The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss SAAC Takes Part in Leadership Retreat
12/18/2013 | Rebel Ready
Dec. 18, 2013
TWITTER: @Rebel_Ready
OXFORD, Miss. - Recently the Ole Miss student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) took part in a two-day leadership retreat put on by the Ole Miss Athletics Department. The retreat put together by Ole Miss Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations, Dr. Jamil Northcutt, focused on a theme of Gateway to Leadership: The Servant Leader.
The two-day affair began on Friday Dec. 13 in the morning and concluded at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. As a part of the leadership retreat, SAAC members attended the men's basketball game against Middle Tennessee State and collected donations for the annual Books and Bears Drive as their service project.
"We were very pleased with the outcomes of the leadership retreat," said Northcutt." I am so proud of our student-athletes for taking the initiative to get more understanding. Each of them gave up some of their Christmas break to learn essential skills that will aid them now and in the future. Special thanks to Betsy Patton, Laura Webb, and Jade Amerson for their significant contributions to the retreat".
The retreat featured several guest speakers focusing on a variety of topics. Some of the topics included: Servant Leadership, Values in Action and Working Together: Conflict and Communication. Featured speakers included Jeff McManus, Director of Landscape Services at Ole Miss, Claire Dobbs, Associate Pastor at Oxford-University Methodist Church, Betsy Patton and Ole Miss Faculty Athletic Representative and Ole Miss Law School Professor, Ron Rychlack.
The retreat took place at the M-Club Room and featured discussions on what servant leadership looks like, social conditions, both globally and in the Oxford and Lafayette County, as well as an emphasis on Greenleaf's concept of empathy and healing. Additionally, the student-athletes did small group activities focusing on building values through action and working on conflict resolution. The group also took a behavior assessment and discussed its results.
"The depth of teaching on leadership was comprehensive and informative," said Ben Lapane, Ole Miss track and field student athlete and SACC President. "The insight we gained in areas such as conflict resolution, personality types, and behavior recognition will undoubtedly place all participating student athletes on the fast track to success in their respective careers".
The mission of Ole Miss' Rebel Ready Program is to challenge the student-athletes to be lifelong learners while pursuing continuous improvement academically, relationally, socially, personally, and professionally during and beyond their careers as student-athletes.
Rebel Ready is the hub for a wide range of Ole Miss Athletics sponsored programs designed to meet the needs of student-athletes and their families. It is divided into six areas: Student-Athlete Assistance Services, Career Development, Continuing Education, Community Outreach, Financial Education and Career Transition.
Visit Rebel Ready for more information on Ole Miss' Rebel Ready program.
