 Student athletes will present on their summer experience in Africa on August 25. |
Members of the Drake University football team will share stories from the team’s historic spring trip to Africa at a public presentation on Thursday, August 25. The event will take place at 7 p.m. at the Pomerantz Stage in Olmsted Center, 2875 University Ave.
At the end of the 2010-11 academic year, Drake football players tackled the adventure of a lifetime: A trip to Tanzania to compete in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, which was the first official game of collegiate American football ever played on African soil. The Drake Bulldogs were victorious over their counterparts, the CONADIEP All-Stars from Mexico, but the cross-cultural camaraderie and sportsmanship between the teams extended beyond the field.
While in Tanzania, student-athletes conducted football clinics with local youth, participated in service projects in surrounding communities, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro (or, in the case of injured players, experienced an African safari.) And, to tie all of the exciting opportunities to the goals of Drake Athletics, the student athletes took part in a semester-long course titled “Leading with Emotional Intelligence.”
“Emotional intelligence is all about understanding yourself, understanding others and working toward a productive end,” said Tom Westbrook, professor of education, who co-created and taught the course with Deb Bishop, associate professor of practice in management and international business.
“The more we understand what motivates us and what frames our outlook, the better we’re able to understand others,” Westbrook said.
The August 25 event is the first public opportunity for players to share lessons from this life-changing experience. A livestream of the presentation will also be available online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tanzania-experience.
Tanzania Experience
Members of the Drake University football team will share stories about their spring trip to Tanzania, which included a historic football game as well as community service and other physical and emotional challenges.
When: 7 p.m. August 25
Where: Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted Center, 2875 University Ave.
Cost: Free, open to the public