Leadership Notes

Spring training

By Linda Clauss, National Student Representative

I hope you all had a fabulous break and are rested and reenergized, ready to finish out the school year with gusto. We, the Student Members of NIRSA, had a great fall semester in 2005. We made strides toward our goal of having Student Lead Ons in all six regions, and we had a record number of students Step Up and Stand for National and Regional Student Representative leadership positions. Now it’s time to use the energy, enthusiasm and accomplishments of last semester to propel us into 2006!

Spring 2006 is filled with many opportunities for all of us to pursue leadership and professional development. January 27–28 marked the long-anticipated Region III Student Lead On hosted by Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The University of Texas at Austin will "Make Waves" as they host the Region IV Student Lead On from February 9–11. Just one week later, the 15th Annual Emerging Recreational Sports Leaders (ERSL) Conference will be held at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.

The ultimate goal of the ERSL conference is to develop and encourage conference participants to consider health, wellness and recreation as a career option. Register now to ensure that you don’t miss out on this worthwhile opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, network, and most importantly, develop relationships with newcomers to the field of recreational sports. There are also opportunities to present and share your knowledge with others!

Lastly, the nomination deadline for the Horace Moody Award is Tuesday, January 31. This is your opportunity to recognize professional NIRSA Members who have been instrumental in student development! The selection committee, comprised of the National Student Representative and six Regional Student Representatives, will work diligently in considering your nominees and select one Professional Member from each region to receive the award, which will be presented at the Annual Conference. So step up and nominate an outstanding professional today!

It was a pleasure to meet so many of you this past semester. I am continuously amazed by the caliber of students we boast in our organization. You are all a pleasure to work with, and I consider myself lucky to call many of you my friends. Looking forward to seeing you at the NIRSA events listed above!

Best of luck in 2006!