University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Leadership Initiative Kicks Off With Address From Kevin Eastman, Class of 1977
08/28/2019 | Spider Leadership
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- The Spiders Leadership Initiative formally kicked off the 2019-20 school year Tuesday night at the Jepson Alumni Center with a reception and speech from Spider basketball alum Kevin Eastman, now an acclaimed speaker on teamwork and organizational culture.Â
More than 100 guests attended the event, including University of Richmond president Dr. Ronald Crutcher, his wife Dr. Betty Crutcher, and former University president Dr. E. Bruce Heilman. Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hardt and his wife Carole also attended, as did student-athletes and coaches from each of Richmond's 17 varsity sports.Â
Following dinner, Associate AD of Leadership and Development Lauren Wicklund opened the program by expanding on the goals and themes of the Spiders Leadership Initiative - which she summarized as building "champion leaders" on the field of play, in the classroom, and in the community. On the third day of classes, Wicklund also took the chance to remind student-athletes that as a Division I athlete, "the days are long and the years are short." While acknowledging that being a Spider student-athlete can be demanding and even exhausting, Wicklund reminded the crowd that their time at Richmond will fly by and they capitalize on as many little moments as possible during their packed days.Â
Wicklund then introduced Eastman, a former two-time captain of the Spiders men's basketball team with more than 35 years of experience in coaching at the highest collegiate and professional levels, including winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Since leaving coaching, Eastman has become a sought-after speaker on leadership, success, teamwork, and culture, addressing audiences around the world.Â
Over the next 45 minutes, Eastman spoke to the Spiders student-athletes and coaches about the leadership lessons he's learned through his years in some of the world's most successful sports and business organizations. Eastman challenged the group to seek the truth, even when it reveals one's own shortcomings, and demonstrated the need for the best leaders to have "big eyes, big ears, and a small mouth." He sprinkled his presentation with lessons he learned from his interactions with some of the most successful people in the sports industry, including Phil Knight, Doc Rivers, and Kevin Garnett. In addition to hearing from Eastman, every attendee received a signed copy of Eastman's latest book, Why The Best Are The Best.Â
See photos from the event here.
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More than 100 guests attended the event, including University of Richmond president Dr. Ronald Crutcher, his wife Dr. Betty Crutcher, and former University president Dr. E. Bruce Heilman. Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hardt and his wife Carole also attended, as did student-athletes and coaches from each of Richmond's 17 varsity sports.Â
Following dinner, Associate AD of Leadership and Development Lauren Wicklund opened the program by expanding on the goals and themes of the Spiders Leadership Initiative - which she summarized as building "champion leaders" on the field of play, in the classroom, and in the community. On the third day of classes, Wicklund also took the chance to remind student-athletes that as a Division I athlete, "the days are long and the years are short." While acknowledging that being a Spider student-athlete can be demanding and even exhausting, Wicklund reminded the crowd that their time at Richmond will fly by and they capitalize on as many little moments as possible during their packed days.Â
Wicklund then introduced Eastman, a former two-time captain of the Spiders men's basketball team with more than 35 years of experience in coaching at the highest collegiate and professional levels, including winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Since leaving coaching, Eastman has become a sought-after speaker on leadership, success, teamwork, and culture, addressing audiences around the world.Â
Over the next 45 minutes, Eastman spoke to the Spiders student-athletes and coaches about the leadership lessons he's learned through his years in some of the world's most successful sports and business organizations. Eastman challenged the group to seek the truth, even when it reveals one's own shortcomings, and demonstrated the need for the best leaders to have "big eyes, big ears, and a small mouth." He sprinkled his presentation with lessons he learned from his interactions with some of the most successful people in the sports industry, including Phil Knight, Doc Rivers, and Kevin Garnett. In addition to hearing from Eastman, every attendee received a signed copy of Eastman's latest book, Why The Best Are The Best.Â
See photos from the event here.
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