Loyola University Chicago Soccer Coaches on Character and Leadership

Fixing Chicago

1 - Intro: Join the host and his guests in a discussion on college athletics and principally their utility in developing the character skills of young athletes such as grit, resilience, discipline, teamwork, selflessness, precision, and determination, and the importance of it with respect to their overall growth and maturation both as individuals and as citizens of the world.

2 – Guest bio: Loyola University of Chicago Head Coach Steve Bode & Associate Head Coach Graham Brennan lead this Division 1 Mens Soccer team from Rogers Park, Chicago. In their first season as coaches in the Atlantic-10 conference, the Ramblers reached the conference championship final. Loyola as a Jesuit institution and as an Athletic Department stresses not just education and athletics, but the development of the whole person. The two guests share their thoughts and ideas on the character development that occurs in athletes through their commitment to and participation in the college athletic program.

3 – Timestamps:

• [00:01] Intro: Steve Bode and Graham Brennan, Mens Soccer Coaches for Loyola University of Chicago. How did you get into coaching?
• [06:00] Coaching Mindset; Schedules; Recruiting
• [10:35] What’s the coaching community like?
• [12:15] Why should a kid play college sports?
• [14:30] Soft Skills & Character Development
• [19:22] Leadership
• [28:00] Character Maturation & Growth
• [30:05] What can young men and women athletes do to develop their leadership abilities?
• [33:15] What’s the value of Athletics within a University?
• [35:30] How is character development at your program different from anywhere else?
• [38:15] Closing & Thank You

4 – Key Takeaways:

• Soft Skills are Life Skills which are developed through --for example-- athletics, and are valuable in multiple other aspects of adult life
• Leadership opportunities and development occur within college athletics and are honed to a high degree
• The Life Skills and Leadership Skills take years of hard work to develop, but needed and highly valued within broader society

5 – Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_skills

https://loyolaramblers.com/sports/mens-soccer?path=msoc

https://thegeorgiaway.com/project/the-power-of-transferable-skills-how-to-sell-your-experience-as-a-student-athlete/

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7 – Wrap-up and next episode Trauma Surgeon and Educator Faran Bokhari, MD.