MSU Announces Student-Athlete Development Program

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State Athletics announced Tuesday the rebranding of its Life Skills department, now known as Student-Athlete Development.

"As a former student-athlete at Mississippi State, this is a program I am incredibly excited about," MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen said. "Preparing our student-athletes for life beyond their collegiate careers is our ultimate mission as educators. Our Student-Athlete Development program is a comprehensive plan focused on the personal, professional and leadership development of our student-athletes from the moment they arrive on campus. Through community service, relationship building and interpersonal skill enhancement, our goal is to ensure our student-athletes have the characteristics it takes to successfully take on the real world when they leave Mississippi State with a meaningful degree in hand."
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The mission for Student-Athlete Development revolves around the commitment to the holistic growth of all Mississippi State student-athletes, through Life After Sport Initiatives (LASI), based on four pillars: personal development, professional development, leadership development and community engagement.

"I believe every student-athlete development program needs to have these four foundations in order to provide a full holistic experience," said Ben Rodriguez, Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development. "Each pillar is crucial to what we are trying to do at Mississippi State with our LASI program. Our vision is to develop confident and independent leaders for life after sport. With our LASI program in place, I believe we can reach this vision."

Mississippi State believes in the philosophy that an athletic department's priority is to enhance the student-athlete experience, with success academically, athletically and personally being a byproduct. Through the use of interactive workshops and experiential learning opportunities, State strives to provide student-athletes with experiences that will prepare them for success as they transition into college, continue through their collegiate careers and embark on their professional careers.

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With so much covered under the four pillars, the program has been split up into a four-year plan called The Dawg Walk. The first two years are geared towards personal development, while the third and fourth years are used for professional development. The first and fourth years will also focus on transitional development as student-athletes prepare for college as freshmen and then entering the workforce as seniors. Years two and three will incorporate leadership development to ensure MSU student-athletes are ready to excel in life after sport.

From the personal development aspect, Student-Athlete Development will familiarize student-athletes with life skills including: Athletic Identity, Personal Finance, Dining Etiquette, Branded a Bulldog, Affinity Groups and Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Prevention.

With professional development, Mississippi State will work hand-in-hand with student-athletes to help refine resume-building techniques, review job searching strategies, conduct mock interviews and offer networking events with local, regional and national organizations throughout the course of the academic year.

While MSU feels that these skills will better prepare its student-athletes for entering the workforce, arguably the best preparation for someone is getting hands-on, professional opportunities in their area of interest. This is why Mississippi State created the Bulldogs Experiential Learning Internship as a way for student-athletes to earn real-world experience through different internships at State. The expected release of this initiative is set for spring 2020.

"Student-athletes recognize the importance of preparing for life beyond athletics," said Rodriguez. "From a recruiting standpoint, if you're on a campus that does not have a robust student-athlete development program, you are falling behind your peers. Better people make even better athletes. These initiatives will help you be a better person, and the byproduct is that you will be a better athlete, a better son or daughter and a better neighbor."

For leadership development, State is introducing the Bulldogs Leadership Institute (BLI), which is a two-phase program that incorporates different foundations to build great leaders. In the first year, MSU will have conversations with its student-athletes about values, confidence, leading by example, composure and leadership styles. The idea is that the student-athletes who go through this phase will then transition into the second year, which will discuss topics including emotional intelligence, effective communication, conflict management, adversity and focus. Phase I of this program will take place during the 2019-20 academic year, while Phase II will be introduced the following year to the student-athletes who completed Phase I.

Additional leadership opportunities include Foundations of Leadership (second-year programming), serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and representing Mississippi State at SEC conference meetings.

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With community engagement, MSU aims to be involved and serve in communities in Starkville, the state of Mississippi and across the world through Serving Our State and Bulldogs Beyond Borders initiatives. To help with this, State has rebranded its student-athlete run community group now known as the Bulldogs CARE program, which provides service opportunities to all student-athletes. CARE is an acronym for compassion, awareness, respect and empathy.

"The legacy that we are trying to leave behind is one where student-athletes, who have gone through this program, can come back to share with current student-athletes why it was valuable to them," said Rodriguez. "I've seen student-athletes, who have experienced programs like this, transform from being shy and reserved all the way to becoming the SAAC President and doing major things in the professional world. That is the legacy of Student-Athlete Development, having people go through the program and then come out successful on the other side."

For a complete overview of LASI programs, please visit HailState.com/SAdev.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT…

"As a former student-athlete at Mississippi State, this is a program I am incredibly excited about. Preparing our student-athletes for life beyond their collegiate careers is our ultimate mission as educators. Our Student-Athlete Development program is a comprehensive plan focused on the personal, professional and leadership development of our student-athletes from the moment they arrive on campus. Through community service, relationship building and interpersonal skill enhancement, our goal is to ensure our student-athletes have the characteristics it takes to successfully take on the real world when they leave Mississippi State with a meaningful degree in hand."
- John Cohen, MSU Director of Athletics

"The Life After Sports Initiatives (LASI) will prove to be transformative in many ways for our student-athletes at Mississippi State. The programs' four pillars of personal development, professional development, leadership development and community engagement will serve as a tremendous catalyst for personal growth and development in many areas. I am excited to see our student-athletes actively engage with our athletic department leadership, campus and community partners throughout the facilitation of this program."
- Jared Benko, MSU Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Financial Officer

"The Life After Sport Initiatives coming from our Student-Athlete Development office will challenge our student-athletes and prepare them for their future. I'm excited to see them engaged in the new programs, service projects and leadership opportunities that will lead them to greater possibilities in the future."
- Ann Carr, MSU Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator

"I believe every student-athlete development program needs to have these four foundations in order to provide a full holistic experience. Each pillar is crucial to what we are trying to do at Mississippi State with our LASI program. Our vision is to develop confident and independent leaders for life after sport. With our LASI program in place, I believe we can reach this vision."

"Student-athletes recognize the importance of preparing for life beyond athletics. From a recruiting standpoint, if you're on a campus that does not have a robust student-athlete development program, you are falling behind your peers. Better people make even better athletes. These initiatives will help you be a better person, and the byproduct is that you will be a better athlete, a better son or daughter and a better neighbor."

"The legacy that we are trying to leave behind is one where student-athletes, who have gone through this program, can come back to share with current student-athletes why it was valuable to them. I've seen student-athletes, who have experienced programs like this, transform from being shy and reserved all the way to becoming the SAAC President and doing major things in the professional world. That is the legacy of Student-Athlete Development, having people go through the program and then come out successful on the other side."

"The support from our executive team, specifically John Cohen, Jared Benko and Ann Carr, has been incredible. With their support and the buy-in from our coaches and student-athletes, we are very excited to roll out these new initiatives for the upcoming year."
- Ben Rodriguez, MSU Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development

"In my personal opinion, the community engagement pillar provides the holistic component to our LASI program. I believe community engagement provides an impactful space for student-athletes to implement and practice what they've learned from the three other LASI pillars. When serving the community, our Bulldogs are given the opportunity to find themselves and their passions, all while being a positive light to the community. They are able to use their knowledge of professionalism while interacting and cultivating connections with different organizations across Starkville and Mississippi. And quite frankly, I believe the mere fact of a student-athlete realizing the importance of serving their community shows qualities of a great leader in the making. Being able to see all of these attributes in action while doing acts of service is truly inspirational."
- Ashley Jocelyn, MSU Student-Athlete Development Post-Grad Fellow

Mississippi State University Athletics

MSU Announces Student-Athlete Development Program

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