O’Fallon, MO  (KTRS)  Area high school coaches are learning how to develop good character in their athletes.

Monday afternoon a group of professional coaches shared that message at the Coaches Conference at Fort Zumwalt West High School. Cardinals’ Manager Mike Matheny was among the line up.

“Less than five-percent of these kids that play at the youth level are ever going to play varsity. Are we truly weeding these kids out? Is that what it is a weeding course or are we going to take sports and use it as an avenue to teach character?” said Matheny.

Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin and Oklahoma State’s skipper Josh Holliday also spoke at the event.

Corbin advised coaches to take the step-parent approach when coaching. “When you marry someone with kids you learn to love someone else’s children and essentially that’s what you do when teaching or coaching or you can or you can choose not to do it that way. It feels healthy to do it that way.”

The event was moderated Brett Ledbetter, the co-founder and co-creator of “What Drives a Winning,” a nationally acclaimed leadership and character development program at numerous universities and high schools around the country.

“This is a unique opportunity for over 650 coaches from the St. Louis region to hear some impactful new ways to build up people,” said Ledbetter who works with coaches, athletes and leaders of industry on how to build success through character education.