United South Central’s activities director Joe Kuechenmeister is showing the district the importance of participation in school sports and other activities by joining USC in the Minnesota State High School League’s “Why We Play” initiative. Statistics from the MSHSL have shown that students who participate in high school activities tend to have higher grade point…
Recent News
The Power of the InSideOut Initiative AD Cohorts
So what exactly is a “cohort” anyway? According to Google, a cohort is “a group of people banded together or treated as a group.” For those states in Phase 2 of the InSideOut Initiative, a cohort seems to be something so much more. It is more like a team or even a family. For those…
“Win-at-all-costs” Sports Culture Target of Initiative
The InSideOut Initiative, a nonprofit aimed at transforming the “win-at-all-costs” sports culture in communities across the country, will launch soon in Tennessee. Sports engage more individuals, families, and communities in a shared experience than any other cultural activity, organization or religion. Three out of four American families with school-aged children will have at least one…
Titans, TSSAA Partner to Launch InSideOut Initiative in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — More than 50 educational leaders visited Nissan Stadium on Monday for the official state launch of the InSideOut Initiative, a model that works to shift the focus of high school athletics away from the current “win-at-all-costs” culture and re-define the role of interscholastic sports in the lives of students and communities. The Tennessee…
Who is Your Red Jones? Reflections on a Transformational Coach
“A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.” – Billy Graham Everyone needs a Red Jones in their life; that person who is a caring mentor and difference-maker during your childhood years. For me, that person was Red Jones. And if it weren’t for baseball, I would never…
The Continual Process of Transformational Leadership
As the start of fall activities nears, it reminds me that summer is quickly coming to a close. It also means that I’ve spent considerable time planning for transformational leadership opportunities for the upcoming school year. While I’ve been teaching and speaking about the principles of common language (specifically goals vs. purpose and transactional vs….
Tennessee seeks to transform “win-at-all-costs” sports culture
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The InSideOut Initiative—a nonprofit aimed at transforming the “win-at-all-costs” sports culture in communities across the country—will launch soon in Tennessee. Sports engage more individuals, families, and communities in a shared experience than any other cultural activity, organization or religion. Three out of four American families with school-aged children will have at…
Reclaiming the Space…Who Has the time?
The junk drawer at home—you know the one. The one that everything gets shoved into before company comes. The one that houses the pens that don’t work, the gadgets you never use, or the Tupperware covers you can’t ever seem to find. Each break in your schedule it is on the list to get addressed,…
Group: Youth sports must eliminate win-at-all-costs culture
NASHVILLE, TENN. — A nonprofit group is launching an effort in Tennessee youth sports to change the culture of winning at all costs. The InSideOut Initiative addresses redefining the role of sports for students and communities. The group says in a news release millions of children lose out on the potential for life-changing growth if winning…
Using Data to Show the Link Between Sports Participation and Academic Achievement
“Instead of cutting extracurricular activities during tough budgetary times, school administrators should financially support these activities because they helped students stay in school and succeed academically.” (Holloway, 1999/2000 as cited in Lumpkin, A., & Favor, J., 2012, p. 58) In a previous InSideOut blog post, it was detailed how sport practitioners can use data to…