Need help building the culture you envisioned for your Youth Organization? You came to the right place.

We partner with Youth Organizations to develop the framework for a strong culture - addressing both relationships and results. We accomplish this by promoting collaboration between three integral groups: coaches, athletes, and parents.

  • Coaches

    Create an environment that encourages participants to fall in love with the activity, while helping them develop the following mindsets:

    • Coachable Athletes

    • Appropriate Responses to Failure

    • Supportive Teammates

    • Passion for Problem Solving

  • Athletes

    Develop the emotional & social skills necessary to thrive in & out of sport. Once we understand the following principles, we get better, faster:

    • Aspects of an Elite Performer

    • Timeline of an Athlete

    • Embrace The Dip

    • Tip The Scale

  • Parents

    Take part in developing a program culture that allows for individual & team success. When we embrace the following framework, great things lie ahead:

    • Love Your Child

    • Support Your Team

    • Trust Your Coach

    • Represent Your Organization

The Game Plan

Here is how we’ll work together to take your program to new heights.

  • This is the first meeting with your program’s leadership group. We will discuss your goals and you’ll learn about our cultural framework. We’ll get everyone on the same page as we begin working with your program!

  • We’ll set up three separate presentations with your coaches, athletes, and parents. We’ll work through their individual expectations, as well as the shared principles that will form the cultural framework of the program.

  • Periodic meetings will be set up with the directors throughout your season to discuss updates on your program. Here we will address any issues that have arisen, as well as provide possible activities for your players to continue cultivating their emotional/social foundation.

  • Finally, we’ll discuss how the season went as a whole. Did all three parties buy into the culture you were developing? What should you stop doing, start doing, and keep doing as you move into the next season?

Donald Gleason is the Associate Director of The Champion Project, as well as the Head Men’s Volleyball Coach at Daemen University. With coaching stops at USC, Yale, University at Buffalo and more, Donald has been in the youth sports world for the past 12 years. Working with athletes from the ages of 4 to 24 and everything in between, he has a passion for helping athletes find both joy and success in their sport.

About Donald Gleason

Culture & Performance Coach

Testimonials

  • AJ Overton - Co-Director, Mary Alice's Dance Studio

    “This program can benefit every coach, teacher, & parent involved in youth activities. It is full of clear and simple concepts that pack a big punch. Implementing these ideas into our program has allowed for all divisions of our team to be on the same page. As both a coach and a parent I connected to the material presented on many levels. As we continue to apply what we have learned from Donny and the champion project, our team is gaining strength, continues to build on a positive mindset, and they are growing into overall better athletes and people.”

  • Bob Willer - Board Member, Buffalo Shamrocks Hockey

    “Don recently presented at our coach's season kick-off meeting. Not only did the coaches enjoy his message, but his presentation was packed with great ideas and real-world suggestions that we could use immediately. Don reminded us that communication is key, and our true purpose is to help our players develop a love for the game. Thank you, Don. We look forward to working with you again soon.”

  • Jake Stone - Club Director, A10 Volleyball Club

    “Coach Gleason ran a volleyball clinic for us and also gave a parent presentation. His message rang home on the strong, family-oriented culture we hope to adopt as a club. The examples and suggestions he provided were so clearly indicated and relatable. The ideas of communication go beyond the mere, "we need to communicate better". One of my personal favorite parts was his discussion on the idea of "Car Ride Culture''. During the presentation, he described what he relayed to their sons at the practice the night prior and how as parents those items can be all tied back together. Many of our parents stayed afterwards to personally thank coach Gleason for his time and to let him know that their sons came home from the clinic and said how amazing their experience was with him. So much more than volleyball, coach Gleason brought an amazing message to our organization and we hope to have him back in Pittsburgh sooner than later!”

  • Jon Brady - Club Director, SC Elite Volleyball

    “Coach Gleason recently visited our club to run a Thanksgiving camp. We couldn’t have been hqappier with the messages he delivered to our athletes, parents, and coaches. Developing a positive club culture is something that we have strived for since our first season and Coach Gleason really gave everyone very useful tools to make sure we are all working together towards common goals. It was great to gain some insight on what it takes to build a successful culture and program through Coach Gleason’s presentation to the parents. There was a lot of positive feedback from everyone who attended the camp and the parent presentation. We will continue to use the foundational pieces used at TCP and we are looking forward to the next time we can host Coach Gleason.”

Contact us.

For a free consultation, please submit your information below. We look forward to working with you soon!