Greatness and Class
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
June 26, 2007
Michael Ledo believes character matters.
He says it's a key to success in athletics, and more important, in life.
On the surface, that belief hardly seems newsworthy. Most of us agree with those sentiments. The difference with Ledo is that while the rest of us sit around wishing more athletes were quality people, Ledo tries to do something about it.
Along with some like-minded partners, Ledo has taken a popular avenue - high-intensity, high-level athletic training - and added a twist. His group, Athletes with Purpose (AWP), attempts to merge athletic greatness with class.
'We have enough great athletes who are knuckleheads,' Ledo said. 'Everybody talks about character, character, character, but who's addressing it at an early age?'
When he first asked himself that question, Ledo's answer was another question: Why not me?
Ledo, a standout football player at Bishop Luers and the University of Saint Francis, is in the midst of a six-week AWP camp at Homestead that runs through the end of July. But his training group operates year-round, and includes high school, college and - counting newest Dallas Cowboys draftee Anthony Spencer - professional athletes.
AWP's hook and major selling point remains high-intensity training geared to increase strength, quickness and agility.
Character development provides the unique bonus.
'They try to teach you how to be a better person and a better athlete,' Bishop Luers football player Adrien Spencer said. 'Be like Tiki Barber and not Pacman Jones and all those others who are getting into trouble.'
To that end, AWP regularly spends times discussing the world around and beyond athletics. Ledo will bring a pastor in to talk, or a professional from another field. He and his other leaders try to emphasize the need for highly skilled athletes to present themselves with class in all situations.
He also has a strong, qualified staff, including partner and director of training Bryan Bourcier, director of development Barak Coolman, sports performance coach Koby Sims and weight training experts Mike McClain and LaMar Martin.
Most of the athletes working with AWP are high-school athletes being recruited by colleges, most with the potential for full-ride scholarships.
AWP leaders believe strong character could make the difference when coach must decide between two similarly talented athletes.
'When Michael talks to a college coach, that coach will say, 'He's a great athlete. What kind of kid is he?' ' Bourcier said. 'There's only a certain number of scholarships every year. They don't want the guys with bad character.'
Aubrey Holle, who will be a senior this fall at Canterbury, plays soccer, basketball, softball and lacrosse. She said working with Ledo and Bourcier for the last two years - even before AWP was officially formed - helped her regain and improve her fitness and performance after a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
She is one of 10 or 12 girls working with AWP, which also has about 50 boys participating in the summer camp.
'We pray every night after we work out and everyone talks about trying to live as athletes with a purpose, working for God and using our talents,' Holle said. 'It's not just about sports and getting stronger and faster, but being good people.'
Ledo and Bourcier have tried to make the program into something that will produce visible results in athletic performance. It's not only a measure of weight-lifting strength or 40-yard dash times - although those tangibly improve - but knowing how to take care of their bodies to avoid injury and how to utilize intangible assets such as explosion and balance.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff sophomore Tyree Glass, a basketball player from Fort Wayne, says he could tell the difference in his body after only a couple weeks of working with AWP's program.
'Anyone who uses this is going to increase their chances of getting a Division I scholarship,' Glass said. 'It just gets you focused on what you're supposed to be doing. They also teach you to respect your elders and coaches and things like that, and keep you from getting an attitude.'
Participation in AWP comes with a cost. The six-week camp is $200 and fees vary for working with the group on a year-round basis.
But it's safe to say Ledo and his partners aren't getting rich from the endeavor. The biggest rewards come from seeing someone like Javon Reese earn a football scholarship to Eastern Michigan University and become a better person in the process. Reese will sit out this fall after a dislocated shoulder and join the team in 2008. Reese said athletes willing to put their full effort into the program will be better athletes and better people.
'Michael and I grew up with guys who were phenomenal athletes who never made it out of Fort Wayne because of character issues,' Bourcier said. 'We wanted to do something about it.'
Character matters. Ledo and his partners clearly have it, so why not pass it on?
