BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland women's lacrosse players Sydni Black and Alanna Wray participated in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) recently concluded the Future Leaders of the Game: IWLCA Students of Color Leadership Academy.
 
The virtual event included a series of three online presentations focusing on leadership topics interspersed with smaller group discussions and networking opportunities.  Black and Wray were two of 57 student-athletes representing NCAA Divisions I, II, II, and the NAIA and the graduating classes of 2022 - 2025 were selected to participate in the program.
 
The Future Leaders of the Game: IWLCA Students of Color Leadership Academy was designed to empower and encourage student-athletes to develop their own leadership skills and embrace their potential to lead in their program and on their campus.
 
"I am proud of Alanna and Sydni for taking the opportunity to participate and engage in the IWLCA Students of Color Leadership Academy," said Head Coach Jen Adams. "As future leaders, they are incredible representatives of Loyola and our women's lacrosse program. As their coach, I appreciate the IWLCA for hosting such an empowering and much needed platform for our women's lacrosse players of color from across the nation to communicate, grow with and support each other. I'm looking forward to seeing how both Alanna and Sydni draw from their virtual event experiences and bring them back to our program."
 
The Academy was facilitated by a diverse group of coaches and administrators to help participants to recognize their own power and develop into strong leaders and role models on their teams, campuses, and in their communities. Additionally, the Academy endeavored to foster a sense of community and belonging among the participants and provide them with networking opportunities and interactions with current IWLCA coaches of color.
 
Black and Wray recently shared their experiences with LoyolaGreyhounds.com.
 
Sydni Black –
 
"The academy helped me understand that as a leader, in all aspects of life and sport, there are going to be things you can control and things that you cannot control. It is up to you as the leader to determine your mindset and attitude in response to those events.
 
"The very first presentation with professional athletes Mira Shane and Kayla Wood stood out to me the most. I have looked up to both athletes throughout their careers and to hear them talk about their experiences where they were captains in high school, found their voices in other roles in college, and then transition back into captain leadership roles during their professional careers affected them was very inspiring. Sometimes you can lead by example and other times it is important to be a vocal leader, but finding that balance and adapting on the fly is key to effective and efficient leadership.
 
"My main takeaways from the academy were that sometimes as a leader, you are going to fail. You will not always get everything right, but what you cannot fail at is working on the effort and empathy you must give and show as a leader. With that comes learning and adapting to more than one primary leadership style as every person does not process and/or receive communication the same way because it is not one size fits all. Further speaking on the academy's emphasis on empathy, we learned that it must occur on and off the field. I think that in order for conversations to change, empathy needs to be a topic we all are educated well on in order to see success."
 
Alanna Wray –
 
"The academy was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to learn not only more about my own leadership style but how to listen to others and apply skills to problem solve in all aspects of my life here at Loyola. It helped me become more comfortable with an unspoken leadership role on my team and throughout campus. It solidified my interest in wanting to use the skills I learned in the program to make those around me feel heard and motivated.
 
"I enjoyed hearing from two current pro women lacrosse players speak and tell their stories about not only leadership throughout their time as college players but also their struggle with identity in a sport that is not the most diverse. They spoke about leading by example and working to inspire the next generation of women of color in the sport of lacrosse.
 
"It was a great starting point for this type of conversation in the lacrosse world. I think the next steps are taking these types of conversations beyond just a group of women of color. I believe that this conversation was a great way to show women from all backgrounds and ethnicities that there is a place for them not only in the sport of lacrosse, but in a leadership role within their sport."