BACKGROUND & EVOLUTION OF THE SUMMITS
During my time as an assistant at SMU, I was invited by Susan Teeter, coach at Princeton, to be a part of a group of women who have continued to gather together once a year since 1997 - for a women's coaching summit. The summit has been an integral part of my life: as an assistant coach, becoming a head coach, and in ALL other areas of my life. When our group comes together we not only talk about coaching, we share, reflect, process, learn, and have fun. I always seem to arrive at the summit with my cup almost empty and leave with it over-flowing.
2013 Summit Participants:
DESCRIBE THE SUMMIT
“The Summit is a place where female coaches can come together to encourage, teach, inspire, learn, grow, and bring power to female coaches, while creating a strong network of relationships.”
“The summit is about relationship building and connecting women in our sport. It is about learning from one another's mistakes and successes and trying to find a way to apply what we learn to our own programs and lives. The summit also begins to pave the way for a network of women to fall back on one another when we are struggling with coaching or things in our personal lives.”
“It was a time for female coaches to just be themselves and learn from each other. It was an educational experience that I can apply to my coaching immediately. I also left the experience gaining what I have craved since I got into coaching: a camaraderie with others in my profession.”
Q: What are women's coaching summits?
A: 2-3 day retreats for coaches to come together, share ideas, and collaborate. There is an emphasis on self-care, personal development, relaxation, & having fun!
Q: Who organizes the logistics?
A: I organize everything: from dates, location, lodging, and transportation to meals, activities, and topics. Groups may also organize their own logistics and contact me to facilitate.
Q: What topics are covered at a summit?
A: Before the summit, each group decides want they want to get out of the experience. The summit is then tailored to the goals and aspirations of the individuals within your group. The group brings up topics beforehand and discussions are facilitated with the overall goals in mind.
UPCOMING SUMMITS:
2014 April Women's Coaching Summit (NEW)
Dates: April 26 - April 29, 2014
Location: Pacific Northwest, exact lodging TBA based on group size
2014 PNW Summit
Dates: May 10-13, 2014
Location: Pacific Northwest; Guemes Island Resort
2014 CSCAA Summit
Dates: May 24 - 27 , 2014; immediately following the CSCAA Convention
Location: near Las Vegas, NV; exact lodging TBA
2014 Minnesota Coaching Summit
Dates: October 3-5, 2014
Location: Brainerd Lakes; Ruttger's Bay Lake Resort
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
ON COMMUNITY
“Everyone had a job. Everyone was held accountable. Everyone participated as little or as much as they felt comfortable. I feel like the relationship that I had with the people that I knew grew stronger. I developed some strong lasting relationships with others. I look forward to the future of the summit and cultivating deeper relationships.”
“The community that was established was a kind and understanding one. I feel like we became friends and will remain friends for years to come. It is a community that is open minded and very kind to each other. We will be a very tight knit community.”
“I feel as though I am a part of a large group of women that I can relate to and lean on when I am struggling. This is the same community that I can call up when something great happens. The summit starts as a small community, but then when you think about how many people each women with in a single summit touches, the community begins to grow. As the webbing of our community becomes more established, we will empower other women in our sport and give women in coaching a bigger more powerful voice."
Click here for a link to original summit website
Click here to connect to the Summit Facebook Page
Click here for Susan Teeter's Website
Testimonials
“I had heard great things about the summit from others that had attended before, and yet it exceeded everything I thought it would be. The discussions went deep into real issues and concerns and the support to be our own authentic self during the summit allowed me to grow and learn without the pressure to appear like I've got it all in control. The camaraderie we built as a group of powerful women in coaching was worth more than I can express. I was able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses through our discussions and was given a large amount of support and encouragement from the group. I went into this summit with a feeling of being overwhelmed with all that it takes to be a coach, and left with a sense of newly energized competence and the tools and determination to be a better coach than I had been.” - Katie Robinson, Head Swim Coach, Tulane University
"Before attending my first Summit this spring, I had no idea what to expect. I was still tired from a long season and school year and was really just looking forward to a rest. Coaches that I know who had attended Summits said that they were great and that I would really enjoy it and to go with an open mind. I am so glad that I did as any and all expectations were met. It was an terrific experience to share ideas and personal trials with those who can help and support and give valuable advice. The whole environment is one of care and concern and most non-threatening. I have attended hundreds of clinics & workshops during my career. This was by far, the most helpful experience that I have had to make me a better coach and person. I recommend it all!" - Nancy Bigelow, Head Swimming Coach, Tufts University
“I was stoked to learn that a small group of women college coaches were getting together to talk about coaching. I think it is invaluable for women to get together and actually get to talk and share about our experiences as coaches. For those of us who work with all male staffs, we probably are not having as many “conversations” and “verbal processing” sessions as we would like/need with people who really understand our sport, and what life is like for a college swim coach. At the Summit I attended, it was great to be welcomed into a group of my peers with open arms and to be able to “get real” and share in an environment that was created as a “safe” place to share from the very beginning. The attention to detail in setting up an environment that was authentic and real was awesome. Erica Quam’s leadership, vision, and genuine care for the personal and professional development of all of us, is the reason why the summit was so beneficial to us. Where there is solid leadership, there are usually good things happening! This coaching summit is a good thing! I left with 12 new friends, coaching questions answered, new perspectives, and learned a lot about myself. I am really glad I attended this Summit, and I can’t wait for next year!!”
- Jamie Jackson, Assistant Swim Coach, Oregon State University
"For me the Summit has been a time of renewal, relaxation and reflection. I enjoy the time with the other women, getting to know each other, making new friends, strengthening our relationships, working through issues, laughing about silly things, and eating delicious food. I also enjoy the time away from the everyday work at the office. For the past two years I have used it as a time to look back and reflect on the school year/season while learning about new ideas to improve next season."
- Brooke Larson Plotz, Associate Head Coach, Carleton College
"Attending the summit for the first time allowed me to realize how fortunate I am to be in the situation that I am in. I have been surrounded by great people who care about others and their success. I recognized not every place is like where I’ve been associated. All the women I met were all fantastic!" - Naya Higashijima, Assistant Swim Coach, UCLA