ATH: Fries, Watson-Carr Participate In 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Training

7/9/2021 1:04:00 PM

By: Len Skoros

Hempstead, NY - Hofstra University women's soccer student-athletes Marlene Fries and Grace Watson-Carr participated in the 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Training (SALT), which was held virtually in late June. The pair were two of 200 student-athletes from across the country selected to participate in the unique event, which featured two days of developmental programming. The virtual event equipped participating student-athletes with vital personal development skills – leadership, grit, core values, acceptance of vulnerability, and a growth mindset – that will serve them on and off the field of competition.

The theme of the two-day experience was "What's Your Leadership DNA?" Attendees gained an understanding of the importance of leading themselves before leading others, and how to live out personal values on a daily basis. Through their attendance, they were better equipped to recognize emotions and articulate the impact they have on their thoughts, behaviors, and actions.

The majority of the workshop took place in small teams of around 20 student-athletes. These teams allowed participants to form meaningful connections with each other and engage in a guided leadership-centric curriculum. Each team was led by a college athletics administrator, who facilitated a wide variety of sessions to assist participants explore their leadership identity and the qualities that make their leadership DNA unique.

Following a global pandemic that limited the usual means of connection, a key emphasis of the training was on fostering meaningful relationships among program participants. The team model was designed to promote authenticity and transparency, helping participants feel comfortable to share, reflect and grow together.

In his keynote address, Jonathan Sprinkles, an acclaimed author, business coach and motivational speaker, urged participants to assess what drives and motivates them to show up as their best selves as leaders. He further challenged participants to think about the leaders they would like to become for others around them.

Participants left the training energized and motivated to put what they learned into practice, impacting others through their renewed self-awareness and leadership skills. They walked away with a fully developed personal leadership philosophy, an in-depth articulation of their core values and a deeper understanding of the qualities that make them uniquely strong leaders.

Fries, a sophomore defender from Geltendorf, Germany, said, "The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Training helped me to get a different perspective on the role of a leader. Everyone makes mistakes but the most important thing is to learn from them. Leaders respect and accept everyone on the team and around the team, and bring them together. The NCAA program helps you to identify your own strengths and core values."

"The program really encouraged connections and networking through the use of social media, using the #SALTServes21 and #NCAALearnLead hashtags. I was very grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many student athletes across the country who are passionate about service and improving themselves from a leadership standpoint," said Watson-Carr, a junior goalkeeper from Sydney, Australia.

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