B.O.L.D. for Life: Bradley Outreach & Leadership Development

 

The mission of the B.O.L.D. for Life program is to support student-athlete development initiatives and enhance the student-athlete experience through service and leadership opportunities.
 

Commitment to Outreach

All student-athletes engage in service activities on campus and in the surrounding communities through team projects, campus collaboration and community initiatives.
Over the past two years alone, student-athletes donated over 7500 hours of their time serving 115 different organizations.  The annual department-wide initiatives include:

Megan Fong Blood and Bone Marrow Drive
• Named in honor of former Bradley tennis player, Megan Fong, who passed away from leukemia, student-athletes and athletic department personnel coordinate and staff the annual event.

Local and International Donations
• Food, toiletries, shoes and materials are collected and donated by staff and student-athletes throughout the year to local and international organizations.

Team Service Projects
• Each team has a community service representative who helps plan and coordinate the team’s participation in various service projects throughout the year.
 

Commitment to Leadership Development

Bradley provides leadership opportunities and educational programming to support the student-athletes’ personal and career development.

Leadership Lecture Series
• Presentations by guest speakers each semester focus on the themes of “What it means to be a Brave” and various leadership lessons.

Braves Council
• Two representatives from each team serve on the student-athlete advisory committee and are involved in shaping intercollegiate athletics policy & enhancing the student-athlete experience.

Student-Athlete Media Training
• Training is provided by sports information staff and local media to enhance student-athletes' interview skills.

Awareness Programming
• Annual programming aimed at awareness has included Step Up Bystander Intervention Program, Small Group Social Norms (drug/alcohol programming), Social Media Training, and Sexual Violence Prevention.  Athletics often partners with other campus organizations for relevant programming related to national issues.
 

Career Services
Student-athletes are prepared for their professional pursuits through networking opportunities, job search and placement assistance, and special event programming:

• Etiquette Dinner 
  • Junior student-athletes will interact with local business professionals in a formal setting, with a learning focus on interviewing skills, professional etiquette and networking.
• Engagement & Networking Opportunities

Student-athletes are provided multiple networking and leadership opportunities each year, including Braves Council, the Braves Club board meetings, The Equity and Diversity Committee, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee,  the Bids for the Braves Auction, Braves Scholarship Society events, the university’s annual Scholarship Luncheon, MVC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, NCAA Leadership Conference & Career in Sports Forum, and the Team Bradley retreat.

• Collaboration with Smith Career Center
  Student-athletes utilize the comprehensive career services of the Smith Career Center for access to extensive networking opportunities and innovative programs designed to address current job market trends throughout their college career.  All student-athletes are required to create resumés for review, meet with their career advisor and complete experiential learning prior to graduation