WINONA, Minn. — Leadership development is one of the nine goals in the new Saint Mary's University strategic plan. So it made perfect sense when the SMU athletic department sent two student-athletes and a head coach to a weekend dedicated to leadership development.
   
Fastpitch softball coach Jen Miller led student-athletes John Soucheray (men's cross country, track and field) and Kristen Thelen (women's cross country, fastpitch softball) to the NCAA Leadership Forum in Dallas, Texas, last month.   
   
The forum was four intensive days in which the student-athletes and coaches listened to speakers and took part in meetings about leadership. The event focused on student-athletes getting to know their own leadership style and then empowered them to return and make a difference on their own campus.
    
“I believe John and Kristen have come back with a better understanding of their own personal leadership style and how to lead people around them,” Miller said. “I also believe they gained valuable insight on ideas to be used with the Cardinal Athletic Council on campus.”
   
Both Soucheray and Thelen said it was beneficial to talk with other student-athletes from around the country that are experiencing a lot of the same things that they see here at SMU.
   
“I think the biggest thing that I learned is even though we are all different people, we can still come together to achieve a common goal,” Thelen said. “At the conference the common goal was discovering who we are as individuals and how we can become better leaders and people. It was shocking how much I had in common with the other athletes.”
   
Soucheray said it was also good to discuss nonconventional leadership within the team setting.
   
“On most teams there are many good leaders, but sometimes one of the best ways to lead is to let others take the lead,” he said. “I think that being on a team can be a great way for potential leaders to develop their skills.”
   
Soucheray and Thelen are excited to share new ideas within their own teams and also with the CAC.
   
“The conference was a tremendous experience. The information that I learned will help me for the rest of my life and I will remember this opportunity forever,” Soucheray said.