Some of the region’s leading experts in the field of sports psychology and leadership will take part in a spring lecture series at DePaul University’s O’Hare Campus. The lectures are open to students, alumni and the public. All lectures will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at DePaul’s O’Hare Campus, 3166 South River Road, 2nd Floor, Des Plaines.

March 15: “Coaching Principles and Life Skills: Making the Important Connections” Jim Bloch, an award-winning athletic director at New Trier High School, Winnetka, Ill., will present the rules and strategies of both good coaching and fundamental life skills. Bloch, who is also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul, will examine the foundations of solid interpersonal and team relationships, including helping others to create a desire to achieve and a plan for improvement.

April 26: “Sport Psyching for Peak Performance” David Drehmer, Ph.D., is the founder and director of The Performance Enhancement Institute, a clinical psychological service and consulting firm for people in business, education, law, sports and the arts. He specializes in the effects of stress on work and performance. In his presentation, he will address how to improve focus and motivation while eliminating performance distractions in life and in work. Drehmer also is an associate professor of management in DePaul’s nationally ranked Kellstadt Graduate School of Business part-time MBA program.

May 17: “The Corporate Athlete: Building Individual and Organizational Capacity in Challenging Times” Jack Groppel, Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority on the application of sport science to human performance and an expert in fitness and nutrition, will deliver a lecture designed to help business people increase their performance capacity at all levels – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. A former professor of kinesiology and bioengineering at the University of Illinois, Groppel developed his Corporate Athlete Training Program to help business executives and athletes increase performance levels.

June 14: “Inside the Champion’s Mind: Transformational Experiences” Eric Soderholm, founder of Soder World Holistic Health and Wellness Center, Hinsdale, Ill., will share his life experiences and secrets to success. Soderholm is best known for his 13 seasons as a major league baseball player, including a successful stint with the Chicago White Sox in the late 1970s. Soderholm will discuss the transition from the world of sports into the world of business, as well as the importance of self-awareness and the power of belief.

Each lecture has an admission cost of $20, which includes a wine and cheese reception. For more information or reservations, call DePaul’s O’Hare Campus at 847/296-5348.