A workshop for coaches, athletes, sports boosters, educators, parents and community leaders will be held at North Central Michigan College in the library conference rooms from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday, March 22, 2013.  

The workshop will feature former NFL player, Joe Ehrmann who has been called “The Most Important Coach in America” and one of the “100 Most Influential Sports Educators” because of his work to transform the culture of sports.  Ehrmann will discuss how workshop attendees can make positive, life-changing impact on players and students, as well as how to help them be their personal best now and throughout their lives.  Joe’s approach is grounded in the lessons and experiences of his own remarkable life and the profound impact he has had on others.  Ehrmann is also the featured speaker at the North Central Michigan College Lecture Series on Thursday, March 21, the evening prior to the half-day workshop.

The free workshop is being made possible through a collaborative effort and funding from Beyond the Scoreboard and the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan’s (WRCNM) 100 Men Campaign and Violence Prevention Team.  Additional funding has been provided through grants from the Youth and Community Endowment Funds of the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation and Charlevoix County Community Foundation.

Both Jan Mancinelli, Executive Director of the WRCNM and Ron Goodman, Director of Beyond the Scoreboard agree the workshop is needed.  “Joe Ehrmann’s life experience and insight bring wisdom and clarity to current issues that our young people face in sports and in everyday life,” said Goodman.  “Joe emphasizes the point that the academic, social, emotional, civic and moral well-being of players is no longer considered beyond the scope of what sports and coaches can or should accomplish.”

Jan Mancinelli added, “For more than a quarter century, Joe Ehrmann has inspired people across the country with ground-breaking lessons about coaching, team building, mentoring and parental involvement.  He has a comprehensive understanding of poverty, racism, domestic violence and child abuse and draws from this knowledge to make the connection between these issues and their corresponding societal influences while also engaging the audience.”

Those interested in attending the free workshop may register online at wrcnm.org, or by calling the WRCNM administrative office at (231) 347-0067 or Beyond the Scoreboard at (231) 622-2223.

•    All-American football player and lettered lacrosse player at Syracuse University.
•    Named to Syracuse University’s All-Century Football Team and recipient of the Arents Award, SU’s Most Distinguished Alumni honor for his contributions to society.
•    Played professional football for 13 years—Colts Man of the Year.
•    First Ed Block Courage Award Winner.
•    Featured on the cover of Parade Magazine which called Joe “The Most Important Coach in America” because of his work to transform the culture of sports.
•    Named one of The 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport.
•    Subject of the New York Times Bestseller Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx. Recognized for his revolutionary concepts of Team-Building, Mentoring and Coaching.
•    Co-founder with wife, Paula, of The Door, a community-based organization that addresses issues of poverty, systemic racism and social justice.
•    Co-founder with wife, Paula, of Building Men and Women for Others (BMWO), addressing issues of masculinity and femininity, also seeking to redefine and reframe the social responsibility of sports, coaches, parent and players. Addresses issues of violence and child advocacy.
•    Selected by Baltimore Business Journal as the Renaissance Person of the Decade for his dedication and commitment to Baltimore City’s betterment.
•    Co-founder of Baltimore’s Ronald McDonald House, which has served over 35,000 families from all over the world since its inception.
•    National Fatherhood Initiative’s Man of the Year award for his work in improving the well being of children by helping fathers become more involved, responsible, and committed to their children.
•    Frederick Douglas National Man of the Year award for empowering youth to prevent rape and other forms of male violence.
•    Recognized by National Consortium For Academics and Sports for annual Coach’s Giant Step Award for using the power and appeal of sports to positively affect social change.

Click here for Joe Ehrmann’s interview with the Petoskey News-Review.