What is JKB? The J. Kyle Braid Athletic Leadership Foundation is a one of a kind organization that can change the lives of young high school students from across the country, for the rest of their lives. Leadership is an important quality because, “Leaders make decisions that have significant effects on the lives of others. They have the ability to influence events and impact the evolutionary trajectories of societies.” (Vaughn et al, 3). The J. Kyle Braid Foundation, or JKB for short, uses very informal, and effective means of communication, including a monthly newsletter, texts, and the more modern use of Facebook. The foundation is dedicated to impacting the lives of students who are already role models so that they can be even more effective in their leadership skills and make a positive impact in their community and their schools. The J. Kyle Braid foundation began after Ken and Colleen Braid lost their 16-year-old son, Kyle, after he took his own life as an unfortunate result of using anabolic steroids. Kyle was an outstanding athlete and a leader on his high school football team. The Braids created this concept of a ranch in the small town of Villa Grove, Colorado, with a population of about 200 people. This setting is unique, because it is in a location with virtually no cell phone reception, and almost no communication to the outside world. The closest neighbor is literally miles away. This allows for the students at the ranch to stay focused, not only on what they are learning, but also on building relationships.
How to attend the ranch? To attend the ranch, students are chosen at very few select high schools from around the nation that have had a direct relationship with the Braids. Peers, faculty, community leaders and advisors choose students during their sophomore year of high school. Two boys and two girls are chosen from each high school to visit the ranch for one week, all expenses paid, to learn how to become a more effective leader. This comes after a very intense and rigorous interview process by upperclassmen, to pick the best representative of their high school. The weeks alternate at the ranch with boys and girls, to keep them more focused, as well as to bond with others. Students spend about 24 hours of their week in a classroom learning how to become better leaders and better role models for their peers back home. The rest of the week is filled with other leadership training, in the forms of a ropes course, whitewater rafting, skeet shooting, paintball, and horseback riding to name a few. This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime for these students, most of which live in the suburbs of major cities and have never gotten the opportunity to experience the great outdoors like this.
To become a member of JKB, you must be selected by your peers, coaches, or advisors during your sophomore year of high school. Jo-Ann C. Brynne and Richard T. Rees write that, “The first important step in the design of a leadership development program is to focus on the key principles that will provide the structure for your program.” (Brynne et al, 14). The JKB Foundation is looking for students who are already leaders in their community, and students who already hold the key values and principles of the organization. Selecting students with these qualities is what keeps the ranch’s key principles in tact. They want students who have a positive reputation as well as a good relation with coaches and peers as well. To be in JKB you must also be an athlete. This is because the Braids wanted to help kids that were like their son. Kyle was an exceptional athlete and a leader on his football team. His decision to take anabolic steroids was only to better himself. As a sophomore, starting on the varsity football team, he was not fully aware of the side effects of taking these drugs. He wanted to become the best football player that he could be. Unfortunately, his desire also claimed his life.