University of Richmond Athletics
Photo by: Spiders Athletics
Spider Leadership Immersion: Exploring Richmond's Legacy
08/27/2021 | Spider Leadership
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Spider Leadership Initiative took part in an immersive learning experience earlier this month when several student-athletes from six sports took a 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 is to develop leadership skills in the areas of authenticity, decision-making, dignity, communication and legacy.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to study the history of Richmond and how leadership has transformed our world." Said Associate Athletic Director for Leadership Development Lauren Wicklund, "From the drastic changes on Monument Avenue, tours at the Black History Museum and capital, and quiet reflection time at Belle Isle. Our student-athletes took away lessons from past leaders to help them become strong leaders for our present and future."
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.
"Our leadership trip was a fantastic opportunity to learn about historical examples of leadership." Junior swimmer Lauren Medlin said, "We will take the lessons we learned here and explore the ways we can implement similar methods on a smaller scare in the athletic department and with our individual teams."
Spider student-athletes got a chance to learn about several different historic areas, monuments and leaders throughout Richmond's history. The Spiders began the day with a tour on Monument Avenue at the Arthur Ashe statue before heading to Lumpkin's Jail in Shockoe Bottom. The group went on to tour the Black History Museum and Cultural Center before heading to the state capital. The final stop on the trip was the Tredegar Ironworks Museum and the Abraham Lincoln statue before a solitude walk across the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.
"It was a super cool experience learning about the history of our city's leaders." Said sophomore baseball student-athlete Josh Willits, "So many of them were brave enough to speak up for a group of people in the hardest and most uncomfortable time to do so and that's something I can bring back to my school and team. Those hard times are the most important ones to speak up for the good of other people and it's inspiring to hear the stories of those who did so in our city's past."
The group talked about the ways that the past year and a half affected them as people and leaders and how those lessons can translate to their different leadership styles. These different leadership styles were discussed among the peers in the group and how different attributes can make great leaders. They saw how different leaders in Richmond's history and different styles of communication, decision-making and authenticity could lead to different levels of conviction and performance.
During 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.
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"This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to study the history of Richmond and how leadership has transformed our world." Said Associate Athletic Director for Leadership Development Lauren Wicklund, "From the drastic changes on Monument Avenue, tours at the Black History Museum and capital, and quiet reflection time at Belle Isle. Our student-athletes took away lessons from past leaders to help them become strong leaders for our present and future."
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.
"Our leadership trip was a fantastic opportunity to learn about historical examples of leadership." Junior swimmer Lauren Medlin said, "We will take the lessons we learned here and explore the ways we can implement similar methods on a smaller scare in the athletic department and with our individual teams."
Spider student-athletes got a chance to learn about several different historic areas, monuments and leaders throughout Richmond's history. The Spiders began the day with a tour on Monument Avenue at the Arthur Ashe statue before heading to Lumpkin's Jail in Shockoe Bottom. The group went on to tour the Black History Museum and Cultural Center before heading to the state capital. The final stop on the trip was the Tredegar Ironworks Museum and the Abraham Lincoln statue before a solitude walk across the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.
"It was a super cool experience learning about the history of our city's leaders." Said sophomore baseball student-athlete Josh Willits, "So many of them were brave enough to speak up for a group of people in the hardest and most uncomfortable time to do so and that's something I can bring back to my school and team. Those hard times are the most important ones to speak up for the good of other people and it's inspiring to hear the stories of those who did so in our city's past."
The group talked about the ways that the past year and a half affected them as people and leaders and how those lessons can translate to their different leadership styles. These different leadership styles were discussed among the peers in the group and how different attributes can make great leaders. They saw how different leaders in Richmond's history and different styles of communication, decision-making and authenticity could lead to different levels of conviction and performance.
During 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.
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Players Mentioned
SWIM
/ Spider LeadershipSpider Performance: SP4
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