Dedication. Competitiveness. Time management. Those are essential themes for college athletes to be successful in their sport. They’re also necessary career skills. That’s the message that coaches and leadership in Concordia Athletics wanted to drive home for students when they created the Cobber Leadership Academy.
The academy started during the COVID-19 pandemic when athletes were forced to the sidelines. There was online programming that included speakers sharing their advice. The lessons proved valuable, and the program was continued.
“We wanted to meet the needs and wants of our student-athletes,” said associate athletic director Ben Schneweis. “We’ve been so fortunate to have wonderful people give their time to present to help create these really quality events.”
The most recent event, “Dreaming Big & Facing Adversity,” featured Derrick LaPoint, president of Downtown Moorhead Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the economic development and transformation of the city of Moorhead. LaPoint was a standout hockey player at the University of North Dakota. He then played professionally before an injury forced him to retire. LaPoint described how the highs and lows he experienced in his hockey career prepared him for the position he’s in today.
“It’s about that commitment, that hard work, that perseverance, and that willingness to do what it takes to be successful,” LaPoint said. “But also be humble enough to know that it’s not about me, it’s about the greater team. Those attributes, if you’re successful, can really tie into your success in the professional realm.”
He credits taking opportunities to network as part of his success.
“It’s amazing how even the smallest of introductions can carry weight for a long period of time,” LaPoint said.
The discussion was led by Ted Horan ’96, vice president of marketing at RDO Equipment Co. Horan serves as chair of the board for Downtown Moorhead Inc. and also shared his advice for students.
“It is really about figuring out that nothing is set in stone,” Horan said. “You don’t have to light the world on fire tomorrow. There are incremental steps to get there.”
Horan told the audience that, as Concordia athletes, they are prominent members of the community, and there is an army of supporters on and off campus ready and willing to help. Just reach out and ask for a little of their time.
These are lessons athletes, like Jerica Friese ’24 from Fargo, are taking to heart as they approach graduation.
“As they said, we face adversity and conflict, and we can improve those skills,” Friese said. “One of their main points was to just go for it, and I think the biggest takeaway I had was to not be scared.”
“It was very beneficial to hear about how you can be a leader not only in sports but in the workplace, too,” said Abbey Hardwick ‘25 from Warroad, Minn. “I’m really looking forward to more of these events.”
The Cobber Leadership Academy is supported in part by the college's NETVUE Vocation across the Academy Grant.