Since high school athletes are highly visible and influential members of their school communities, ASPIRE realizes the need to prepare these young people to demonstrate leadership through community service. While most athletes are formally trained to perform athletically, few receive comprehensive leadership training. The Athletic Leadership Initiative (ALI) equips high school athletes with the leadership and interpersonal skills necessary for them to effectively guide their teammates and reach their personal potential. The ALI teaches them the skills to increase the positive impact they can have throughout their school and for a lifetime of successful living. Through the ALI, students will learn valuable skills including:

The ALI utilizes elements of the Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute (PYLI) curriculum and other state of the art training techniques to keep participants actively engaged throughout the training.  The dynamic training techniques used for varied learning styles include:

The ASPIRE founder (Curtis A. Myers) is a certified PYLI master trainer (one of 28 nation-wide) and has successfully implemented leadership programs with over 800 high school students in over 50 different settings. It features interactive training and field exercises through which students gain valuable experience for college, employment, and community involvement while learning leadership skills in an interactive manner. 

The two day ALI training is designed for groups of 20-30 students as an overnight retreat or as off-school day sessions. Upon completion of the training sessions, students will demonstrate their leadership skills with a pre-defined service project. Students will create the elements of the project however the theme of the project will be determined prior to the training.

As a result of their participation, youth will increase personal confidence and self-esteem, identify and practice leadership skills, and work in partnership with other student-athletes.