First-Year Athletes Begin Leadership Sessions

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Two weeks into the fall playing season, Carnegie Mellon University’s first-year student-athletes gathered together on Sunday, September 11 for a presentation on leadership training and how they can develop and enhance their skills while participating in athletics at Carnegie Mellon. The session was presented by sport psychologist Greg Shelley as part of the athletics department’s Leadership Symposium and was attended by approximately 150 first-year athletes, as well as two dozen upperclassmen facilitators.

Director of Athletics Josh Centor opened the program with remarks about leadership and the privilege of being a student-athlete at Carnegie Mellon. Shelley also met with teams, coaches and staff individually while on campus.

A professor at Ithaca College, Dr. Shelley is a performance consultant who has worked closely with Carnegie Mellon student-athletes and department staff for more than a decade. Shelley will return to campus to lead the sophomore student-athletes through a leadership symposium in the spring.

“Dr. Shelley always provides valuable insight into the challenges we face as coaches,” said head golf coach Dan Rodgers. “As always, I learned so much from his seminar and can't wait until he is back on campus for another visit.”

Volleyball freshman Maia So-Holloway was impressed by the presentation and thankful for the opportunity to take part in something just a few weeks into her career as a collegiate athlete.

“I thought the leadership symposium was fantastic and really left a lasting impression on me,” said So-Holloway. “What most impressed me about Dr. Shelley's presentation was how it was extremely applicable to all years of athletes. Generally when people think of leaders and captains in any field, they picture someone with some level on seniority. However, Dr. Shelley made it clear that even as freshmen we could make an impact and help lead our teams. Someday I aspire to be a captain of the women's volleyball team, and I know that if I keep Dr. Shelley's ideas in mind that I can lead my team now and in the future!”

The Leadership Symposium is part of Carnegie Mellon’s Excellence Forum which was developed to provide student-athletes with the skills necessary to excel both on and off the field. Through its commitment to excellence, the athletics department hopes to explore cutting-edge ideas that will establish Carnegie Mellon and its student-athletes as leaders of the next generation.