Illinois Principals Association

Admin Academies

John Woods

Athletic Director
Libertyville High School

John Woods is currently in his sixth year as the Athletic Director at Libertyville High School. John spent 16 years as the Athletic Director at Champaign Central High School in Champaign, IL. Prior to becoming the AD at CHS, John taught special education and coached girls’ volleyball, boys’ golf, girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball and girls and boys’ track and field.

John earned his CMAA in January 2021. He is highly active in the Illinois Athletic Directors Association, having served as the President-elect, President, and Past President from 2015-17. He is currently serving as its Treasurer and as a Hall of Fame Committee member. John has also served the IADA in several other capacities, including: Hall of Fame Chair, Golf Co-Chair, and District Representative. John has also served as a presenter and a moderator at both the National ADs Conference and at the State ADs Conference. Last summer, John and Chris Davis spent one day, as co-keynote speakers, teaching The 10 Pillars of Peak Performance at the Michigan ADs Summer Conference.

He is currently writing a curriculum on building, cultivating and sustaining a championship culture for a soon-to-be released LTC course. John will also begin teaching an administrators academy in Illinois in the fall. The academy will emphasize SEL and the student-athlete experience.

John earned his Mental Performance Mastery Coaching Certification in June of 2020, which he uses to help guide the Wildcats Will Peak Performance and Leadership Development group at Libertyville High School.

John is currently serving as the Division 2 representative on the IHSA swimming advisory committee for athletes with disabilities.

Through his involvement in the IADA, John has nurtured strong, collaborative relationships with athletic administrators across the state. John is a certified National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association Leadership Institute instructor, which means he leads professional development sessions on leadership, program development and student wellness for coaches and athletic administrators from all over Illinois.




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