The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association is proud to have American journalist and sports commentator, John U. Bacon, as its keynote speaker at the upcoming 2022 MAHA Summer Meetings. As we prepare to launch the 2022-23 hockey season, Bacon will share this 'unexpected' leadership journey with MAHA leadership on Saturday morning (10:30am).

Author of the uplifting leadership book, Let Them Lead, Bacon shares his inspirational story as a hockey player and coach. Charged with leading one of the worst high school hockey teams in the nation, Bacon's strategy for success is one that leaders of all kinds can embrace to motivate their teams to work harder, work together, and take responsibility for their own success.

Presenter

John U. Bacon has worked nearly three decades as a writer, a public speaker, and a college instructor, winning awards for all three.

Bacon has authored ten books on sports, business, health, and history, the last six of which are national bestsellers, including Bo's Lasting Lessons, Endzone, and The Great Halifax Explosion. He delivers speeches on the themes taken from his books, and coaching and teaching experiences -- including leadership, diversity, motivating millennials, and creativity -- to corporations, universities, and other groups around the country and the world.

Bacon has also pursued his passions for radio, television, coaching and teaching. He appears often on TV, including HBO, ESPN, Fox Business, MSNBC, and the Big Ten Network, where he is a frequent contributor to both “Icons” series. 

Bacon earned an honors degree in history (“pre-unemployment”) from the University of Michigan in 1986, and a Master’s in Education in 1994. In 2005-06, the Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellowship named him the first recipient of the Benny Friedman Fellowship for Sports Journalism.

Bacon lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and son.

The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association is proud to have its newest partner, the Positive Coaching Alliance, participating in the 2022 MAHA Summer Meetings!

As a catalyst for a positive youth sports culture, Positive Coaching Alliance provides research-based training and resources for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders to ensure a positive youth development experience for ALL kids, in all communities across the U.S., through sports.

Presenter

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit organization to create a positive, character-building youth sports environment.

Since its founding in 1998, PCA has established 18 chapters nationwide, partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, reaching 19.2 million youths. PCA offers interactive online courses and has thousands of multimedia tips and tools for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders available free of charge on PCADevZone.org. PCA also runs two annual awards programs: a scholarship program for high school student-athletes and a coach award program to recognize youth and high school coaches who strive to win and teach life lessons.

PCA is proud to partner with more than 50 national governing bodies, youth-serving organizations and professional leagues and teams including: Boys & Girls Club of America, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and US Lacrosse.