University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Leadership Immersion: An Exploration into Richmond’s Legacy – from Ashe to Van Lew
01/28/2019 | Spider Leadership
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Spider Leadership Initiative took part in an immersive learning experience earlier this month when 26 student-athletes took an overnight trip to downtown Richmond to learn about history and the leaders that played a role in the city's past. The purpose of our Richmond Spiders Leadership Immersion was to develop leadership skills in the areas of authenticity, decision-making, dignity, communication and legacy.
"We wanted our student-athletes to understand that there is no one too big or too small that can make a difference and that every one person matters," Associate Athletic Director for Leadership Development Lauren Wicklund said. "The most important thing we wanted them to get out of the trip is that you can step up, no matter who you are and be a leader. You don't have to be the President of the United States or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, you can lead right where you are and make a significant difference."
The trip aligned with Richmond's vision to create a family of champion leaders, we brought together underclassmen from various teams and utilized the rich history of downtown Richmond to create connection, discussion and practical application.
"When we walked around downtown Richmond and talked about all of the history and background of our great leaders, our student-athletes could see that these were ordinary people that were passionate about something and put together an incredible group of followers that made a difference for our world," Wicklund said.
Spider student-athletes got a chance to learn about many different historic areas, monuments and leaders throughout Richmond's history. The Spiders started their tour on Monument Avenue at the Arthur Ashe statue and weaved their way throughout the city in the two-day trip.
"It was an amazing experience learning about all of the history that surrounds us each and every day," field hockey student-athlete Abra Granger said. "The thing that stood out to me was the sacrifice some of these leaders made and how I can take that back to my team. In a situation where you know something is personally a hard decision for you, it may be better for the team. I think it is important to appreciate a sacrifice and be accountable for actions."
The group talked about different leadership styles and attributes that make great leaders throughout their trip. They were able to see different leaders in Richmond's history that had different styles of communication, decision-making and authenticity.
"My favorite person we learned about was President Lincoln," women's lacrosse student-athlete Megan Gianforte said. "We talked about how patient he was and how he thinks through his decisions. I was able to relate that to myself as I am deliberate in my decisions and I like to think things through before acting. That is something I can take back to my team and help for our greater good."
Throughout the trip, the group had discussions at various landmarks throughout the city about each leader and their impact. Additionally, the discussions centered around how those experiences can be portrayed in today's society and on an even more intimate scale with each of our Spider teams.
"One of the biggest areas we worked on was communication," football student-athlete Colby Ritten said. "We learned about all of these great leaders that had great communications skills. They were able to inspire their peers to do amazing things. Being able to work on our communication skills and doing all of these exercising was awesome because I know that is something I know I need to improve on as a leader."
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"We wanted our student-athletes to understand that there is no one too big or too small that can make a difference and that every one person matters," Associate Athletic Director for Leadership Development Lauren Wicklund said. "The most important thing we wanted them to get out of the trip is that you can step up, no matter who you are and be a leader. You don't have to be the President of the United States or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, you can lead right where you are and make a significant difference."
The trip aligned with Richmond's vision to create a family of champion leaders, we brought together underclassmen from various teams and utilized the rich history of downtown Richmond to create connection, discussion and practical application.
"When we walked around downtown Richmond and talked about all of the history and background of our great leaders, our student-athletes could see that these were ordinary people that were passionate about something and put together an incredible group of followers that made a difference for our world," Wicklund said.
Spider student-athletes got a chance to learn about many different historic areas, monuments and leaders throughout Richmond's history. The Spiders started their tour on Monument Avenue at the Arthur Ashe statue and weaved their way throughout the city in the two-day trip.
"It was an amazing experience learning about all of the history that surrounds us each and every day," field hockey student-athlete Abra Granger said. "The thing that stood out to me was the sacrifice some of these leaders made and how I can take that back to my team. In a situation where you know something is personally a hard decision for you, it may be better for the team. I think it is important to appreciate a sacrifice and be accountable for actions."
The group talked about different leadership styles and attributes that make great leaders throughout their trip. They were able to see different leaders in Richmond's history that had different styles of communication, decision-making and authenticity.
"My favorite person we learned about was President Lincoln," women's lacrosse student-athlete Megan Gianforte said. "We talked about how patient he was and how he thinks through his decisions. I was able to relate that to myself as I am deliberate in my decisions and I like to think things through before acting. That is something I can take back to my team and help for our greater good."
Throughout the trip, the group had discussions at various landmarks throughout the city about each leader and their impact. Additionally, the discussions centered around how those experiences can be portrayed in today's society and on an even more intimate scale with each of our Spider teams.
"One of the biggest areas we worked on was communication," football student-athlete Colby Ritten said. "We learned about all of these great leaders that had great communications skills. They were able to inspire their peers to do amazing things. Being able to work on our communication skills and doing all of these exercising was awesome because I know that is something I know I need to improve on as a leader."
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