The Gate April 2019 | Page 16

RAISING STANDARDS LEADERSHIP & CHARACTER BUILDING AT BGGA The BGGA experience is unique in so many respects. At face- value, BGGA students enjoy exclusive access to the very best golf training facility, unrivalled student housing, excellent dining and fitness, all walking distance from their home or golf course. But the real secret lies in BGGA’s peer group - the peer group all pursuing excellence! At BGGA we believe that character development is key to the success of our student-athletes and therefore our significant investment, both in terms of time and financial resource. Our investment is designed to promote the character and leadership skills of our student-athletes with the tools to lead, connect and influence. We have engaged an external consultancy to provide a complete character and leadership program to support our athlete’s development objectives. Our program includes 16 THE GATE | APRIL 2019 weekly Monday evening sessions on character and leadership. We also have an Ambassador Program where a select number of students have the opportunity to act as student leaders, to provide fellow students with support and assistance as well as act as an interface to staff and management. The Ambassadors meet weekly on a Wednesday to discuss student issues as well as working with management on promoting student interests. The Ambassador program gives students real leadership opportunities, the opportunity to connect with fellow students and to listen and influence on issues that matter to students. Wednesday evenings is a time when Ambassadors are seen whizzing in their golf carts to the Education Block for their 7:45pm meeting where they discuss student issues and also provide formal presentations on issues of interest or leadership. On occasion, there are chocolates and cookies at the meeting!