The Princeton Varsity Club welcomed Brett Ledbetter, author of What Drives Winning and thought partner for some of the top coaches in college and professional sports, to Princeton’s campus on Wednesday, April 11th as part of this year’s Jake McCandless ’51 PVC Speaker Series.
Mr. Ledbetter, a former basketball student-athlete, specializes in building team cohesion and character development. He brings together championship coaches and performance experts to create conversation around what drives winning beyond the x’s and o’s, and how to repurpose sport to build character. Mr. Ledbetter has recently worked with the likes of Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics), Mike Matheny (St. Louis Cardinals), Geno Auriemma (UConn women’s basketball), Anson Dorrance (UNC women’s soccer), Patty Gasso (Oklahoma softball), to name a few.
The day began with Ledbetter hosting an interactive workshop-style luncheon at Nassau Inn for Princeton coaches, staff and Academic-Athletic Fellows. Ledbetter spoke to building team cohesion and character development, while challenging those in attendance to contemplate “what makes you want to be great, and what do you sacrifice in an effort to achieve such aspirations?”
Following a private dinner with a number of student-athletes and head coaches, Ledbetter hosted the featured program titled “A Conversation about Building Culture, Developing Character, and the Link to High Performance.” Those in attendance in McCosh Hall included student-athletes, coaches/staff, campus affiliates and community members, with discussion ranging from perspectives on achieve to character development to prioritizing “growth over outcome.”
Click here to view photos from Brett Ledbetter’s visit as part of the Jake McCandless ’51 PVC Speaker Series.
The Jake McCandless ’51 PVC Speaker Series was endowed in the name of J.L. “Jake” McCandless ’51, who coached Princeton to the 1969 Ivy League football championship during the Tigers’ centennial year of football. Click here for a list of past featured speakers as part of the Jake McCandless ’51 PVC Speaker Series.
