IJGA Newsletter: The Oaks February 2018 | Página 3

for Student-Athletes
IJGA hosted a WAVES workshop for student-athletes
to develop character and leadership and affect
positive change within the IJGA and surrounding
communities.
The IJGA WAVES Program is a character education
and leadership program. Director of Student Life
Erin Elliott, and Mental Conditioning Coach Skylar
Jewel presented students with goals for the upcoming
semester and made suggestions on how to achieve
those goals through teamwork and character devel-
opment. Students were given a chance to realize their
leadership potential and what being a leader means,
not only within the IJGA community, but also in
Bluffton and Hilton Head Island communities.
Students were split into five groups, all focusing on a
certain aspect of leadership. The first group focused
on how they could improve the various trails at Old
Carolina (making the trails useable for pedestrians and
cyclists). The second group had the task of organizing
a book of records, where student accomplishments
can be recorded and kept for years to come. The third
group worked together and found ways to serve and
make a difference in the community. The fourth group
focused on student council/leadership in which they
recognized leadership opportunities. The fifth group
didn’t have a certain objective so they came up
with various ways to improve IJGA and student
life, including introduction to the arts, networking,
maintaining a positive self-image, improved
communication and learning valuable life skills.
All of these groups had to work together to create a
presentation - another lesson in communication and
teamwork.
The evening ended with a fun group exercise.
Each group was given an egg and entasked with
protecting the egg from breaking during an egg drop
from the balcony of the IJGA Performance Center.
At the end of the workshop one member from each
team dropped the egg from the balcony to see
whether or not it would break.
This first WAVES event gave IJGA student-athletes
a voice and taught them some components of
becoming a successful leader within the IJGA and
surrounding community. The WAVES program kicked
off the leadership development program for the
spring, and it will continue throughout the semester.
IJGA is committed to helping students grow in golf,
school and life; and emphasizes this leadership
development to help facilitate growth in all areas.
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