Team Engagement
June 26, 2013
“It always takes longer to create something than it does to destroy it. Words that leave your mouth, actions, and influences and can quickly destroy your world."
– Spencer Tillman, Lead Studio Analyst, CBS
Day Two of the 2013 NFL–Wharton PREP Leadership Program began with an opening presentation on Leadership by Wharton College’s Graduate Leadership Program Associate Director, Katie Krimmel. Professor Krimmel took the participants through several interactive exercises in which they defined leadership, analyzed how leaders on teams create environments for success and learned how to develop themselves into that strong leader people want to follow. Students provided thoughtful perspectives on their interpretations of leadership and were actively engaged throughout the presentation. The rest of the day featured a curriculum filled with interactive presentations covering a variety of topics including Management, Social Impact, Goal Setting, and Personality Styles.
Another highlight from the day was a Media Training Session by CBS Lead Studio Analyst, Spencer Tillman. From an outsiders view you may wonder why media training is beneficial to high school student athletes who haven’t even begun to reach the pinnacle of their notoriety. However, with the rapidly growing social media/technology era, there is a major need to instill the proper principles and practices so that the college and professional athletes of tomorrow are prepared to appropriately operate in this space.
Tillman spoke candidly with the students illustrating the principle of creativity and destruction in terms of communicating messages. Tillman emphatically stressed,
“It always takes longer to create something than it does to destroy it. Words that leave your mouth, actions, and influences and can quickly destroy your world.”
This was an important point of emphasis as Tillman elaborated on how frequently he sees athletes tweet, post, or jokingly comment on various things in society bringing negative attention to themselves and their team. It is becoming more and more important that athletes realize the power of their words and how they will never be erased once they’re released.
The afternoon session also featured a Goal Setting panel discussion with University of Pennsylvania’s Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Karin Brower Corbett and Cleveland Browns Special Assistant to the Head Coach Steve Guera. Both panelists touched on the importance of setting goals and encouraged the students to become an expert at whatever they’re passionate about.
After a long day of classroom presentations, day two was in the books and it was time for the high school students to do what they do best…laugh, joke and have fun. The students spent the evening getting to know each other better and having some fun over pizza and bowling at the local bowling alley. Overall it was a very productive, fun day and a great start to the first half of the program.