Summer Leadership + Skills Series 

Empowering athletes beyond their sport
[ UPCOMING EVENTS ]

Summer Leadership + Skills Series

Designed for athletes entering grades 6–8, this three-week series combines basketball training with interactive leadership workshops that help athletes build confidence, develop character, and navigate today's digital world.

Event Details

Friday’s – June 12th, 17th, & 26th
@ Horizon Events Center

Dates

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Time

What’s Included:

  • Skills, Drills, & Competitions

  • Leadership Workshop

  • Athlete Mentorship Q&A

Week 1: Discovering Your Personal Brand
Learn what makes you unique, identify your strengths, and explore what you want to be known for on and off the court.

Week 2: Leadership & Building Your Brand
Discover how your habits, actions, and communication shape your reputation and influence others.

Week 3: Social Media & Digital Leadership
Learn how to use social media responsibly, build confidence online, and create a positive digital presence.

3 Week Series: $150

Pricing

⤷ Register Today

What To Expect

This is not a traditional basketball camp.

While athletes will spend time improving their skills through drills, competitions, and scrimmaging, each session also includes guided leadership and life skills programming that addresses topics many young athletes are facing every day.

Parents can expect their athlete to:

  • Build confidence beyond athletic performance

  • Develop leadership and communication skills

  • Learn how to navigate social media responsibly

  • Better understand their values and character strengths

  • Gain tools for handling pressure and adversity

  • Learn from current and former high-level athletes

  • Participate in positive discussions that encourage growth and self-awareness

Our goal is to help athletes understand that who they become as a person matters just as much as who they become as a player.

  • Who Are You Beyond Basketball?

    Athletes will explore their strengths, values, personality traits, and leadership qualities.

    Through interactive activities and discussion, participants will begin identifying what makes them unique and what they want to be known for as teammates, students, friends, and leaders.

    Topics include:

    • Understanding your strengths

    • Identifying your core values

    • Building confidence and self-awareness

    • Character and leadership

    • What do you want to be known for?

  • How You Show Up Matters

    Athletes will learn how their daily choices, habits, attitudes, and actions influence how others experience them.

    This session focuses on leadership, accountability, communication, and building a positive reputation through consistent actions.

    Topics include:

    • Leadership on and off the court

    • Positive communication

    • Being a great teammate

    • Accountability and responsibility

    • Turning values into action

  • Representing Yourself Online

    Social media is a powerful tool, but it can also create challenges for young athletes.

    This session helps athletes understand how to use social media responsibly, build confidence online, and create a positive digital presence.

    Topics include:

    • Social media and self-confidence

    • Comparison and pressure online

    • Positive digital communication

    • Building healthy online habits

    • Creating a positive digital footprint

  • Throughout the series, athletes will have opportunities to learn from Chelsea Poppens and special guest appearances from current Iowa State athletes and other high-level competitors.

    Guest athletes will share their experiences, lessons learned, and advice for navigating sports, leadership, confidence, and personal growth.

A group of young girls in purple sports uniforms are sitting around a conference table in a room with gray walls and a gray patterned carpet. There are boxes of food and drinks on the table. A woman in a red sweatshirt is standing at the front, speaking to the girls. Large windows behind her show a snowy outdoor scene.

Every Athlete Deserves An Opportunity

Through the support of our donors and community partners, a limited number of scholarships are available for athletes who may need financial assistance. If cost is a barrier, we encourage families to apply. Our goal is to ensure every athlete has the opportunity to participate, learn, and grow through the Pass It Forward Skills Series.

⤷ Apply For Scholarship
Young female basketball player in purple shirt holding a basketball, standing in front of a group of children sitting on the basketball court, with two women standing beside her. The scene takes place in an indoor gymnasium with a large logo on the wall and a black speaker mounted above.
A group of children in purple shirts sitting around a conference table in a room with large windows and a gray ceiling, listening to a woman speaking at the front.
A group of children sitting on the basketball court floor inside a gym, listening to an adult woman with blonde hair and glasses, who is holding a clipboard and speaking to them.