Leadership starts in the locker room
When the players spill onto the field under the bright lights, we see a coach immediately take the lead, guiding the team through their mission.
But leadership rarely begins under stadium lights.
Long before the thunderous roar of a crowd, or the pressure of heated rivalry, it begins in everyday moments in locker rooms, practice fields, and through the lessons learned in sport.
For many young people, sport is one of the earliest classrooms for leadership. It teaches resilience, teamwork, communication, and accountability, all building blocks of becoming not just better athletes, but better people.
At the 2026 Soccer Summit, members of the International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership (IISBL) — Joseph Dick, Lynton Lam, Shayne MacDonald, Megan Piché, and Dr. Ann Pegoraro — led the MilkUP Future Leaders Workshop for 35 local high-school-aged soccer players.
Supported by the Lang School’s students in sport management and graduate studies, the workshop was designed with a simple yet impactful goal: to help young athletes understand that leadership is not reserved for captains or coaches. Instead, leadership is a skill set that anyone can develop and strengthen through learning and practice.
Throughout the session, participants engaged in interactive, hands-on activities that encouraged them to explore their personal values and different personality types. These exercises helped the young athletes reflect on how they show up within a team and how their individual strengths can contribute to collective success. More importantly, the workshop challenged them to think about who they are becoming - not only as players, but as leaders both on and off the pitch.
“Working with our partner Ontario Soccer to deliver the MilkUp Future Leaders workshop is a great way for our students to connect with industry and to contribute to Lang’s mission to use business as a force for good,” says Pegoraro.To further inspire the group, participants had the opportunity to hear from two accomplished soccer figures: Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach, Jesse Marsch and AFC Toronto professional player, Ashley Cathro. Both guests offered a behind-the-scenes perspective on the realities of high-performance sport, sharing unique insights about their career journeys, the challenges they have faced, and how they balance life beyond the game.
Their stories reinforced an important message for the young athletes in the room: while sport can open doors, it is character, passion, and hard work that determine how far those opportunities can take you.
One IISBL team member reflected on the powerful moment when Ashley Cathro joined the workshop.
“You could see the shift immediately. The young women leaned in; they asked more questions and later sought out Ashley’s autograph. Representation matters — it turns aspiration into something real and achievable.”
Pivotal moments like these amplify the deeper purpose behind initiatives such as the MilkUP Future Leaders Workshop. By connecting young athletes with mentors and equipping them with tools to understand themselves and their leadership potential, IISBL is helping shape the next generation of value-driven leaders.
Workshops like this reflect IISBL’s broader commitment to developing leadership through sport while reinforcing the Lang School’s mission to use business as a force for good. When young athletes are given the right tools and the confidence to lead - the impact reaches far beyond the final whistle.
We’re proud to offer students authentic experiences that allow experiential learning outside the classroom. For students inspired to turn their passion for sport and events into leadership, LANG’s Sport and Event Management (SPMT) program provides the opportunity to become a responsible business leader in the world of sport: https://www.uoguelph.ca/programs/sport-and-event-management/