship Culture in your program. (Spring Semester) Course Dates: TBA

Future Courses Include:

- How to Coach, Communicate, and Connect with Today’s Generation
- How to Build and Sustain a Championship Culture
- Credible Coaching: How to Create Highly Coachable Athletes
- How to Develop Your Team’s Chemistry and Unity
- How to Build Your Team’s Buy-In and Commitment
- The Art of Coaching: Tools to Take Your Team to the Next Level

Future coaches' courses and schedules will be announced later this fall so you can participate in and focus on the Developing Your Emerging and Veteran Leaders courses with your athletes.

Flexible Enrollment Options for Individuals, Teams, and Schools

Our Sports Leadership Academy Online offers flexible enrollment options for you and your athletes. Whether you are an individual athlete or coach wanting to become a better leader, a coach looking to develop your emerging and existing team captains, or an athletic director or club director wanting to bring world-class Sports Leadership training to your entire program, you can customize the Academy to best meet your unique needs.

Enroll as Individual Athlete or Coach

Athletes and coaches can enroll individually in the Academy even if their teams, clubs, or schools are not involved.

We get several requests from parents who want to provide their aspiring leaders with valuable leadership training that lasts a lifetime. Thus, parents can enroll their children individually or coaches can enroll them as part of a team.

Similarly, individual coaches can enroll in the courses for their own professional development even if their school is not involved.

Enroll the Athletes and Coaches from Your Team

Create your own Leadership Academy for your team. Coaches can enroll any number of their athletes and coaches in various levels of the Academy.

Depending on your roster size and makeup of your program, you may choose to have four of your sophomores and two of your juniors participate in the Emerging Leaders program - and three seniors and two juniors participate in the Veteran Leaders program.
 
If you are fortunate to have a coaching staff, you could have an assistant coach partner with the Emerging Leaders and the head coach could work with the Veteran Leaders. Ultimately, you have tremendous flexibility to slot in your athletes and coaches to various levels and courses where you feel they best fit. We encourage and empower you do what works best for your specific situation, roster, season, budget, coaching staff, etc.

Enroll the Athletes and Coaches from Your School

Develop your own Leadership Academy for your entire school or club team! Athletic Directors and Club Directors can save significant money by enrolling multiple athletes and coaches in the programming across the year.

We provide HUGE volume discounts the more people you have involved. You could register 125 frosh/soph athletes for Emerging Leaders, 100 junior/senior athletes for Veteran Leaders, and 75 coaches to participate as well. You can also reserve spots for spring semester courses now and save even more money with the volume discount.

 

4 Easy Steps to Enroll

Step 1 - Decide Who You Want in Each Academy Level

Determine the athletes and coaches you would like to enroll in the Academy and which levels are best for them. Again, Emerging Leaders is typically for younger athletes who are still at least a year away from being a primary team leader. Veteran Leaders is for athletes you need strong leadership from for this season. As an example, you may choose to put 5 of your athletes in the Emerging Leaders Program along with an assistant coach and place 3 of your athletes and the head coach in the Veteran Leaders Program.

Step 2 - Determine Your Total Number of Enrollments

Count up the total number of people you would like to enroll in the courses. This is the number you will use when select the quantity of enrollments for the online order form. In the example above you would select 10 (8 athletes and 2 coaches).

Please note, you can register and pay for one semester at a time or save money when you enroll multiple people in multiple courses across two semesters. Extending our example, if you want to enroll all 10 people in both semesters, you would select our discounted Leadership Team of 20 (10 athletes and 2 coaches for 2 semesters) and save yourself almost $200.

Step 3 - Select the Total Number of Enrollments When Registering Below

Once you determine your total number of enrollments (either for the semester or the entire year), use that number to register your leaders. Again, you can either register your leaders each semester or save money when you register them for the entire year to take part in both the fall and spring semester courses.

Step 4 - Send us the Names, Email Addresses, and Levels

When you register or shortly thereafter, email [email protected] the names, email addresses, and the specific level you would like each person to participate in. If you are registering for both semesters, simply let us know this when you send in your initial names and we will reserve spots for your leaders for the spring semester.

 

Registration Info

Check out our significantly discounted Leadership Team Packages and Athletic Dept. Packages based on the number of athletes and coaches you want to enroll in the courses.

Leadership Team Discounts: Save Hundreds of Dollars

Enroll your Emerging Leaders and Veteran Leaders as well as your coaching staff in the fall courses. We provide increasing discount levels for greater numbers of attendees.

Click on the red box below and be sure to insert the total number of participants you would like to enroll where it says "QUANTITY" to get your exact pricing.

(You can enter the participants' names and email addresses in the Order Instructions/Comment Box when you order. Or email them in a spreadsheet to [email protected])

Check out our volume discounts below based on your number of enrollees:

  • 1 Course Enrollment for 1 Person (Athlete or Coach) = $99
  • Leadership Team of 2 - Only $24.75/person/class = $198
  • 
Leadership Team of 3 - Only $23.25/person/class = $279
  • Leadership Team of 4 - Only $21.81/person/class = $349
  • 
Leadership Team of 5 - Only $19.95/person/class = $399
  • Leadership Team of 6 - Only $18.50/person/class = $444
  • Leadership Team of 7 - Only $17.00/person/class = $476
  • Leadership Team of 8 - Only $15.50/person/class = $496
  • Leadership Team of 9 - Only $15.25/person/class = $549

  • Leadership Team of 10 - Only $14.98/person/class = $599


Click Here to Register from 1 to 19 Athletes/Coaches

Athletic Directors: Save Thousands of Dollars

We provide HUGE discounts to ADs and coaches when you have several of your athletes and coaches participate in the courses. The pricing drops tremendously to only $3.60 to $11.24 per person per class with our Packages for 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 enrollments.

Leadership Team of 20 - Only $12.49/person/class = $999

Click Here to Register for 20 Enrollments


Leadership Team of 50 - Only $10.99/person/class = $2199

Click Here to Register for 50 Enrollments


Leadership Team of 100 - Only $9.00/person/class = $3999

Click Here to Register for 100 Enrollments


Leadership Team of 200 - Only $6.25/person/class = $4999

Click Here to Register for 200 Enrollments


Leadership Team of 500 - Only $4.00/person/class = $7999

Click Here to Register for 500 Enrollments

(Contact us if your number of attendees is between these package prices and we will provide a quote.)

(You can enter the participants' names and email addresses in the Order Instructions/Comment Box when you order. Or email them in a spreadsheet to [email protected])

What Participants Say about the Value/Impact of the Course:

"Everything is relevant and hands on. The anecdotal stories from Jeff's experience with so many high level coaches helps drive home the points. It's been great... thank you!

Within the first 30 minutes I already had great ideas!

Jeff is doing an amazing job and keeping a good pace. I also like that Jeff has studied Championship programs and brought to us "this is what they do". This is what championship programs with strong cultures, values, and standards do. Love it.

The real-life stories drive all the key points home for me, without a doubt.

The clear, concise ways to evaluate our own culture and then talk about it with the same language.

Jeff does a great job laying things out and giving us things to take directly back to our programs.

I have been inspired that I have two of my high school ADs and seven of our coaches all on this course. Some of us will discuss after each class. My vision has always been to hire credible transformational coaches who create student leaders through sport! This class is a step by step process to accomplish this.

I really like how it is broken down into learnable segments without taking a huge amount of time.

The course is great!"

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