In July 2020, Lipscomb Athletics launched its inaugural Leadership Summit to further invest in, care for and develop holistic student-leaders who welcome the challenge of leadership in every facet of their lives. This year, the second cohort has continued to raise the bar and propel this program to new heights. 
 
Led by Chris Klotz, director of spiritual formation in Athletics, the Leadership Summit is made up of 15 student-athletes, one representative from each athletic team, who meet virtually each week during the summer and each month during the school year. Each session aims for the group to get to know one another and to learn, grow and be challenged in their roles as leaders on their respective teams, communities and throughout the world.  
 
"The purpose of the leadership summit is to better equip student-athletes with development strategies and leadership skills to help them grow and mature into holistic leaders both within their teams and in the world," said Klotz. "I believe the most effective way to truly develop leaders is to facilitate discovery, and we want to actively provide an opportunity to foster that growth and development. This years class has been exceptional, and I am so grateful to walk with such incredible student-athletes!" 
 
The content of the leadership summit spans a wide variety of topics including: skill development such as conflict resolution and communication, accountability, growth mindset, as well as tangible leadership exercises to be completed on their teams.

Over the summer, Dr. Autumn Marshall, associate professor and academic chair of the Nutrition and Kinesiology department, also led the group through the Predictive Index Assessment, a behavioral assessment test that tangibly offered each student-athlete valuable tools and resources for self-awareness, self-reflection and personal growth strategies. 

Klotz says the cohort model has allowed student-athletes to build community among the athletic department, have the opportunity to voice their opinions, and more importantly to listen and work together.  
 
"I am hopeful that each student-athlete who participates in this summit will feel a sense of honor that they are seen, valued and invested in as a leader, but also that they would welcome the challenge of beginning to lead everyday within their program, in the community and in the world."
 
What the student-athletes are saying about the Leadership Summit:
 
"The Leadership Summit has been an experience full of growth. We have had the opportunity to unpack the intangible qualities of listening, communicating and managing conflict, while also diving into the humble nature of putting others before ourselves. My favorite part about the Leadership Summit has been getting to witness and be apart of conversations that have such unique perspectives but are also rooted in the grace and truth we have been shown on the cross. We embrace hard topics of discussion and grow as a result from that. I have the utmost gratitude for the community of servants the Leadership Summit has brought me."  Shelby Craft, Soccer
 
"The Leadership Summit was amazing. It was great to just take some time out of the day and connect with student-athletes who are working to strengthen their relationship with Christ. I learned a lot about myself and have seen personal growth from it. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of the summit." Alex Tirado, Track
 
"The Leadership Summit has been an incredible experience. I have learned so much about how teams work together, how to work through issues on a team, and how to lead in day-to-day life. I also formed some incredible relationships with amazing people. The Leadership Summit has really helped me evaluate how I want to lead on my team and in my everyday life, and I have grown tremendously from this opportunity. On top of it all, we kept Christ the center of our learning and I was able to grow spiritually as well. I will cherish this experience because of how much I learned, but the growth I experienced and relationships formed will stick with me forever." Maddux Houghton, Baseball
 
"The Leadership Summit was so helpful over the summer in helping me prepare for the upcoming school year. I was able to brainstorm practical ways to be a leader and given time in advance to prepare to apply what I learned. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of relationships and how to build strong, vulnerable connections- especially in a group trying to achieve a common goal! I am so thankful for Klotzy pouring into the group and giving us so much wisdom and encouragement. It was also so special to connect with athletes on other teams and learn how we can uplift and support one another!" Lydia Miller, Track/XC
 
"The Leadership Summit has been a valuable experience for me. I've been able to add new tools to my toolbox and develop into a better-rounded leader. We broke leadership down into smaller and measurable topics allowing us to focus on our weaker areas and reward out strong suits. Experiencing this summit with other student-athletes and seeing them be vulnerable has made the journey worthwhile and extremely profitable. From participating in this summit I can see my improvements and continue to challenge myself as a leader on and off the field." Will Turner, Soccer
 
"The Leadership Summit has had a life changing impact on my life. I learned how to be a servant leader on my team by learning the values of communicating, supporting and growing with my teammates so we can all achieve a common goal athletically and spiritually. The best part of the Leadership Summit was doing this with other student-athletes from different teams, because I got to form solid relationships with them and learn their stories as we were all brought here for a reason to make a positive impact on our teams. The Leadership Summit was perfectly placed in my life at the right time and it will have a lasting impact on how I live my life now and forever." Brian Risse, Track/XC
 
"I truly look forward to every time we meet as a group. It is refreshing to be connected with athletes going through the same challenges and victories of being a student-athlete. It has given me a better understanding about leadership as a whole, as well as a new understanding about who I am as a leader" Jalyn Holcomb, Basketball
 
"The Leadership Summit has been a great learning experience. I've learned a lot about leadership and how both easy and hard it can be at times. Probably my favorite thing I've learned is in order to be a good leader you must be leading yourself well. Also, the best leaders are also great at following someone or something well. Overall, it's been a blessing to be a part of it this year and my favorite things has been making relationships with the other athletes." Will Pruitt, Basketball
 
To learn more about the Leadership Summit or Lipscomb Athletics Spiritual Formation, contact Klotz at cpklotz@lipscomb.edu