Spalding University Athletics

The Eagle Excellence Program is a holistic program focused on the overall well-being of student-athletes.It is focused on supporting student-athletes athletically, mentally, academically, and emotionally.

The Eagle Excellence Program is aligned with Spalding University's mission of meeting the needs of the times. The Eagle Excellence Program’s mission is meeting the needs of the time by serving the large student-athlete population in accessing resources and learning lifelong skills that can support their functioning as people in the world. The growth and well-being of student-athletes during their time here at Spalding is our mission.

Key Features of the Eagle Excellence Program:
● Sport Psychology/Life Skills Services
● Mental Health Services
● Neuropsychology Services
● Academic Services
● Career Development Services

VALUES
Five pillars form the values and foundation of the Eagle Excellence Program: 1) care, 2) connect, 3) collaborate, 4) cultivate curiosity, and 5) compassion. These pillars guide the approach and values of the Eagle Excellence Program.

Care. The Eagle Excellence Program cares for student-athletes as individuals and is committed to well-being. Well-being is the heart of the Eagle Excellence Program. The aim is to take individual situations, needs, and interests into consideration. The Eagle Excellence Program was created to serve individuals.

Connect. The Eagle Excellence Program is open to communication and approachable. The Eagle Excellence Program offers many opportunities to connect in-person, via email, or in group settings. The Eagle Excellence Program is committed to building positive relationships with students. By focusing on connection and building relationships, the Eagle Excellence Program can continue to be receptive to feedback and ultimately grow.

Collaborate. The Eagle Excellence Program is committed to collaboration. Collaboration with other departments and with students in their learning process. We recognize that each student brings a uniqueness to Spalding. Collaboration equals teamwork and teamwork makes dreams work. It may sound cliche, but by collaborating students are more likely to achieve growth. The Eagle Excellence Program’s approach is open and collaborative. The purpose and applications of the program is meant to be straightforward so that students are aware of the process. Eagle Excellence Program encourages and expects feedback to ensure that students are growing and meeting their own goals.

Cultivating Curiosity. The Eagle Excellence Program’s goal is to encourage and facilitate curiosity in students while supporting incremental mastery of course material through a structured approach. To support the cultivation of curiosity, the Eagle Excellence Program will utilize experiential learning to increase student engagement, aid in the understanding of course material, and encourage participatory learning. We adjust our teaching based on the course material and we may include real-time surveys, group discussion, or peer to peer discussion. The Eagle Excellence Program’s main focus is to provide students with a mindset that allows for further exploration beyond the classroom. Lastly, the Eagle Excellence Program wants to inspire
students to foster their well-being now, and in the future.

Compassion: Compassion is at the center of the Eagle Excellence Program. Compassion is being responsive to the meeting the needs of students and understanding that each student is an individual that has different strengths and areas for growth. The Eagle Excellence Program is designed to be a compassionate and supportive environment which will provide resources that can facilitate learning and growth for our student-athletes both within and outside of athletics.