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 cohort has been awesome to work with, and they have challenged each other to be excellent in and out of competition. It has been a huge honor to walk with such amazing student-athletes this year!"
 
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:
 
"I am so grateful to have been given an opportunity to be apart of a group of athletes that are striving to be better leaders as well. I have grown individually, as well as learned tools and skills that will help to make me a better leader on my team. It was great to take the time to reflect on a deeper level about my life and what I am wanting my life to look like going forward. I love the idea of servant leadership: being the one to make sacrifices and do whatever the team/group needs." Libby Steinhart, Volleyball

"The Leadership Summit has allowed me to grow as a leader on and off the court. I was able to build relationships with other like-minded people and gain new friendships. It has given me a new perspective on what it means to be a leader, while being led by Christ, and how to glorify Him through my leadership." Bella Vinson, Basketball
 
"The Leadership Summit taught me so much. One of the biggest things I learned was the key of self-awareness. I often viewed self-awareness simply as self-centeredness. Why would I spend time thinking about myself and what makes me tick? But walking through the summit revealed that I can't lead or love or serve people as best as I can if I'm on empty. How can I manage someone else's house if I can't even get my own household in order? It was an incredible learning experience." Logan Van Treeck, Baseball
 
"I greatly enjoyed the Leadership Summit because it allowed me to learn that being a leader is not about raising myself up above others, but rather humbly serving those on my team and in all aspects of my life. I enjoyed getting to meet with other student athletes and discuss how we can best serve our teams and the people in our lives. I also enjoyed the personality assessment we completed because it was incredibly accurate and matched my personality type, so it was interesting to read about how I handle situations and how I interact with others. The Leadership Summit was meaningful to me because I loved getting to learn from Klotzy and other student athletes and learn about how I can become a strong leader who is not focused on glorifying myself, but rather focused on the needs of those around me." Mackenzie Barnett, XCTF
 
"I really enjoyed the Leadership Summit. I found it meaningful for myself. Based on the self-analysis, getting to know more my team and be more confident in myself brought me more understanding what I need to improve. I think one of my favorite parts of it was doing some of the homework assignments because they helped me to think more deeply about my personal growth. Overall, I think the Leadership Summit has helped me a lot to become a better version of myself and better realize my goals." Sasha Dobranos, Tennis
 
"The leadership summit was very beneficial for me as athlete but also in my everyday life. The summit allowed me to gain new knowledge of how to be a better leader, more social-able, and an overall better person. I am extremely thankful for everything I learned from Klotzy and all the other members that were in the summit with me and I believe I will benefit greatly from this experience." Grant Asman, Basketball
 
"Being apart of the leadership summit has helped me grow as a teammate. I am able to use the leadership skills that I've learned to lead by example.  My hope is that I can lift others up and represent Christ through my interactions and relationships at Lipscomb." Bella Jackson, TF
 
"The leadership summit has been such an amazing experience for me. I have learned so much, not only about myself, but about how to be intentional with my influence. Klotzy and the other athletes have been such an inspiration and encouragement to me over this past year. Can't thank God enough for this incredible community!" Alivia Carapazza, Soccer