In 2014, a new professional development program was created within Sun Devil Athletics as an additional resource available to student-athletes to help them gain leadership experience and prepare them for their professional careers. In 2018, the program got a massive re-vamp thanks to the Cooley Athletic Leadership Endowment, allowing it to provide even more support to our student-athletes.
“Within the last 4 years, Tip of the Fork has been able to grow into a three-year leadership development program that focuses on not only leadership within oneself, but through service learning and community outreach,” program coordinator Kelli Benjamin said. “With the help of the Cooley family, we have been able to bring in companies and speakers to give our student-athletes information at the highest level.”
The program was designed to help student-athletes realize their strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to team building. It uses an immersive curriculum designed to equip them for leadership roles down the road.
“Each student-athlete takes the Predictive Index, and we do a whole semester deep dive on what their Predictive Index depicts when it comes to their profile interacting with different profiles,” Benjamin added. “They also do a community service project. With the Global Pandemic, our student-athletes were a part of the Voting Initiative that was hosted by Sun Devil Athletics. By the end of their time in Tip of the Fork, we honor them with a stole ceremony, where they will graduate with Tip of the Fork honors.”
With a laundry list of benefits for the student-athletes, the program’s growth due to donor support has been tangible. Resources such as these are crucial for student-athletes who could otherwise find their professional development, a primary perk for a typical college student, in danger of being stunted.
“Being a former student-athlete myself, there are high demands that student-athletes have when it comes to performing well in your sport and in the classroom,” Benjamin concluded. “It can be easy to get caught up in those two atmospheres and forget that there is more to their college experience. Tip of the Fork gives the opportunities for student-athletes to not only build upon their resume, but to gain experiences that many student-athletes don’t acquire during their 4 years here.”
To support the Cooley Athletic Leadership Endowment, click the link below.
If you are interested in learning more about making an impact like Tip of the Fork, contact the Sun Devil Club at 480-727-7700 or SunDevilClub@asu.edu.