Topic: Speakers

October 14, 2019

Headshot of Don YaegerDon Yaeger, an author, journalist, and business leadership coach, will speak at Ball State University’s Pruis Hall at 7 p.m. October 21 as a part of the Excellence in Leadership speaker series. His talk, “What Makes the Great Teams Great,” is free and open to the public.

“Don will address what makes a great leader and how these leaders can come together to make great teams,” said Abby Haworth, Ball State’s associate director of student life. “This is coming from his experience interviewing and spending time with athletes who were the very best in their field. He takes a practical approach on how to be a great leader.”

Yaeger, a 1984 graduate of Ball State, has fashioned a colorful career in political, investigative, and sports reporting. He has authored 29 books, 11 of which are New York Times bestsellers. A longtime associate editor for Sports Illustrated, Yaeger often discusses lessons on achieving greatness, learned from firsthand experiences with some of the world’s greatest sports legends.

Notably, Yaeger co-authored “Who’s Coaching Your Kid? The frightening truth about child molestation in youth sports,” an important Sports Illustrated article that triggered reports by programs such as Dateline, 20/20 and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

“As Don is an alumnus of Ball State, we hope that students will see in him the potential and possibilities for themselves,” Haworth said. “Don shows us an example of giving back to an institution that gave so much to him. Students should value learning from someone who understands their educational background.”

Students who attend will have the opportunity to meet and network with Yaeger after his speech.

“The Excellence in Leadership program is designed to help students learn different styles of leadership, and Don’s presentation will be a great example of that goal,” Haworth said.