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The next generation of community leaders around the country might just be the starting quarterback or state champion swimmer at your local high school today.
At least that’s the goal of organizers of a new national initiative to develop the nearly eight million high school team captains into civic leaders, capable of driving change on their teams, in their schools and in their communities.
The Aspen Institute and Heisman recently announced the launch of the Aspen Institute Captains Leadership Academy.
Led by the Institute’s Sports & Society Program in collaboration with the Center for Rising Generations (CRG) (and in partnership with the Heisman Foundation and supported by IMG Academy), the academy “will provide athlete-leaders with training, mentorship and tools to address real-world challenges — from access to youth sports to mental health and community well-being,” according to a statement announcing the initiative.
“Team captains already help shape the culture of their teams,” said Tom Farrey, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program. “This initiative is about helping them apply those leadership skills to strengthen their schools, their communities and ultimately our society.”
Participants will engage in seminar-style learning, access digital leadership tools and contribute to community-based projects that build skills in collaboration and problem-solving, according to a statement announcing the initiative, which builds on the Aspen Institute’s broader leadership work and its Project Play platform (intended to advance national efforts to build healthy children and communities through sports).
The Institute’s CRG will help guide development of the program.
“The academy speaks directly to the potential impact of youth sports participation on American society,” Vincent Minjares, program manager of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, told USA Today. “Improving the leadership ability of sports captains strengthens the quality of the sports experience of themselves and their teammates, while also facilitating the transfer of sports-based leadership development [of] future careers and community impact.”
Heisman, through the Heisman Foundation, will serve as founding partner for the initiative through what reportedly will be the largest single grant in the foundation’s long history of supporting youth development through sports and education. It also will help guide the academy’s development and elevate standout participants through mentorship opportunities, connections to Heisman Trophy winners and national recognition.
“We’re here to support, to help build it and to make sure that we have access to the winners,” Heisman CEO Jeff Price told USA TODAY Sports. “We want this to be something that isn’t [going] through the motions and you walk away with a certificate. This should be a real leadership development cohort that gets built.”
IMG Academy, meanwhile, will support the initiative by hosting an annual convening of select captains who participate in the Captains Leadership Academy on its Bradenton, Fla., campus, as well as by supporting ongoing marketing efforts.
The Captains Leadership Academy is expected to launch later this year with pilot programs in select states and focusing on a “small number of target high schools before scaling and expanding in 2027 to more schools, additional online pathways and support for civic engagement projects,” according to Minjares, who added that the Aspen Institute will work with schools and community organizations to establish eligibility criteria. “We remain open to exploring the many diverse ways that this program can improve lives and open opportunities.”
“Sports teaches young people how to lead, how to listen and how to show up for something bigger than themselves,” added Kaya Henderson, executive vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director at CRG. “The Captains Leadership Academy builds on that foundation, helping young people turn team leadership into civic leadership. Because when creating stronger communities, we are all captains.”
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