Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 4 | March 2017

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40 Inside Hokie Sports
More importantly, they take on supervisory
roles, overseeing the small group discussions
that take place following a speaker’s
presentation. This gives them hands-on
experience in a leadership role.
“Leadership culture allows me to
just touch many sports and many
individuals, and that helps me grow
as a leader, just to see different
people and understand their positions
and their struggles and how I can help,”
said MJ Ulrich, a women’s swimmer and
a member of LAT. “I also try to help with my
insight and give them different perspectives on
other people’s difficulties and how they’ve overcome.”
STUDY ABROAD
COURSE
Ulrich, a McLean, Virginia, native, is one of several Tech student-
athletes who have taken advantage of the opportunity to enroll in a
study abroad course—another component of the Institute. The course
is entitled Sport, Policy & Society and focuses on how sport and policy
impacts society and international development.
During thefirst four years, the groupwent to theDominicanRepublic,
working with non-profit organizations to run sports camps, while also
being exposed to the hardships of an under-developed community.
Last May, the group went to Switzerland—the total opposite of the
Dominican Republic—visiting the United
Nations and International Olympic
Committee offices to gain exposure to
the entities that develop policies to
help under-developed countries.
“My goal is to challenge our
student-athletes and expose them
to challenges that people in other
parts of the world face to deepen their
understanding and hopefully light a
fire in them to be a part of that,” White
said. “Maybe they don’t do much beyond
sponsoring a child for the rest of their life, but that’s a great thing.
It could be that they get graduate degrees in this area and work for
non-profit organizations. Some of our students have done this and
gone on to do some pretty cool things.”
An added benefit of the study abroad course, and the Leadership
Institute as a whole, has been the allowing of interaction among the
student-athletes from different sports. Most consume themselves with
their sports and the teammates within those sports.
Leadership culture small group sessions also include athletes from
all sports and allow for more interaction. They all share their daily
experiences with each other, and that type of information could be
beneficial to each going forward.
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
FOR COACHES
The administrative staff within the athletics department not only
wants to promote leadership among its student-athletes, but also its
assistant and associate coaches. Thus, a component of the Leadership
Institute centers on the professional growth and preparation for future
advancement in the profession.
LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE
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