As a response to the disparate number of ethnic minority head coaches in collegiate football, the NCAA has instituted a three-tiered Coaches Academy. I had the pleasure to serve as a member of the faculty for the Advanced Coaching Program that preceded the American Coaches Football Association convention in January.

Similar to the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males, the Advanced Coaching Program is a unique context for advancing and enhancing the skills and competencies of minority football coaches. The inaugural class met for three days and used its time together to hone core competencies and skills relevant to duties and responsibilities beyond coaching a position and/or strategizing offenses and defenses.

I recall one participant asking me if I knew the "real" intentions of the academy. I chuckled inside because it reminded me of the anticipations that I experienced as a member of the inaugural class of the Leadership Institute. My first inclination was to tell him that at the end of this program he will be spiritually connected to 19 other men who as a group will create a supportive community inspired by self-reflection and constructive change. But then I remembered my experience in the Leadership Institute and responded, "Coach, just let go. Don't speculate or anticipate anything. Let the experience evolve within you."

As soon as I said that, his shoulders grew another five inches, indicating to me that I had just increased his level of anxiety. Yet, I suspected that this was a normal reaction. As professionals, we tend to become accustomed to conferences and conventions that intend to develop a specific technical skill or enhance our ability to perform an assigned task more efficiently. What we often are not prepared to experience in educational settings is the opportunity to release ourselves to the moment or experience with an understanding that the only measuring stick for growth is that which is revealed by self-reflection and inner-revelation.

Consequently, the NCAA staff created a welcoming atmosphere that invited the participants to let their guard down. It was not long before my inquisitive coach and the other 19 men participating in the academy were interacting, discussing and role-playing like student-athletes at an NCAA Leadership Conference. Through each session, the coaches became more comfortable with each other and freer in sharing experiences. By the end of the first day the seed had been sown.

The session I was asked to help with focused on moral/ethical considerations and academics. That fall, the media was busy reporting academic fraud and other indiscretions that had recently occurred within a few intercollegiate athletics programs. But the coaches in my session reaffirmed my belief that such programs are limited. The academy participants shared that the malefic finger-pointing we have grown accustomed to in intercollegiate athletics should not find a place in programs where the head coach sets a clear and consistent example for ethical standards and disciplined behavior. They were articulate in sharing that most outsiders do not understand that in order to manage the many issues and dilemmas that today's youth bring to a college campus, a coach must maintain a balanced perspective. Yet, they were equally clear that the head coach is ultimately accountable for the image of the program and that their respective personal integrity rests on much more than wins and losses. Moreover, it was refreshing to hear agreement that a student-athlete's primary purpose for attending college is to earn a degree and graduate.

Since the session preceded the NCAA Convention, where discussions about academic reform would be prevalent, I was struck by comments that heightened my understanding of the paradox these coaches face relative to being held accountable for winning games, squelching misconduct and maintaining acceptable graduation rates. They explained that in this day and age, the time required preparing to coach is reduced significantly if/when the team experiences an inordinate amount of academic and social issues. They agreed that leading a program is much more than game strategy and practice preparation.

Leading a program requires that the head coach is intimately aware of the academic, financial, psychological and social health of the football program. These coaches were critically aware that the head coach's job can be in jeopardy as a result of a perceived loss of control over any number of program-management responsibilities. One coach put it this way, "If a guy is not eligible he can't play. That means I better know that he is attending class and meeting his academic obligations."

When asked what drives a student-athlete not to engage academically, this group shared that some student-athletes develop an entitlement attitude and in such cases their expectations become incongruent with the philosophy of the football program and the mission of the institution in general. The dialogue could have continued on into the night, which made it clear that this group was passionate about their craft and developing young minds.

By the evening of day two they were ready to have a closed-door session without the faculty. I was again reminded of my experience in the Leadership Institute when the class became so energized around a topic or a panel of experts that facilitators would have to cut the dialogue short due to other scheduled events. Just as I had experienced, the academy provided a space for the coaches to step away and challenge, re-affirm, and/or develop previously held beliefs, values and practices within a supportive community.

Such environments are especially critical for ethnic minority coaches. Claude M. Steele, professor of psychology at Stanford University, concludes that individuals who share a historical memory of oppression are subject to "stereotype-threat." Supportive environments, such as the closed-door meeting, reinforce their racial/ethnic/cultural identity. But other environments and circumstances discount that identity. When in the supportive environment, a feeling of empowerment prevails -- discovering the power of self-knowledge is not hindered. When in the discounting environments, though, a number of self-defeating pathologies come into play.

Thus, the academy is uniquely designed to take advantage of the cultural capital that ethnic minority coaches bring to the table -- extinguish the unhealthy burden of stereotype-threat and at the same time expose participants to aspects of intercollegiate athletics beyond developing student-athletes' physical talents. Such arrangements free participants so they can experience what is going on inside and outside of them and authentically express that experience within a supportive community.

This was most evident at the last session of the academy, when participants shared what they had learned. In that moment, one could sense that a bond had been formed. Certainly, those early expectations from the inquisitive coach I met on day one were relieved. The guys connected with each other and -- most importantly -- became more attuned to their own purpose-driven compass. I believe that they discovered the opportunities for continued development and professional advancement, and as a result moved closer to resolving any self-doubt about their potential to lead an intercollegiate football program.

I am convinced that coaches who commit themselves to this NCAA professional-development process will benefit in more ways than I could ever share in writing. I thank the coaches for allowing me to enter their community, and I am grateful for the opportunity to advance the NCAA mission in this way.

Demetrius Marlowe is an associate director of athletics at Michigan State University.