Student-Athlete Enhancement Newsletter - March 2019
3/20/2019 9:25:00 AM | General
Networking Night
The D.R.I.V.E for Success Career & Leadership Development program hosted its 5th annual Networking Night at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where more than 70 junior student-athletes had an opportunity to master the art of networking with 18 members of the Alabama's letter winners A-Club.
The evening began with a message from Associate Athletics Director of Alumni Relations, Tommy Ford and current A-Club President, Kermit Kendrick on the importance of networking during the job search, as well as information about the A-Club. Throughout the event, student-athletes participated in three networking rotations where A-Club professionals shared their experiences and knowledge on making first impressions, personal branding, and the importance of making connections. Several student-athletes in attendance discussed how great it was to see our former student-athletes come back to make a difference for the next generation of Crimson Tide athletes, sharing their tips and advice for success after the Capstone. The Networking Night has become a staple Spring event for the DRIVE For Success program, thanks in large part to the many eager A-Club letter winners willing to give back to support current student-athletes at the Capstone.
Polished Professional: Professional Etiquette
During the fourth event of the Polished Professional Series, senior student-athletes focused on Professional Etiquette. While utilizing the Athletic Dining Facility, student-athletes learned proper dining etiquette in business and social settings and basic set of guidelines to make business life go smoothly as a working professional.
A-Club Spotlight - Rebecca Stover
Position: Marketing Coordinator
Employer: ESPN- SEC Network
Major at Alabama: Public Relations and Business
Sport: Track and Field, Cross Country
Years Competed: 2012-2016
Advice for current student-athletes
"Be present in every situation. Say yes to volunteer opportunities. Always keep a positive attitude, even when asked to do difficult or challenging tasks. Diversify your knowledge and experience- you never know when it will come in handy in your career one day. Be sure to get work experience through a part-time job or internship while in college. This will make the job search process after graduation so much easier and give you an advantage among those who were not student-athletes. Lastly, enjoy your time at Alabama because it goes by before you know it, and you will find yourself wishing you could go back!"
Emerging Tide Leaders Academy - February Development
Crimson Catalysts - "What's My Team's Soundtrack?"
Just as a sound track can make or break a movie, the behaviors and actions of individuals on a team can make or break a team's culture, ultimately effecting the success of achieving the team's set goals. February's Crimson Catalysts session started with a song battle before the first-year leaders unpacked various types of cultures that either negatively or positively impact team accomplishments. Through discussion and reflection on the current "sound track" of their own sports programs, each leader shared ways they were committing to be positive influencers of culture among their teammates.
Legacy Leaders - Vision Alignment
Kicking off the session with a puzzle contest, the second-year leadership cohort learned the value of having a vision – or in this case, the puzzle box top – in order to successfully reach their goals. Additionally, the leaders explored the unorthodox tactics of former N.C. State basketball coach, Jim Valvano to grasp a deeper understanding of the impact vision has on team success. Coach Valvano was known to set aside one practice every year where there were no basketballs, no drills, no plays to run – all he and his players did was practice cutting the nets down, simulating a national championship celebration. This also reiterated the importance behind the contribution of each piece of the puzzle in achieving team success.
Student-Athlete Spotlight
Arielle Schafer, Rowing
"My name is Arielle Schafer and I am a junior on the rowing team here and I currently intern for Crimson Tide Productions who is the multimedia component for Alabama Athletics. I have been with CTP for about three years now and hands down one of best decisions I've made during my time at Alabama. With CTP, I started out shadowing our on air reporters and working control room shifts for ESPN and SEC Network. Last year, I was given the opportunity to become a student reporter and it's been great. I am in charge interviewing athletes, shooting practice or game footage, then editing and producing recap or highlight packages that are featured on RollTide.com and Tide TV. The dream one day is to become a sideline reporter or a play by play commentator! The biggest piece of advice is to be fearless when applying to internships. Never be afraid to apply to the place of your dreams! The sky's the limit and you never know what's going to fall in your lap!
Black History Month Celebration
February was a month filled with celebration, learning, remembrance, and appreciation of the accomplishments of so many African Americans. Throughout Black History Month, University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics provided opportunities for discussion and education while creating a sense of unity among athletes. As part of the monthly series TUSK Talk, comedian and talk show host Rickey Smiley shared his thoughts on ethnicity and race in athletics and entertainment. Aditionally, visionary speaker, consultant, author and former college professor Dr. Derek Greenfield delivered his motivational presentation on Confronting Ourselves: Promoting Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Inclusive Excellence. With each opportunity, UA athletics were able to commemorate the impact of Black History and its culture while also embracing the importance of inclusiveness.
Serving Our Community
It was a great month for community outreach as many of our student-athletes participated in various events to show their passion for service and their commitment to supporting the community. Members from football and men's tennis continued their weekly visits to Holt Elementary to mentor students. A group of UA student-athletes spoke to an audience of elementary aged students at Alberta Performing Arts School about the importance of education and hard work. Athletes from women's track & field, rowing, and volleyball shared their life experiences with the residents of Phoenix House in recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Athletes from rowing, men's track & field, men's swimming & diving and volleyball showed their appreciation for the service of veterans while at the VA Medical Center. Tim Tebow's Night to Shine prom has quickly become a student-athlete favorite as members from baseball, football, rowing, soccer, and volleyball celebrated the night with local special needs students. In a separate event, a special needs student from Thompson Sixth Grade Center was treated to a tour of Bryant Denny Stadium with Crimson Tide football players. We ended the month with student-athletes from football, rowing, soccer, women's swimming, & diving, men's track & field, and women's track & field celebrated Read Across America Day by visiting local schools and reading.
Quick Chat With SAAC
Two representatives from SAAC, Kat Rogers (soccer) and Chris Owens (football) had the opportunity to attend meetings hosted by the Southeastern Conference to discuss a variety of topics within athletics, as well as fellowship with other student-athletes from the SEC conference. A few words to give you a sneak peek into their experiences:
"Getting to meet the guys from other schools in the SEC and discuss important topics with them really drove hom the point that even though we all compete and may be the biggest rivals, at the end of the day we are still a part of the same brotherhood as members of the best conference in America." -- Chris Owens
"The opportunity to attend the SEC SAAC meeting allowed me to see what different SAAC's were doing at their campuses while connecting with other student-athletes like myself. Being a new member, I took this as a chance to talk with those who've been involved for 3-4 years and gain insight on what did or didn't work at their schools. I hope to use their advice to help me make an impact within Alabama SAAC and in the community while I'm here." -- Kat Rogers
