Mission - “Helping administrators find their leadership-life fit”

Program Goals

• Improve overall health and well-being of school administrators by providing tools, strategies and guidance targeting the components of a healthy leadership-life fit.
• Promote networking among Iowa administrators in pursuit of the shared purpose of improving their overall health and well-being by providing both a personalized and team-based approach to support.
• Increase the efficacy, productivity, and creativity of Iowa administrators by promoting healthier habits and practices.
• Replace ineffective, unhealthy habits with new, effective behaviors for a lifetime of healthy living.

Rationale

• 80 percent of adults don’t get enough activity/ only 3 percent are considered “fit”
• Low fitness is the strongest predictor of death
• Lifestyle accounts for 85 percent of the risk of having a chronic disease.
• Physical inactivity costs $150 billion a year — 15 percent of all health costs
• 36 percent of Iowans age 45-64 are obese

CatchLife Program Options

There are two different CatchLife programs from which members may select. Read the descriptions below.

CatchLife 35-day Challenge with additional programming option

Beginning October 1, SAI will again offer CatchLife programming specifically designed for school leaders. The program’s focus remains constant: to help you invest in yourself so you can better invest in others. Especially during these extremely challenging times, it’s possible to continuously give of yourself until you have nothing left. CatchLife will provide you with self-care tools to help you manage stressors and refuel for your work and life outside the role.

This year’s program—the CatchLife 35-day Challenge—features daily health check-ins that can be completed in five minutes or fewer and don’t require a fitness tracker. 

There are five focus areas:

1. Hydration
2. Physical activity
3. Nutrition
4. Leadership
5. Sleep

Using videos, habit building, accountability tracking, and friendly competition, the SAI CatchLife Challenge offers everything you need to transform your health and wellness by making small, manageable changes. 

Program specifics:

1. You will track each one of the five different focus areas for one week during the initial 35 days of the program.
2. At the end of 35 days, you will receive a summary report telling you which one area most needs your intervention attention. 
3. You will then have the option to access for the next 30 days a challenge to assist you in your identified area for growth. 
4. After focusing on the individual growth area, all participants will also have the choice to reconvene during the final 21 days for a CatchLife Challenge complete with a community feed and leaderboard. 
5. All communication will occur via daily text messages.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use program—for yourself or your administrative team—that will help build a solid foundation of wellness habits while promoting a positive culture of support, reach out to CatchLife Director Rick Schupbach for more information. The next session will begin in January.

Cost: Free

Duration: 35 days (will include prep days) with optional additional challenges

Sign up

Hear from colleagues who have participated:

Last fall the Atlantic Administrative Team participated in the CatchLife 30-Day Challenge. All members of the team experienced positive results and were impressed with the simplicity of the program. The team felt it was such a positive experience we got buy-in from staff and offered the 30-Day Challenge to all of our staff. We had about 50% participation and heard many examples of improved self-care. This experience has springboarded Atlantic Community Schools to look at ways we can be intentional about taking care of ourselves knowing full well that this will provide a better experience for our students. Thank you SAI and Catchlife for providing us this opportunity. The 30-Day Challenge is simple and makes a difference.

~ Steve Barber, Atlantic superintendent

CatchLife has energized our team! It's not unusual to see teams of teachers, staff and associates walking the school halls after school, working out in the fitness center, or sharing stories of support on the easy-to-use app. The teams are reporting more energy, increased awareness of healthy choices, and overall happiness. We are by no means where we want to be, but we are closer than where we were. When I hear things like "Coach S ate carrots for his team!" or see that Team U posted a picture of themselves walking and talking—it makes the craziness of our work that much more manageable. We have found a common approach to being better together and I am appreciative of that-—for our students and for each other.

~ Sharon Dentlinger, I-35 superintendent

The SAI Catch Life program has been a positive for the CCA administrative team as a group and me personally. As a team, it has helped us to better support one another in making healthy choices. Personally, I have lost about 45 pounds since the initial CatchLIfe initiative and have been able to lower my blood pressure to an acceptable level and maintain it there. The focus on keeping ourselves healthy and positive keeps us functioning at a high level personally and as a team. Thanks to Roark, Rick, and SAI for supporting this important work!

~ Tim Kuehl, Clear Creek Amana superintendent

I was hesitant to join the CatchLife 30-day Challenge. It was not about seeing value in the program, but knowing I may not be successful. The 30-day program was exactly what I needed. I am drinking more water now than ever before in my life and less pop. I also eat more fruits and vegetables. The changes I made in the 30-day program have become habits now. I feel better which translates to being able to function at a higher level for our system. I would encourage others to take the 30-day Challenge.  

~ Lisa Remy, West Des Moines superintendent

CatchLife 16-week Challenge

This program consists of an individual and team challenge. Feedback will be provided every week by CatchLife Director Rick Schupbach for each individual participant and each team. Weekly reports will be sent to highlight individual and team successes. It is important to take time to support and CELEBRATE successes and this is done by recognizing individuals who achieve 7/7 days at 100 percent of the daily activity goals or who have zero inactivity stamps for the week. We also recognize the top 10 individuals in the state who have the most training time in the appropriate heart rate zone. In addition, the top 10 teams in each goal area are recognized and an overall state team champion is crowned weekly. See links below for sample reports.

Cost: Participants use Polar fitness tracker ($139.93)

Areas of focus:

• Weekly individual feedback/team feedback/state team competition report
• 100% daily activity goal
• Inactivity stamps
• Training length
• Training Intensity
• Sleep

Sample Team Document

Sample Weekly Team State Report

Sample Individual State Report

Dates: February 1 - May 23, 2021

Duration: 16 weeks

Number of participants: First 20 local/regional administrative teams of 3 -10 members to sign up

Sign up 

Here's what participants have to say:

CatchLife has been an incredible gift to our team. We are more intentional about making healthy choices and encouraging one another to achieve goals. Understanding each other's personal health goals gave us a deeper level of trust, which allowed us to grow together both professionally and personally.

~ Tara Estep, principal, Cedar Falls Elementary School

CatchLife is far more than a fitness program. CatchLife can be the catalyst your team has been looking for to grow personally and professionally. At Pella, we were able to improve our fitness, and more importantly, we were able to establish much stronger relationships with each other. We plan to continue as an administrative team as well as expand to our entire staff.

~ Josh Manning, principal, Pella Middle School

I could go on for hours about how the CatchLife program has impacted me. Most importantly, I learned I must take time for me because the happier and healthier I am the better I will be for the people I serve. I have loved having a team behind me because it reminds me I am not alone on this journey.

~ Cathy DeBondt, principal, East Marshall Elementary School

Order a tech fabric CatchLife shirt

SAI CatchLife Program Background

Learn more about the SAI CatchLife program.

Questions

Contact CatchLife Director Rick Schupbach