“I’m right here at this time to discover ways to be a frontrunner.”
These had been the phrases of Andrew Schwartz, captain of the Lexington Christian Academy College varsity soccer crew. LCA introduced a gaggle of student-athlete leaders to the Blue Grass Army Depot final week to make the most of the depot’s management response course as a part of their scholar growth program.
The management response course is a set of assorted obstacles, every with completely different challenges designed to check individuals mentally and bodily, stretching them past their consolation zones. The Army makes use of LRCs to show troopers to work collectively to finish complicated, however obtainable duties, in a speedy method whereas coping with unknown variables, reminiscent of a teammate’s ‘demise.’
LCA college students needed to efficiently ‘cross a minefield,’ ‘construct a bridge,’ and ‘cross a river,’ utilizing nothing however the supplies and personnel readily available. Every scholar chief needed to shortly assess the state of affairs, verify their crew member’s strengths and weaknesses, and devise a plan to finish the problem earlier than time expired.
In keeping with Steve Fugmann, a ninth grade well being and PE trainer at LCA, who can be a soccer coach, stated the chance was a fantastic one for college kids within the athletic program.
“The Kentucky Excessive College Athletic Affiliation’s HYPE convention was at this time, however we determined to exit on our personal and do one thing inside our athletic program for our scholar leaders,” he stated.
The Kentucky Excessive College Athletic Affiliation web site states the HYPE conferences promote crew constructing, respect, and sportsmanship, whereas working with ‘the way forward for the state, the cream of the crop.’ LCA had comparable objectives for its college students finishing the management response course however wished every scholar to have extra time main others.
“Now we have nice amenities right here at BGAD,” stated Col. Brett A. Ayvazian, Commander, Blue Grass Army Depot. “The Army is all about growing leaders, and we’re completely happy to companion with faculties growing tomorrow’s neighborhood leaders.”
Each coach on the Lexington Christian Academy selected two college students from their crew who they thought would profit from the management response course coaching at BGAD.
A type of college students was senior Lauren Barber, crew captain on the volleyball crew.
“I really feel like, to be a greater chief, you could proceed sustaining your skillsets,” stated Barber.
Col. Joe Blanton, an active-duty Army soldier assigned to Bluegrass Station, Lexington, and volunteer working with LCA, agreed.
“Every scholar right here at this time is an athlete inside the college. And all chosen by their coach for exhibiting distinctive management potential,” stated Blanton. “We’re trying to start speaking management and growing younger leaders at earlier levels in a scholar’s life,” he stated.
“Our coaches chosen us for what they noticed in us,” Schwartz added.
BGAD’s management response course has 15 completely different stations with diverse situations to unravel – 13 lively and two remodels. LCA coordinated using the management response course with BGAD’s Army Coaching Coordinator, Invoice ‘Gunny’ Huntzinger. The college rotated its student-athletes by management positions as they handed from station to station, giving every youth an opportunity to be in cost and work on options.
“Our management response course is effectively maintained and updated,” stated Huntzinger. “It is a wonderful approach for small-level models to be taught to work collectively. It is about studying completely different personalities and folks’s strengths in your crew whereas growing belief to beat difficult obstacles shortly.
BGAD’s Army Coaching Division makes depot amenities and tools accessible to different navy models from all service branches. Moreover, school ROTC and highschool Junior ROTC packages practice at BGAD to enhance their abilities.
After finishing BGAD’s management response course, college students from Lexington Christian Academy accomplished a service venture, packing meals for residents of japanese Kentucky affected by excessive flooding earlier this 12 months.
The Blue Grass Army Depot began operations in 1942. It’s a part of the Army’s Natural Industrial Base which manufactures, resets, and maintains Army tools, offering important materiel and sustainment help to Joint Warfighters. BGAD’s major mission is storing and transport standard munitions, whereas safeguarding the nation’s chemical munition stockpiles awaiting demilitarization.
Organizations excited by utilizing Blue Grass Army Depot amenities ought to name Mr. Invoice ‘Gunny’ Huntzinger, Blue Grass Army Depot, Army Coaching Coordinator at 859-779-6259 or 859-353-7421 or william.b.huntzinger.civ@military.mil
