9/20/2019 8:45:00 AM | General, Student-Athlete Development
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GW Athletics debuts new leadership training program
By: Eric Detweiler, GW Athletics Communications
A hundred or so of GW's newest student-athletes bounced to their feet and stretched their hands toward the ceiling.
"Reach as high as you can," John Square directed in his usual energetic tone.
GW's Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations waited a beat before continuing: "Now, reach a little bit higher."
As the fingers inched farther skyward, Square's point became clear. "Why didn't you go this high in the first place?" Square asked with a smile.
The light moment during Sunday's GW Athletics LEAPP kickoff event underscored the mission of GW's revamped leadership training program.
Over the summer, Square – with major help from Athletics Director Tanya Vogel, a team of GW Athletics staffers and an array of campus partners – worked out the details of a four-year plan built on the department values of Determination, Commitment and Respect to keep challenging the Colonials to reach higher and higher.
LEAPP stands for Leadership Excellence: Acquire, Practice, Perform. All new student-athletes will take part in the program with a select group advancing to more advanced leadership study in subsequent years.
Sunday marked the first of eight planned meetings this school year for all four groups.
"This program is designed to make us elite in everything that we do," Square said. "The goal is to give you the tools you need to lead you to be the best version of yourself." Square introduced the department values of Determination, Commitment and Respect.
Late last spring, Square and his team started collecting feedback from student-athletes and coaches to begin the process of updating the former Leadership Academy. They identified knowledge gaps that might exist in the student-athlete experience and brainstormed ways to fill them in order to best prepare the Colonials for success now and later.
The aim was to better utilize campus resources and existing connections to construct a comprehensive training program. The current agenda builds on partnerships with GW's Multicultural Student Services Center, Center for Civic Engagement, Center for Career Services and more.
There will be opportunities for peer mentoring with student-athletes connecting from different years across sports, as well.
Square leaned on his long-standing work on culture building with the Disney Institute, in addition to his experience as a defensive end at the University of Miami during the Hurricanes' decorated run in the early 2000s.
"This is the stuff that made us exceptional (at Miami)," Square said. "This is the stuff that separated us when it came down to it.
"Everybody works out, everybody studies plays, everybody watches film, but this is what makes you truly elite." The first-year LEAPP session was a chance for newcomers to get to know each other.
The first-years took the initial step Sunday in a session titled "Setting the B.A.R." that focused on building appropriate relationships.
To kick off the meeting, Vogel took the lead in teaching the fight song. The ensuing program introduced the department values and expectations, highlighted by a talk on the department's history and traditions from veteran gymnastics head coach Margie Foster Cunningham.
As much as anything, it was a great opportunity for the newcomers to meet and begin to get to know fellow Colonials that they'll be learning alongside over the next year and beyond.
"It was really eye-opening to have all of us in the room together," said Faith Blethen, a first-year on the women's basketball team. "You're in high school, and there's one or two leaders in your class, but here everybody's expected to be a leader. It's a unique experience that I'm excited to be a part of."
"We need to be one big community as student-athletes," added Jamison Battle, a first-year on the men's basketball team. "That's the only way we're going to grow within the culture that Tanya and John Square are preaching." Vogel led the newcomers in the GW Fight Song.
The theme of the sophomore group throughout the year will be leading by example, while the juniors will learn more about developing leadership strategies that can be used in the locker room, classroom and community.
The seniors will learn more about how those skills will translate into the real world. Each graduating class will also develop a legacy project to leave some kind of landmark – perhaps a bench or piece of public art -- on campus to mark their time in Buff and Blue.
They started the year Sunday by completing vision boards that outlined their goals for athletic, academic and professional success in the coming months.
Swimmer Moritz Fath has seen the value of the exchange of ideas between programs through the department's leadership training, and he's eager to continue his education in his final year as a Colonial.
"You can really learn from it," said Fath, who hopes to lead GW men's swimming and diving to a fourth straight Atlantic 10 title next February. "You're always asking yourself, 'If something like that would happen on my team, how would I deal with it?'"
After months of hard work to get the LEAPP program ready, Square is excited for even more of those moments. In fact, he believes they're integral to the department's continued success.
"We like to say our competitive advantage is how we treat one another," Square said. "Our goal is to educate them and hold them accountable, so that they can then hold their teammates accountable."
