Renowned educator, speaker and author Dr. Derek Greenfield captivated Washington State student-athletes Wednesday night at the second annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Speaker Series.
The presentation, titled, "Confronting Ourselves: Promoting Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Inclusive Excellence in Washington State Athletics" brought cheers, laughs, some tears and many hugs inside the CUB Senior Ballroom.
On his website, Dr. Greenfield is described as "a visionary speaker, consultant, and thought leader dedicated to inclusive excellence and positive change. With his dynamic and interactive approach, creative ideas, track record of success, and sense of humor, Dr. Greenfield has become a highly requested presenter across the globe."
That sense of humor and creativity was on full display Wednesday night, as the student-athletes spent the majority of the two hours interacting with, and learning about, each other.
"The reaction to Dr. Greenfield's talk was overwhelmingly positive," said senior track and field student-athlete and SAAC Vice President Kelsie Taylor. "In a room filled with 480 people, it was unbelievable how he created an environment where individuals felt comfortable sharing such personal things. The way student-athletes responded to each other when emotions were high was so special to see. It was great to hear such positive remarks as we were walking out of the event."
Prior to his talk with the student-athletes, Greenfield discussed what he wanted them to take away from his presentation.
"To come away with the sense they were born to be great," explained Greenfield, "and they have the ability within them and the capacity to do amazing things, and to hopefully learn a couple of tricks of tapping into their greatness."
In addition, Dr. Greenfield also wanted the student-athletes to recognize a sense of community across all sports.
"What I find is even in athletics, people are often so compartmentalized," Greenfield said. "Volleyball players know volleyball players because they are spending all their time practicing.
"When a football player sits down next to a tennis player and says, 'You're cool, I'll come to support you,' I want them to build that sense of community," Greenfield added, "and to really appreciate the community they're a part of. Ask them how they're doing and create inclusive spaces so people can really be at their best."
And Greenfield stressed the message he hopes the student-athletes take away is one that transcends beyond the athletic arena.
"To walk away with that appreciation of what inclusive excellence looks like," Greenfield said. "We're better when we all can be ourselves and that's a message they can take into their professional lives, their personal lives, and forever."
Greenfield's appearance marked the second in the SAAC Speaker series. Inspirational speaker Mac Bledsoe kicked off the series last year.
"I asked a few student-athletes for some constructive criticism on how we could have improved the event as a whole, and I got nothing but praise," said Taylor. "Dr. Derek Greenfield was absolutely the perfect individual for our second annual SAAC Speaker Series. I can already see how the inclusive excellence built Wednesday night is making such a positive impact on WSU Athletics."
For more information on Dr. Derek Greenfield visit derekgreenfield.com
About the SAAC:
The purpose of SAAC is to provide communication between student-athletes and administration, raising the awareness of important topics including administrative policy and decisions, NCAA legislation, compliance, student-athlete welfare and community service opportunities. SAAC members strive to strengthen the relationship between student-athletes, athletic administration and the university. Each member is provided with a supportive open-forum atmosphere to voice student-athlete and team concerns. SAAC provides opportunities of leadership within athletic teams and facilitates cooperation between student-athletes, the athletic administration and the community to enhance the overall student-athlete experience at Washington State University.
Go Cougs!
Jason Krump, WSU Athletics