Jim Thompson, author, coach, educator and business leader, brought his ideas and experiences to students and faculty at Milton. Jim Thompson founded Positive Coaching Alliance, a non-profit formed at Stanford University aimed at transforming the culture of youth sports so that all youth athletes have a positive, character-building experience. Jim spoke with students in the FCC on Tuesday, May 6, and then faculty and parents in Wigg Hall.
As Principal David Ball wrote to parents, Jim “articulates a powerful vision for mastery and mentorship that can apply in any educational context. As Jim makes clear, culture, not the particular game we play, shapes character.”
Since its founding in 1998, Positive Coaching Alliance has developed a network of more than 130 trainers across the U.S., who have involved youth sports leaders, coaches, parents and athletes in PCA workshops. For more than 10 years, Jim was director of the Public and Global Management Programs at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he also taught courses in leadership and non-profit issues. He has a degree in elementary education from the University of North Dakota, a master’s in public affairs from the University of Oregon, and an MBA from Stanford.