Laney Napoli is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Arizona College Preparatory High School for AZPreps365.com.

The Arizona College Prep varsity football team, under the leadership of Myron Blueford, has developed a system to teach its athletes the value of leadership, discipline and personal development.

Started before the 2022-23 season, the "Ten Rules of Leadership for ACP Football" is a program offered to junior and senior players. 

The program can be broken down into three phases that take place five weeks before summer workouts and into the summer months.

“This is not something that will make you a leader just because you go through this,” Blueford said. “It’s just information that hopefully helps them develop more.”

The first phase is the teaching phase; an open forum discussion that takes place for one hour after school, once a week for five weeks.

In this environment players are taught basic rules of leadership and are given the floor to discuss their own personal lives and experiences with their head coach.

At the end of these five weeks the Knights begin summer workouts, which leads to the second phase of the leadership program -- action.  

Players who were a part of the initial teaching phase are divided and assigned groups of players to manage and mentor over the course of summer workouts.

After working with their peers throughout the summer, participants of the program begin phase three which encourages them to bring both the lessons they learned with Blueford and their experience as mentors together into pre-season camp.

During the camp the leaders are given public-speaking roles where they express the values expected of the team, how the ACP logo affects them and assisting the coaches in running the camp. 

Blueford saw a lot of success in the program in its initial year with 14 participants. 

The "Ten Rules of Leadership for ACP Football" is now a requirement for players if they desire to be a team captain.

Current captain Connar Lefevre was one of the first players to go through this program and walked away with a positive and optimistic experience.

“The program has taught me how to be a young man in society and how to be an outstanding role model and leader,” Lefevre said in a text message. “ The ACP Knights have given me a second family where I know I can always go to them if I need guidance or help with anything in life.” 

A desire to become captain is not a requirement for this program. Star defensive end Cayden Gibson also had a positive experience with the program.

“The program was a great experience, super positive and filled with coaches who are always there for you,” Gibson said in a text message. “The program has affected me, making me a less selfish individual and thinking about the collective good for the team and others.”

Blueford has been with the Arizona College Prep program since it was founded in 2017. It was a small school in the 2A division that had never had a football program before.

SInce its start, Blueford has grown the program exponentially into a competitive 4A program with strong developed players.

This leadership program is just one new way Blueford continues to grow his team and program, and to push them to achieve personal and athletic goals.