Leadership and Overcoming Adversity
Session Description:
"Creating and Sustaining a Championship Culture:" an interactive training program for assistant and head Strength and Conditioning coaches covering relevant leadership development and team building issues that will help them bring their teams to the next level of championship performance. Topics covered include how to develop better team leaders and better teammate, defining team goals and standards and a discussion of the most frequently asked questions by Program clients across the country.
Biography:
Eric Kapitulik was born and raised in Thompson, CT and attended Pomfret Preparatory School where he was three sport varsity athlete. Upon graduating, he attended the United States Naval Academy. While there, he as a year varsity letter winner and played on three NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse Tournament teams. During his junior year, Eric received the Lt. JG Frank McKeone Award, given to the Navy player who most demonstrated spirit and sportsmanship and who served as the unsung hero. Eric was also named Navy?s Most Outstanding Defenseman and received North-South All Star honors his senior year at the academy. He graduated in 1995 and went on to serve as both an Infantry Officer and Special Operations Officer with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division. As a Force Reconnaissance Platoon Commander, Eric led 20 covert operations specialists in Special Forces related missions including long range reconnaissance patrols, hostage rescue, high altitude jump exercises, ship takeovers and gas-oil platform takedowns. He left active duty after eight years of service and graduated from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 2005.
Eric has been extensively involved with the Force Reconnaissance Scholarship Fund, which he established for the children of six Marines who died in a helicopter crash while serving under his command. Since 1999, he has been helping to raise funds and has done so through public speaking engagements covering ?Leadership and Overcoming Adversity? and through participation in Iron Man Triathlons and other ultra-endurance races around the world. In addition to finishing 8 Iron Man Triathlons, Eric has competed in numerous marathons, the Canadian Death Race Ultra Marathon, the Eco Challenge, and American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon and was competitor on The Outdoor Life Network?s Global Extremes Challenge.
Eric is also an avid high altitude mountaineer. He has summated five of the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on the seven continents); Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mr. McKinley, Mt. Aconcagua, Mr. Elbrus, and most recently Mt. Everest.
Eric sits on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Soldier?s Legacy Fund and is the Founder and CEO of The Program LLC, a team building and leadership development company for high school and collegiate student athletes and corporate teams.
