Hokie ClubBy Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech Athletics Department's Leadership Culture speaker series took a different turn recently when staff members in the department's Leadership Institute invited noted author, speaker, educator and storyteller Kevin Carroll to Southwest Virginia to speak to student-athletes, coaches, and departmental staff members.
Carroll came to the Virginia Tech campus on Oct. 28 and gave his presentation entitled "#REALTALK: The Power & Value of Storytelling." He shared his personal story of overcoming adversity in large part because of what a regular, red, rubber ball – what many today know as a "kickball" – came to symbolize to him. Raised by his grandparents in Philadelphia, he spent endless hours on the neighborhood playground, where he and his friends played with that ball. He credited that red, rubber ball with teaching him how to run, jump, kick and catch, but more importantly, it also showed him how to share, how to imagine, how to dream and how to dare.
Carroll spent years pursuing his "red, rubber ball" – the dreams that would inspire him both personally and professionally. He has a unique background, having served in the Air Force for 10 years and earning an undergraduate degree in speech communication from Angelo State University. He later earned a master's degree in health education from St. Joseph's University and became an athletic trainer at the high school and collegiate levels before landing an athletic trainer position with the Philadelphia 76ers. He went to work for Nike, helping the company develop a deeper understanding of product performance, team dynamics and interpersonal communication.
Today, he has found his "red, rubber ball." He owns his own company – Kevin Carroll Katalyst, LLC – and has written four books related to pursuing one's passions. He uses his platform to elevate the power of sport and play as a vehicle for social change and has spoken to or consulted with organizations and business around the world.
"What inspires you?" Carroll said at a 2009 TED Talk in Vancouver. "What is that intention that you have that is king in your life? Context – what you're living every day – is king. Don't talk about it. Be about it."
He delivered similar messages to Virginia Tech's student-athletes, coaches and staff. He encouraged them to commit to their passions and to find a CEO – "Chief Encouraging Officer." He also encouraged them to use their curiosity and creativity daily.
"Here is a quote I took away from Kevin's speech, 'No dream is microwaveable,'" Tech freshman track athlete Emily Connor said. "I have never heard that before, and as a freshman on a Division I athletics team, this is something I continue to drill into my mind. Never would I have thought I would be where I am today, but that's the thing Kevin showed us – his life was not easy, and to see how he grew up and to where he is today is incredible.
"Dreams do not happen overnight. It takes time and effort, and as a student-athlete, I feel many of us need to remember that. Results do not happen right away."
Carroll spoke separately to approximately 50 of Tech's administrative staff members and coaches at the Merryman Center. He then met with a group of more than 200 student-athletes at Burruss Hall on Virginia Tech's campus.
The 200 student-athletes represented the largest crowd ever to attend a speaker as part of the Leadership Culture series. The staff within the Office of Student-Athlete Development put together the Leadership Institute in 2016 as a way to help student-athletes become better leaders within their teams and to prepare them for future leadership roles. The Leadership Culture component of the Leadership Institute calls for the bringing in of speakers to discuss important concepts on leadership.
Previous speakers included Director of Athletics Whit Babcock, former wrestler Ty Walz, and former football coach Frank Beamer among others. But for the first time, the staff brought in a speaker from outside of campus in Carroll, and both his story and his perspective resonated with Virginia Tech student-athletes.
"These kinds of speeches are important for athletes to hear because we need guidance and motivation just like everyone else," Tech football freshman Matt Johnson said. "Just because we're student-athletes doesn't mean we aren't human. It doesn't mean that we're immune to the ebbs and flows that life brings us."
In short, the Tech contingent learned that each individual's red, rubber ball serves as a metaphor for each person's hopes, dreams and passions. As Carroll can attest, circumstances only define a person if he or she lets them.
Most people get knocked down during the chase for their dreams. But the successful ones make the choice to get back up – and as Tech's student-athletes learned from Carroll, that's a choice available to everyone.