What happens when you combine leadership, vision, physical discipline, and resilience? Your students earn 12 state team titles in cross-country, 19 individual state championship and 49 student athletes are inspired to earn scholarships to attend college. Plus, you personally achieve success as an ultra marathoner, running races up to 150 miles.

Raving is thrilled to bring Shaun Martin, principal at Chinle Elementary School to the Raving NEXT: Indian Gaming Strategic Operations & Leadership Conference in 2023. You may recognize Martin from the 2019 American documentarian non-scripted Netflix reality television series Basketball or Nothing. This is the story around the lives of the Chinle High School boys’ basketball team based on the Navajo Nation reservation, the largest reservation in America. You may also recognize him as a featured runner in the film 3100: Run and Become.

Featured Keynote: Leadership Lessons from Navajo Ultra Marathoner and Netflix Series Basketball or Nothing’s Shaun Martin

In this motivating and provocative keynote, Martin will focus on sharing leadership development and guiding principles while utilizing the traditional practice of storytelling. Shaun will incorporate lessons First Nations people have learned and have used to innately build resiliency. Ultimately Shaun will challenge each individual to define their beliefs and take an active role in preserving and revitalizing our local communities as Natanii’s (leaders).

View the full agenda and register online to attend.

About Shaun Martin

Shaun was born and raised in LeChee, AZ (Navajo Reservation) and is a graduate of Page High School. He currently acts as the principal at Chinle Elementary School in Chinle, Arizona. Shaun is an Ultra Marathoner, running races up to 150 miles.

Shaun graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2004 and spent 9 years teaching at Chinle High School and 9 Years Coaching Cross-Country and Track and Field. During this time Shaun had 12 State Team Titles in Cross-Country, 19 Individual State Champions and 49 Student Athletes received scholarships to attend college. Shaun spent 2 years coaching cross country at Dine College where his teams won 3 National Titles and had 12 All-Americans at the USCAA National Championships. Shaun Served as Athletic Director at Dine College from 2012 to 2014. He then served as Chinle High School’s Athletic Director for 8 years.

Shaun is the founder and race director of the Canyon de Chelly Ultra and the virtual Hashke (Warrior) Run and is a featured runner in the film 3100: Run and Become. Chinle Superintendent Jesus de la Garza describes Martin as an “exceptionally effective and inspirational teacher and coach who influences students to perform beyond their own imaginations.”

Shaun received his master’s degree in Educational Leadership: Principal K-12 from North Arizona University in December of 2019. Awards include: 2009 National Federation of High School Sports Western Coach of the Year, 2012 Arizona Rural Teacher of the Year, 2012 ASBA Golden Bell Award recipient, 2013 National Rural Teacher of the Year, 2015 Navajo Times Sports Hall of Fame inductee and 2019 Northern Arizona Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.

 

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