Mike Gilleran, the Athletic Director at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, is also the Executive Director of the Santa Clara University Institute for Sports Law and Ethics. He previously served as the commissioner of the West Coast Conference, spending over 30 years in intercollegiate athletics. Earning his J.D. from Seattle University in 1975, he focused on Sports Law and has since been involved in almost every aspect of college and high school sports.

Here, Gilleran explains how winning and losing comes and goes, but establishing core values and pursuing them lasts a lifetime. Building character and values helps throughout life, not just on the field. Everyone wants to win, but regardless of results, striving and preparing to win is what really helps build lasting character traits. If you happen to win, that is an added bonus, but gaining core values from the day-to-day process of competing in sports is the higher value.