Fordham Athletics Leadership Academy Honors Leaders of Distinction and Merit

Bronx, N.Y. – With the spring sports season about to hit full stride, the Fordham Athletics Leadership Academy held its annual awards banquet on Sunday night in the McGinley Center Ballroom where the newest batch of Leaders of Distinction and Leaders of Merit were honored.
 
Before dinner, Fordham Director of Athletics Dave Roach spoke to the Leadership Academy members, extolling the student-athletes for their decision to become a member of the group.
 
"I admire each of you for wanting to become a leader of your team," Roach said. "It's not easy. As a leader you have to decide what you are willing to do to reach your expectations and then determine if your commitment matches that. By becoming part of this group you are showing that it does."
 
Senior swimmer Miguel Mattox then spoke, relating to his fellow student-athletes what he learned as part of the Leadership Academy. "I was skeptical when I entered the Leadership Academy. I thought someone else on the team would step up and fill the role. But once I took the leadership role, I realized that when a team looks to you for leadership that this is your team. You have to believe in yourself and be fully committed to make change happen. Be the change you want to see and be disruptive in a positive way."
 
After dinner, Greg Shelley, Janssen Sports Leadership Center founder and president, had one last task of the 2016-2017 season for the group. He asked them to think about the culture that currently exists on each team and to think about what each member of the Leadership Academy wanted to add to that team's culture to make it better.
 
"Leadership is influence and leadership is action," said Shelley. "Leaders help take people to places that they can't get to on their own. Culture should not get stagnant. If you want a better culture on your team, you have to take the team there. You are people of influence. You have more influence than you think you have."
 
The night ended with the recognition of the newest Leaders of Distinction and Leaders of Merit. In order to be recognized as such, all members of the Leadership Academy must do a self-evaluation, be evaluated by their teammates and also by their head coach. Members who score 105 or better on the evaluations are deemed Leaders of Distinction while those scoring between 103 and 104.9 are recognized as Leaders of Merit.
 
The new Leaders of Distinction:
 
• Ally Doyle (Women's Soccer)
 
• Maura O'Donnell (Rowing)
 
• Jackie Ramos (Rowing)
 
• Nicole Bates (Women's Soccer)
 
• Danielle Burns (Women's Basketball
 
• Matthew Lewis (Men's Soccer)
 
• Ryan McGann (Men's Track)
 
• Lauren Quense (Softball)
 
• Estelle Wong (Women's Tennis)
 
 
The new Leaders of Merit
 
• Turner Block (Women's Soccer)
 
• Madison Shaw (Softball)
 
• Christopher Bazzini (Men's Soccer)