The University of Mary Washington athletic department hosted a Leadership Academy for team captains and leaders on Sunday, August 17 through Friday, August 22.

The program, introduced to UMW athletic leadership at the NCAA Convention in January, was implemented with great success by Senior Associate Director of Athletics Dana Hall.

The group listened to guest speakers talk about topics such as defining leadership, leadership by example, communication, character, and motivation by members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. Olympic gold medalist Jeff Rouse and NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green added perspectives as well.

The group divided into committees examining Eagle Nation Day, service, freshmen, and education and academic success, and also participated in team building activities. The group will assist with freshman move-in on Thursday, and report their studies on Friday.

"Our inaugural Eagle Leadership Academy was a huge success!", said Director of Athletics Ken Tyler. "Many thanks to Senior Associate Director of Athletics Dana Hall for putting it together, all of our presenters, and a special thank you to our dedicated and talented student-athletes who participated. These young people, many of whom cut short their summer break, were incredibly impressive throughout the week. They were eager to learn and they will share many valuable lessons with their teammates. They have each grown as people and leaders, which in turn has made our university and department even stronger. We are all very proud of our first Leadership Academy class, and we're already looking forward to next year!"