Stages of Youth Leadership Development

Abstract

Developing caring and compassionate leaders (a focus of TPSR goals [levels] four & five) has been a natural progression of our work in the sport and coaching clubs described earlier in chapter 1. Don’s book, Teaching Responsibility through Physical Activity (Hellison, 2003), has been a mainstay for us and many others who plan and teach values-based physical activity programs. The levels of responsibility described in his book were described in chapter 1. The levels have often been referred to as goals and have given us pathways for running and evaluating our values-based programs. Therefore, it made sense for us to give club participants opportunities to apply the levels (goals) in a more advanced way—by leading others. The TPSR model continues to be the foundation of what we do in preparing kids to become caring and compassionate leaders.

To lead people, walk beside them … As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next the people fear; and the next, the people hate. When the best leader’s work is done the people say, “We did it ourselves.”

—Lao Tzu