The Green Bay Packers, in conjunction with the WIAA and the InsideOut Program, have announced that Michael LeBouton of Horicon High School in Horicon, Wis., has been named the Green Bay Packers Athletic Director of the Year.
Throughout his fifteen years as athletic director for the Horicon Marshmen, LeBouton has been an exceptional leader, mentor and advocate for students.
"One of Mike's greatest strengths is his ability to connect with people – especially students," said Horicon principal Teresa Graven. "He is approachable, caring and deeply committed to helping students grow. He also mentors new coaches and teachers, guiding them with supportive and constructive feedback."
Serving as an athletic director has been a rewarding experience for LeBouton.
"This has been a chance to be a part of something bigger," he said. "One of the things I absolutely love is in a season where a team might not win a ton of games, but you can see the development of the people and a group of kids that go through a rough patch and don't turn on each other but actually get closer and better. That speaks to the leadership of the coaches and team leaders and is a level of success that might not be noticed by the public, but it means an awful lot more to how those kids develop into young adults than winning games does."
LeBouton also sees the importance of the work he and his coaches have done with the InSideOut initiative, a national movement that empowers and equips schools to implement purpose-based athletics by connecting student-athletes to transformational coaches in a culture of belonging for their social-emotional character development.
"Every coach, you can watch their evolution and understanding of the larger role that they have. Getting kids better at a sport and winning are definitely goals, but they are buying into that they have a larger role of developing young people into wonderful adults – not just better sons and daughters, but eventually better parents, spouses, partners, workers and bosses," said LeBouton.
"Wisconsin continues to be home to exceptional athletic administrators who model the highest standards of education-based athletics," said Joe Ehrmann, president of the InSideOut Initiative. "I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Mike LeBouton as this year's Green Bay Packers Athletic Director of the Year."
"The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is proud to stand alongside the Green Bay Packers in championing the InSideOut Coaching initiative," said WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser. "We recognize and commend state athletic directors, such as Mike LeBouton, who are actively integrating its core principles. Witnessing the purpose-based leadership applied by athletic directors, and the resulting positive transformation it inspires in both coaches and student-athletes, confirms the importance of this program."
LeBouton grew up in Elcho, Wis., and played football and basketball at Elcho High School. Upon graduation in 1990, he went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. LeBouton has been with the School District of Horicon for 30 years, currently serving as middle school principal and athletic director. Previously, he taught history and English and coached cross country and track.
LeBouton is honored to win the Green Bay Packers Athletic Director of the Year award but quick to recognize his fellow ADs.
"My favorite part about this is not so much that it's coming to me, but instead it draws attention to the work that ADs do," he said. "There's an awful lot of them doing wonderful things."
LeBouton and his wife, Becky, have three daughters, Ellie, Maddie and Anna.
