It was a most unusual day of class for about 700 students earlier this semester when they found themselves piling into the stands during one of Rutgers’ women’s basketball preseason practices.
Why were they there? They were witnessing first-hand management and communication skills from women’s hoops coach C. Vivian Stringer, a coaching legend in NCAA basketball circles and an expert in teaching teamwork and leadership.
What’s often overlooked in sports is the development of the skills that are transferable to both the classroom and eventually the workplace.
The ability to receive feedback constructively. Persistence. Teamwork. Time management. Goal oriented. Ask any employer and they will say these skills are consistent themes across high performing individuals regardless of industry or function.
Looking for some more proof?
According to the National Association of College and Employers (NACE):
“When employers were asked which attributes they look for on a candidate’s resume, the biggest group of respondents (77.8 percent) chose both “leadership” and “the ability to work in a team structure.”
As the 700+ business students at Rutgers learned, a day in the life of a student-athlete is a classroom for learning skills found so desirable by employers. Hats off to Coach Stringer and the young ladies at RU!
