David Light Shields, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized researcher, writer, and speaker on sports and character development. Formerly, he was Co-Director of the Mendelson Center for Sports, Character, and Community at the University of Notre Dame, and is currently Professor Emeritus of Teacher Education at St. Louis Community College, where he was the 2017 recipient of the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Marvin W. Berkowitz, Ph.D., is Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His scholarly focus is on character education and development, and he has authored more than 100 books, book chapters, monographs, and journal articles. Dr. Berkowitz has received numerous honors, including career achievement awards from Character. org and the Association for Moral Education. He is also the Co-founder of ComedySportz and two-time Missouri Senior Soccer champion. Pete S. Paciorek, Ed.D., is a global leader in character development in sport and serves as the Head of Leadership and Character Development at IMG Academy. With a background as a professional baseball player and a recognized family legacy in professional sports, Paciorek has dedicated his life to cultivating character in youth through sports. Founder of the non-profit Character Loves Company, Paciorek also teaches graduate-level courses in character and ethics at the University of Florida.
