ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College department of intercollegiate athletics has implemented a comprehensive, multi-year program with a mission to develop leadership traits in its student-athletes. The Leadership Academy, led by Dr. Greg Shelley, instills traits and philosophies that will be applicable in athletes' sport particiaption at Ithaca College and will also serve them in professional and personal endeavors for the rest of their lives.
 
The program was introduced in the spring of 2014 and is fully implemented for the 2014-15 school year. Approximately 300 student-athletes representing all 27 varsity sports will participate in the program, which builds upon its curriculum across each year of the Academy.
 
Selected first-year student-athletes will take part in the Developing Leaders program. The sophomore student-athletes will progress into the Rising Leaders Program, and juniors will participate in the Team Leaders Program. The Leadership Academy positions Ithaca College as having the nation's premier Division III sports leadership development program.
 
"Ithaca College has developed a comprehensive program within its own campus community that is unique. Leadership development is a priority of this athletic department and our coaches and our students have bought in to this program. We are creating something that doesn't exist anywhere else, Division I, II or III," Ithaca College Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports Susan Bassett said. "We are extremely fortunate to have an expert of Greg Shelley's caliber on this campus. The opportunity that our coaches and athletes have to work with him is unmatched."

Dr. Shelley is an associate professor in the Ithaca College Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences and teaches undergraduate courses in sport and exercise psychology, leadership and team building, and sport and exercise counseling. He also teaches graduate-level courses in psychological, motivational and leadership issues related to sport participation and training. He has served as a peak-performance consultant for over 17 years and has published numerous journal and online articles.
 
Shelley has conducted hundreds of presentations for athletes and coaches at dozens of institutions including Georgetown University and Colgate University. He said the difference with Ithaca's program is that it provides sustained, consistent messaging to athletes, coaches and staff over many years and many sessions.
 
"This program emphasizes longitudinal development," Shelley said. "The biggest goal is to build better leaders who will then be better CEOs, better employers, and better employees. We are expanding on the perspective of using sport to instill values and traits in a lifelong leadership model."
 
Initial sessions are taking place in September and are specifically focused to groups in each class year. Similar sessions will take place in October, and a program-wide special event will conclude each semester's programming. Each semester also includes two sessions with the Ithaca College coaching staff. Another desired outcome is that those who participate in the Leadership Academy will transfer their knowledge to their teammates.

"One of the biggest advantages that I see is that even though a few team members are in the program, they will bring what they've learned back to their teammates," Ithaca College gymnastics head coach Rick Suddaby said. "Instead of having a team with a select number of senior leaders, we'll build an entire team that has leadership abilities."

Since all of Ithaca's varsity programs are represented, the Leadership Academy also succeeds in building a closer community of athletes. The themes and ideas are applicable across all sports offered at Ithaca College. "It was good to meet other athletes from other sports," junior women's golf team member Kimberley Wong said. "There is a lot of interaction at the Academy with athletes from other sports and we can learn a lot from each other."
 
Graduates of the Ithaca College Leadership Academy will receive special recognition upon completion of the program, but most importantly will undergo personal development that will sustain throughout the rest of their lives and impact everything they pursue.