Recap on Session One

On Thursday 7 March, PREP launched LEAD Program Session One. With approximately 50 attendees representing 31 sporting clubs across the university, the program addressed topics on effective club governance, excelling in your executive committee position and how to foster an inclusive club environment.

Attendees heard from our Senior Programs Leader, Isabel Melles Taberner, who spoke on effective club management and governance. This was followed by specialised individual group sessions facilitated by guest expert speakers on the roles of club President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with the guest speakers, asking role-specific questions, and collaborate with fellow executive members to explore opportunities to excel in their position.

Following delicious catering from social enterprise, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the program was rounded out with a session led by Jayde de Bondt, Senior Manager in Monash's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team. Jayde spoke to the benefits of creating an inclusive club culture and provided practical ways committee members could implement positive cultural change in their clubs.

All attendees were also given exclusive access to the newly launched Sporting Club Handbook which provides further information and tools for effective club governance.

Recap on Session Two

LEAD: Session Two was a lively one! We had Yvonne Virsik (Director, Monash Uni Student Theatre) teaching us all how to leap out of our comfort zones and embrace discomfort as we made our way through various interactive exercises to bring out the confidence in everyone and energise our leadership skills. One exercise included sharing ideas on what we do as individuals to calm our nerves, from taking a moment to concentrate on breathing to just getting straight into it without giving yourself time to overthink, everyone shared their personal tips.

After a short dinner break to replenish energy levels with delicious offerings from Jarrah catering, which included empanadas, lasagne, arancini and fresh seasonal salads, we got stuck into all things media and marketing with Dale Cridland (Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Monash Sport).

Dale gave us fresh promotional ideas for club events and strategies to boost engagement, while also sharing some hot tips for getting socials up to scratch. Together we delved into defining our club's brand identity. Clubs helped each other by giving mutual feedback on social media pages, providing fresh perspectives and gaining valuable insights.

We wrapped up the evening by extending some warm thank yous to speakers who remained post-event to chat with attendees.

Speaker Spotlight

Yvonne Virsik

Yvonne is the Artistic Director of Monash Uni Student Theatre, or MUST, your student theatre company, and a department of MSA. At MUST, Yvonne has produced and directed many productions and mentored hundreds of emerging theatre makers. She is a graduate of VCA Directing and has worked with Malthouse, MTC, La Mama, fortyfivedownstairs, and Red Stitch.

Dale Cridland

Dale is the Stakeholder Engagement Manager for Monash Sport with a background in community engagement, student recruitment, brand management and brand empowerment. Her passions aligning with this Club Lead session include connecting people, stories and brand enhancement, stemming from her beach and indoor volleyball background.

Recap on Session Three

In LEAD Session Three, our club leaders delved into the dynamics of High Performing Teams and mastered the art of Courageous Conversations.

The evening began with Brett Levale (Director of Monash Sport) who shared insights into the essential qualities of high-performing teams and the core values that bind them. Brett guided the leaders through a reflection on their own club’s core principles and what success means to them. He explored key aspects such as clarity, values, humility, leadership, and a growth mindset, helping the leaders grasp the components necessary for building and sustaining successful teams.

To keep everyone engaged and satisfied, we enjoyed Vietnamese cuisine from Roll’d. This led us to our next expert facilitator, Tania le Page (Senior Facilitator at time2talk Leadership Consultancy).

Tania led an interactive workshop on Courageous Conversations, teaching us how to handle challenging discussions and the skills required to give and receive feedback effectively. The session covered what makes a conversation difficult, the necessity of these conversations, and the benefits of improving our approach. Leaders practised these skills by engaging in simulated courageous conversations, gaining valuable insights into their own behaviours, and learning how to manage stress in dialogue.

Speaker Spotlight

Tania Le Page

Engaging, Knowledgeable, Energetic, Tania is a facilitator, presenter, and coach at time2talk Leadership. Her background as a teacher, manager and theatre practitioner results in creative and credible training solutions. Tania encourages participants to reflect and learn how they might develop their communication, leadership and emotional intelligence.

Brett Lavale

With extensive leadership and strategic planning experience gained over 25 years in the government, private and tertiary education sectors, Brett has a strong reputation for creating focused teams which deliver exceptional results. This reputation is built on a genuine commitment to creating competitive business advantage through people.