Theodore Roosevelt said:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

When Gold Program participants arrived for their October meeting, they had already been thinking about, reflecting on, and internalizing the aforementioned quote for at least a week. Upon arriving, they were asked to pen their thoughts and reflections on paper, but why?

Student-athletes were asked to live out the essence of the quote through a communication throwdown, designed to help them strengthen their verbal communication skills – one of the top four career competencies the National Association of Colleges and Employers rate as essential to workplace success.  
  To help student-athletes prepare for the throwdown, Jeff Youngquist, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communications and Journalism at Oakland University, provided a communication overview. True to his three points, his advice was (1) tailored to his audience, (2) structured, and (3) refined by his delivery, including voice, eye contact, supportive gestures, and movement.

"I learned a lot from Professor Youngquist I implemented in my experience," said Alex Whall, senior tennis player from Clarkston, Mich. "He helped me understand why it was so important to know your audience – so you can successfully communicate your ideas with them. This is something I hadn't done before while speaking, so it really helped when I used it in the activity."

Student-athletes were placed in a 20-person communication bracket, with each round posing new questions they will face as they interview for future jobs. After each response, student-athletes and professional mentors provided feedback on what the participant did well and what they could do better.

"I think most people assume I am confident when it comes to public speaking as I'm a very outgoing person, but it's actually something that terrifies me," said Bailey Cronin, junior cross country runner from Beloit, Wisc. "Once we started the activity, my confidence began to grow as others in the room gave me feedback on small things to improve. I'm usually my harshest critic, so when the audience didn't comment on things I thought I messed up on, it made me realize that a lot of the fear I have with public speaking is really in my head."

Whall noted similar sentiments regarding the feedback from others.

"During the activity, the mentors were helpful giving feedback, reminding us to keep eye contact and giving us ways to decrease our fidgeting. For example, one of the mentors told us to keep our hands above our waist, so that our hand gestures seemed more natural."

Numerous members noted the sense of increased confidence, more effective communication, and overall growth throughout the bracket.  

"All of the mentors were so impressed with each student's ability to answer the questions presented, and I was even more impressed that after each student presented, they would take time to provide feedback for their peers," said Theresa Nelson, Talent Team Lead for United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM). "You could see the growth and feel their excitement as they achieved success just by participating."

Mark Portnoy, VVOE Team Lead for UWM, noted the applicability of this exercise.

"Being a mentor is awesome because I conduct a lot of interviews for UWM, and it was nice to share that type of knowledge with my mentee. In between rounds, we talked about other common questions we ask in interviews and the types of answers we're looking for."

As the communication bracket dwindled, four student-athletes moved into the final round and responded to the following prompt: Through this activity, what do you feel you have learned and why should you be named our champion?

Many responses were similar through an increased knowledge of what is being said, awareness of body language, understanding of how to share one's confidence, and demonstrating the extent of growth from start to finish.

"While preparing for the last round, [my mentor] Dana and the other mentors at my table really wanted to make sure I emphasized part of the [Roosevelt] quote," said Cronin. "Since I was the redemption bracket winner, I felt because there is no effort without error and shortcoming really embodied my entire experience that night. I was able to come back and make the final four after a small setback."

Cronin not only fought her way back through the redemption bracket, but took second place in the throwdown. Whall, who is coincidentally Cronin's roommate, took home gold (boxing gloves) as a reminder to consistently put on the gloves, step into the ring, and dare greatly.

For more information on The Gold Program, please contact Ashley Stone, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Experience.