Spiders Told to "Lead With Light" at Kickoff Event
08/27/2025 | Spider Leadership, Spider Performance
RICHMOND, Va. — "The energy of one person can impact an entire team," explained Senior Associate Athletics Director for Leadership & Student-Athlete Development Lauren Wicklund, hours after introducing the theme for members of the 2025-26 leadership cohort at Tuesday evening's Leadership Kickoff Banquet.
"We want to make 'Leading With Light' the standard for how we show up and what that can look like on a daily basis, especially on the hard days. When one person leads with light, a whole program sees better, moves faster, and wins together on the field, in the classroom, and in the community."
A select group of Spider student-athletes were presented with the concept of "Leading With Light" Tuesday evening in Spider Hall as part of Spider Performance's annual Leadership Kickoff Banquet. The event, which opens a year's worth of programming aimed at developing the next generation of Spider leaders, also included an address from Spider baseball head coach Mik Aoki, who was introduced by junior infielder PJ Hughes.
Aoki's speech advised the assembled crowd to focus on controlling what they can control and accepting they cannot in athletic competition, in the classroom, and elsewhere in their life.
Attendees also participated in an interactive exercise designed to teach presence and strong listening skills in interpersonal communication. "The goal is to make the other person feel heard and not just assume that you already know what they're going to say," said Wicklund.
The banquet is the first leadership event for Spider Athletics during the 2025-26 school year. Over the next eight months, members of the cohort will participate in leadership skill-building sessions, be introduced to the benefits of meditation through a subscription to Headspace, and be paired with a mentor to help guide them along their leadership journey, which will end with a special graduation ceremony at the conclusion of the spring semester.
"We want to make 'Leading With Light' the standard for how we show up and what that can look like on a daily basis, especially on the hard days. When one person leads with light, a whole program sees better, moves faster, and wins together on the field, in the classroom, and in the community."
A select group of Spider student-athletes were presented with the concept of "Leading With Light" Tuesday evening in Spider Hall as part of Spider Performance's annual Leadership Kickoff Banquet. The event, which opens a year's worth of programming aimed at developing the next generation of Spider leaders, also included an address from Spider baseball head coach Mik Aoki, who was introduced by junior infielder PJ Hughes.
Aoki's speech advised the assembled crowd to focus on controlling what they can control and accepting they cannot in athletic competition, in the classroom, and elsewhere in their life.
Attendees also participated in an interactive exercise designed to teach presence and strong listening skills in interpersonal communication. "The goal is to make the other person feel heard and not just assume that you already know what they're going to say," said Wicklund.
The banquet is the first leadership event for Spider Athletics during the 2025-26 school year. Over the next eight months, members of the cohort will participate in leadership skill-building sessions, be introduced to the benefits of meditation through a subscription to Headspace, and be paired with a mentor to help guide them along their leadership journey, which will end with a special graduation ceremony at the conclusion of the spring semester.
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