Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy Competitive sports at Bucknell dates back to 1870, and more than a century later Bucknell has established itself as a national leader in providing successful academic and athletic opportunities for student-athletes. Today, the Department of Athletics & Recreation strives to set the standard of excellence among all intercollegiate programs by maintaining academic priorities and supporting educational and personal development, all while providing the rigorous and competitive Division I athletics opportunity sought by Bucknell student-athletes. As Bison Athletics seeks to create a comprehensive learning environment that meshes with the academic mission of the University, an important element of the complete student-athlete experience is participation in an elite leadership development program designed to identify, develop, challenge and support student-athletes and coaches in their continual quest to become leaders in academics, in athletics and in life.
In August 2011, Bucknell director of athletics and recreation John Hardt announced that the Department reached an agreement with the Janssen Sports Leadership Center to provide Bison student-athletes with a formal leadership development program, beginning during the fall 2011 semester. As part of a Patriot League-wide leadership initiative, this "Leadership Summit" is designed to help student-athletes learn how to be effective leaders on and off the playing fields. The Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy delivers programming and instruction that bridge theory, development and real experiences in an interactive learning environment. Through this endeavor, team leaders can enhance their impact on their teammates' and their program's performance immediately and for years to come.
The Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy officially launched last week with a pair of 90-minute workshops, one for veteran and emerging student-athlete leaders, and the other for coaches.
The seminars were conducted by Becky Ahlgren-Bedics, Ed. D, director of leadership education for the Janssen Sports Leadership Center. More than 50 student-athletes gathered in Larison Hall for their initial workshop. The student-athletes received leadership textbooks, were put through a number of leadership exercises, and finally they were asked to rank themselves as leaders in various categories.
During the spring semester, Advanced Leadership workshops will be conducted in two sessions, one for approximately 30 "veteran" leaders from the junior and senior classes, and another for approximately 30 "emerging" leaders from the sophomore and junior classes.
"I am very pleased that the Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy is off to a very positive start," said Hardt. "At Bucknell, our intercollegiate athletics program embraces and reflects the University's mission, core values and educational goals, and leadership development is one of the many important opportunities that is inherent in athletics. I am excited that our student-athletes are embracing the opportunity to develop their own leadership skills."
"Implementing the Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy is a wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes to grow as leaders," said Maisha Palmer, senior associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator. "In addition to the seminars that we have planned, the Leadership Academy provides year-round resources to our student-athletes. The leadership manual and Team Captains Network Web site are very informative, and student-athletes have the opportunity not only to exchange questions and feedback with the experts at Janssen Sports, but to network with other student-athletes and coaches around the country."
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