John Woods, CMAA

Now in his ninth year at Libertyville High School, Woods oversees one of Illinois’ largest and most comprehensive high school athletic programs. The Wildcats sponsor 31 varsity sports and more than 90 teams, supported by an annual athletic budget of approximately $1.1 million.

Managing an athletic department of that size requires tremendous organization and attention to detail. However, Woods believes operational excellence is only the foundation. The greater responsibility is creating a culture in which every coach and student-athlete understands the standards, values and behaviors expected of them.

For Woods, culture is not a slogan displayed on a wall. It is a system reinforced through daily decisions, intentional habits and consistent leadership.


Before entering athletic administration, Woods worked as a special education teacher and coached volleyball, basketball, golf, and track and field.


Those early experiences shaped his understanding of how students learn, respond to adversity and develop confidence. They also reinforced his belief that coaches and athletic administrators are educators first.

Woods later served for 16 years as athletic director at Champaign Central High School. During that time, he developed the practical experience required to lead a comprehensive athletic department while building a reputation for innovation, professional growth and student-centered leadership.

His transition to Libertyville provided an opportunity to apply those lessons within an even larger athletic program.
At Libertyville, Woods has worked to create alignment among administrators, coaches, students and families. His leadership encourages each program to pursue competitive excellence while remaining connected to a shared educational purpose.
The result is an athletic department where success is measured not only by victories and championships, but also by the habits, relationships and leadership qualities students develop through participation.

One of Woods’ most influential contributions at Libertyville has been the creation of the Wildcats Will Peak Performance and Leadership Development program.

Wildcats Will was developed to provide student-athletes with practical strategies for managing pressure, responding to adversity and performing consistently in demanding environments. The program focuses on areas such as neutral thinking, resilience, self-awareness, leadership and the daily habits of championship performers.

Woods recognizes that physical preparation alone is not enough to help young people reach their potential.

Student-athletes also need the ability to reset after mistakes, remain composed in challenging situations and focus their energy on the next controllable action. Those skills are valuable during competition, but their influence extends well beyond athletics.
Through Wildcats Will, Libertyville student-athletes are learning how to respond rather than react, how to lead themselves before attempting to lead others and how to approach adversity with confidence and discipline.

The initiative represents Woods’ broader philosophy: athletic programs should prepare students not simply for the next game, but for the challenges they will encounter throughout life.

His expertise in this area is supported by his Mental Performance Mastery coaching certification, which he earned in 2020.
National Recognition for Leadership

Woods’ influence and professional contributions were recognized nationally in 2026 when he was named the National Athletic Director of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.

The NHSACA award represents one of the highest honors available to a high school athletic administrator. It recognizes sustained excellence, professional service and a career dedicated to advancing interscholastic athletics.

Woods was also inducted into the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in July 2026, further affirming the impact of his leadership throughout the state.


While these honors recognize his individual accomplishments, Woods’ career has consistently focused on helping others become better leaders.


He earned his Certified Master Athletic Administrator designation in 2021, demonstrating his commitment to continued education and the highest professional standards in athletic administration.

As a certified instructor for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s Leadership Training Institute, Woods has taught athletic administrators and coaches across 19 states. He is also a nationally recognized presenter who regularly shares strategies related to leadership development, mental performance and building sustainable athletic cultures.

Woods has extended his influence through the development of professional curriculum for athletic administrators.
He co-authored the NIAAA leadership course LTC 727: Building, Cultivating and Sustaining a Championship Culture. The course provides athletic leaders with a framework for moving beyond slogans and isolated initiatives to create cultures supported by clearly defined values, aligned behaviors and accountable leadership.

The principles within the curriculum reflect the work Woods has implemented throughout his career.
Championship culture is not created through a single meeting, motivational speech or successful season. It is developed intentionally through the people an organization selects, the behaviors it celebrates, the standards it protects and the consistency with which leaders reinforce those expectations.

In January 2026, Woods expanded that message through the launch of his podcast, Brick by Brick: The Championship Playbook.
The podcast shares practical strategies for building championship people, teams and organizations through intentional leadership. Its title reflects Woods’ belief that meaningful culture is constructed gradually. Each conversation, decision, standard and habit represents another brick in the foundation.

Woods understands that the quality of a student-athlete’s experience is directly influenced by the quality of the adults leading the program.

That belief inspired him to establish the Illinois Athletic Directors Association’s Coaches Professional Development Monthly, providing coaches and athletic administrators across Illinois with free access to professional learning.
The initiative addresses one of the most important responsibilities in athletic administration: helping coaches grow as educators and leaders.

Woods’ service to the Illinois Athletic Directors Association has included roles as president-elect, president, past president and treasurer. He also serves on the organization’s Hall of Fame Committee.

In addition, Woods represents Division 2 on the Illinois High School Association’s advisory committee for athletes with disabilities, supporting efforts to expand meaningful athletic opportunities for all students. Each of these roles reflects his commitment to serving the profession—not simply participating in it.


The most influential athletic administrators create systems that continue to shape people long after a season has ended.

John Woods has done that throughout his career.

He has built programs that teach student-athletes how to lead themselves, respond to adversity and pursue excellence with intention. He has provided coaches with the tools to create stronger relationships and healthier team cultures. He has shared his experience with athletic administrators across Illinois and throughout the country.

His leadership demonstrates that championship programs are not defined solely by trophies, records or banners. They are defined by the people they develop and the values those people carry into the world.

At Libertyville High School, Woods continues to lead a large and successful athletic department while remaining focused on the individual student-athletes at the center of the work.

His influence can be seen in the mindset of a student responding to failure, the confidence of a coach navigating a difficult conversation and the shared language that unites more than 90 teams around a common purpose.

For his nationally recognized leadership, his commitment to mental performance and character development, and his enduring service to education-based athletics, Bound proudly recognizes John Woods, CMAA, MPM, as the Bound Athletic Director of Influence for Illinois.