Air Force Cadet-Athletes complete Gettysburg Leadership Summit
6/3/2024 10:43:00 AM | General
The annual Air Force Athletics team captain Gettysburg Leadership Summit was conducted May 29-31 at the Gettysburg National Military Park. The trip to Gettysburg is the inaugural event for the upcoming year team captains and the Team Captain Enhancement Program. The trip is designed to help prepare the new team captains for their duties during the upcoming competitive season.
The civil war battle at Gettysburg from July 1-3, 1863, served as the backdrop for discussions led by facilitators, coaches Sam Barber, Taylor Hollander, Laura Busby, and administrators Capt. Genevieve Miller and Chris Cicere, along with Vice Athletics Director Col. Marcus Corbett. The details of the three-day battle and the issues faced by leadership on both sides was expertly detailed by Maj. Jordan Bolster and Maj. Daniel Montano. The historical events led to discussions on trust, communication, loss, disagreements and a variety of other topics team captains will face as part of their duties next year.
Senior Madison Smith from women's basketball stated, "Visiting Gettysburg was a transformative leadership experience, filled with history and lessons of resilience. Walking the hallowed grounds where leaders once stood, we found inspiration, and a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with courage and honor while building great bonds with other captains."
"The Gettysburg trip has made me feel the blood, sweat and tears that built our country," senior hockey player Austin Schwartz said. "I got to see what young brave soldiers had to go through, and the bond that was made. Being here with other team captains allowed me to discuss ideas and ways to build those same types of bonds with our teams. It also has given me the opportunity to build my network with amazing leaders and friends that I can lean on in any situation."
"I was struck by the commitment, earnestness, and reflection of our cadet-athletes as they struggle with the responsibility of NCAA athletic leadership," Corbett said. "The opportunity to reflect on the successes and failures displayed by the leaders in the historical battle allowed the permanent party facilitators to guide the team captains through small group discussions on leadership traits, challenges, and learnable moments that generated ideas and thoughts that each of the team captains will be able to put into immediate use as they build culture, improve communication, solve problems, and lead their peers on the field, court, ice, or in the pool. It was truly a pleasure to see them inspired to help create a winning culture and leave a legacy of success in their team and program."
The civil war battle at Gettysburg from July 1-3, 1863, served as the backdrop for discussions led by facilitators, coaches Sam Barber, Taylor Hollander, Laura Busby, and administrators Capt. Genevieve Miller and Chris Cicere, along with Vice Athletics Director Col. Marcus Corbett. The details of the three-day battle and the issues faced by leadership on both sides was expertly detailed by Maj. Jordan Bolster and Maj. Daniel Montano. The historical events led to discussions on trust, communication, loss, disagreements and a variety of other topics team captains will face as part of their duties next year.
Senior Madison Smith from women's basketball stated, "Visiting Gettysburg was a transformative leadership experience, filled with history and lessons of resilience. Walking the hallowed grounds where leaders once stood, we found inspiration, and a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with courage and honor while building great bonds with other captains."
"The Gettysburg trip has made me feel the blood, sweat and tears that built our country," senior hockey player Austin Schwartz said. "I got to see what young brave soldiers had to go through, and the bond that was made. Being here with other team captains allowed me to discuss ideas and ways to build those same types of bonds with our teams. It also has given me the opportunity to build my network with amazing leaders and friends that I can lean on in any situation."
"I was struck by the commitment, earnestness, and reflection of our cadet-athletes as they struggle with the responsibility of NCAA athletic leadership," Corbett said. "The opportunity to reflect on the successes and failures displayed by the leaders in the historical battle allowed the permanent party facilitators to guide the team captains through small group discussions on leadership traits, challenges, and learnable moments that generated ideas and thoughts that each of the team captains will be able to put into immediate use as they build culture, improve communication, solve problems, and lead their peers on the field, court, ice, or in the pool. It was truly a pleasure to see them inspired to help create a winning culture and leave a legacy of success in their team and program."
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