June 26, 2007
Michael Ledo believes character matters.
He says it's a key to success in athletics, and more important, in life.
On the surface, that belief hardly seems newsworthy. Most of us agree with those sentiments. The difference with Ledo is that while the rest of us sit around wishing more athletes were quality people, Ledo tries to do something about it.
Along with some like-minded partners, Ledo has taken a popular avenue - high-intensity, high-level athletic training - and added a twist. His group, Athletes with Purpose (AWP), attempts to merge athletic greatness with class.
'We have enough great athletes who are knuckleheads,' Ledo said. 'Everybody talks about character, character, character, but who's addressing it at an early age?'
When he first asked himself that question, Ledo's answer was another question: Why not me?
Ledo, a standout football player at Bishop Luers and the University of Saint Francis, is in the midst of a six-week AWP camp at Homestead that runs through the end of July. But his training group operates year-round, and includes high school, college and - counting newest Dallas Cowboys draftee Anthony Spencer - professional athletes.
AWP's hook and major selling point remains high-intensity training geared to increase strength, quickness and agility.
Character development provides the unique bonus.
'They try to teach you how to be a better person and a better athlete,' Bishop Luers football player Adrien Spencer said. 'Be like Tiki Barber and not Pacman Jones and all those others who are getting into trouble.'
To that end, AWP regularly spends times discussing the world around and beyond athletics. Ledo will bring a pastor in to talk, or a professional from another field. He and his other leaders try to emphasize the need for highly skilled athletes to present themselves with class in all situations.
He also has a strong, qualified staff, including partner and director of training Bryan Bourcier, director of development Barak Coolman, sports performance coach Koby Sims and weight training experts Mike McClain and LaMar Martin.
Most of the athletes working with AWP are high-school athletes being recruited by colleges, most with the potential for full-ride scholarships.
AWP leaders believe strong character could make the difference when coach must decide between two similarly talented athletes.
'When Michael talks to a college coach, that coach will say, 'He's a great athlete. What kind of kid is he?' ' Bourcier said. 'There's only a certain number of scholarships every year. They don't want the guys with bad character.'
Aubrey Holle, who will be a senior this fall at Canterbury, plays soccer, basketball, softball and lacrosse. She said working with Ledo and Bourcier for the last two years - even before AWP was officially formed - helped her regain and improve her fitness and performance after a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
She is one of 10 or 12 girls working with AWP, which also has about 50 boys participating in the summer camp.
'We pray every night after we work out and everyone talks about trying to live as athletes with a purpose, working for God and using our talents,' Holle said. 'It's not just about sports and getting stronger and faster, but being good people.'
Ledo and Bourcier have tried to make the program into something that will produce visible results in athletic performance. It's not only a measure of weight-lifting strength or 40-yard dash times - although those tangibly improve - but knowing how to take care of their bodies to avoid injury and how to utilize intangible assets such as explosion and balance.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff sophomore Tyree Glass, a basketball player from Fort Wayne, says he could tell the difference in his body after only a couple weeks of working with AWP's program.
'Anyone who uses this is going to increase their chances of getting a Division I scholarship,' Glass said. 'It just gets you focused on what you're supposed to be doing. They also teach you to respect your elders and coaches and things like that, and keep you from getting an attitude.'
Participation in AWP comes with a cost. The six-week camp is $200 and fees vary for working with the group on a year-round basis.
But it's safe to say Ledo and his partners aren't getting rich from the endeavor. The biggest rewards come from seeing someone like Javon Reese earn a football scholarship to Eastern Michigan University and become a better person in the process. Reese will sit out this fall after a dislocated shoulder and join the team in 2008. Reese said athletes willing to put their full effort into the program will be better athletes and better people.
'Michael and I grew up with guys who were phenomenal athletes who never made it out of Fort Wayne because of character issues,' Bourcier said. 'We wanted to do something about it.'
Character matters. Ledo and his partners clearly have it, so why not pass it on?
posted by The Gryphon at 7:20 PM
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