How to Build Lasting Character in Student-Athletes
When we think about preparing young athletes for success, we often focus on skill, strength, or strategy. But the foundation for long-term growth—both in sports and in life—is more powerful and lasting: character.
Character isn’t just a buzzword. It’s built in the quiet choices your athlete makes when no one’s watching. How coachable they are. How they bounce back from adversity or mistakes. How they show up for practice and games. How they treat other people.
At IMG Academy, we don’t leave character development to chance. We have rooted our character curriculum for our student-athletes in proven, evidence-based frameworks to develop it intentionally. One of our main frameworks is the Four Pillars of Character—which helps support their holistic and balanced development.
What Are the Four Pillars of Character?
The idea of character can feel vague or idealistic—but it doesn’t have to. The Four Pillars of Character identify specific, observable traits that shape how an individual shows up in every environment: on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.
Each pillar asks a question worth reflecting on—and practicing.
Performance Character
Am I committed to giving my best—every day, not just game day?
This pillar pushes athletes to take ownership of their effort, their preparation, and their poise. It’s about bringing honest intensity to practice. Showing up early. Recovering well. And refusing to take the easy way out
Moral Character
Do I choose the right thing, even when it’s hard or when no one is watching?
This pillar is about integrity. It shows up when athletes admit a missed assignment without being blamed. When they show respect towards an opponent. When they stay composed instead of cutting corners or making excuses. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being committed to bringing one’s best self.
Intellectual Character
Do I stay curious, coachable, and open to feedback and coaching?
This pillar is often misunderstood. It’s not about having the highest IQ—it’s about how an athlete responds to feedback and failure. Do they ask good questions? Do they bounce back after mistakes? Do they lean in and learn, or just shut down? Intellectual character is what makes real growth possible.
Civic Character
Do I leave my team, my space, and my people better than I found them?
This is where leadership through service begins. It’s the small things—helping a teammate pack up, encouraging someone who’s struggling, noticing who’s being left out. Athletes with civic character don’t wait to be asked—they look for ways to lift others and lead through care.
When all four pillars are cultivated and developed, athletes build trust, lead with clarity, and grow into people others want to follow.
Why This Matters
The truth is: every athlete builds a reputation. Coaches, teachers, recruiters, and teammates are already watching—not just for talent, but for character. And later in life, employers, partners, and friends will do the same.
When an athlete’s character is consistent, they become reliable. When it’s consistent and balanced, they become a leader. That’s why we teach this framework—and why your support makes such a difference.
How You Can Help as a Parent
1. Reinforce Small Habits
Character is built through repetition. Maybe they’ve committed to arriving early, owning their mistakes, or helping a teammate every Friday. Celebrate those choices. Help them stick with it when motivation dips.
2. Don’t Just Focus on Outcomes
Instead of only praising wins or stats, notice how they show up: Did they stay focused? Did they treat others with respect? Did they grow from a mistake? These are the traits that last.
3. Model the Pillars Yourself
Character is contagious. Show them what it looks like to admit a mistake, to stay curious, to uplift someone in a quiet moment. Your actions are shaping theirs—more than you think.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, character is what sustains athletes through challenges, builds stronger teams, and leads to a flourishing life after sports. The Four Pillars give them a clear structure. Your encouragement gives them the confidence to live it out.
So ask the questions. Celebrate the healthy choices and small wins. And remind them that leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being consistent, coachable, and committed to something bigger than themselves.
Dr. Pete Paciorek, Ed.D., is the Head of Leadership & Character Development at IMG Academy, the world leader in sports education. He is passionate about supporting students, athletes, educators, coaches, and parents in effective long-term pedagogy to cultivate positive youth development. At IMG Academy, Dr. Paciorek is responsible for designing and leading character development programs that help students form well-rounded identities, overcome challenges, uplift one another and their communities, and achieve success both on and off the field. He works closely with all middle-school and high-school students at the academy, as well as with students in every grade during IMG Academy’s sports training camps, and with other coaches and educators in the development of IMG Academy pedagogy.
Coming from a family of 11 professional athletes, Dr. Paciorek had a ten-year career in professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres organizations. Following his passion for supporting student-athletes, he earned an Ed.D. in Character Education from the University of Missouri at St. Louis; he also has an MS in Sport Management and MA in Organizational Leadership. He is the author of the book Character Loves Company, a longtime volunteer for the Special Olympics, and the founder of the nonprofit organization Character Loves Company, Inc. Additionally, Dr. Paciorek has given hundreds of presentations to schools and community centers about the need to emphasize character development in education and sports.
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