Some exciting news coming to you straight from the FenderBender office!
Recently, the FenderBender team set up its Speaker Series, where inspiring leaders from our home base in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.) give virtual talks discussing their journey down their career path, discussing the lessons they learned along the way, and how they got to where they are today.
For the first installment in the series, the team tuned in to listen to special guest Lindsay Whalen talk about her journey from small town Minnesota-native, to WNBA basketball star, to leading the pack as the University of Minnesota's women's basketball coach. During the talk, Whalen discussed how one of the Minnesota Golden Gophers' team colors has shaped the university's athletic culture. Known as The GOLD Standard—because, according to Whalen, maroon was a little too long of a word for this purpose—the acronym is something she uses in order to recruit an outstanding team lineup.
Great Teammate
As a team, you're going to go through ups and downs, wins and losses. But at the end of the day, it's important that teammates are treating each other with respect and dignity.
Outwork
For Whalen, it's important to look for someone who is willing to go the extra mile and put in that extra time. Whether it's shooting after practice, running an extra sprint during conditioning, or spending more time in the weight room, a willingness to outwork their opponent is a must to come out on top.
Leader
The L, according to Whalen, definitely does not stand for "Losing." Whalen's team is the only Division I women's team in the entire state of Minnesota. And as the only Division I team in the state, and being broadcast on TV, people know who they are. To represent the team, she needs her players to be leaders, not only on the court, but in the community, on campus, and in the classroom as well.
Discipline
Time management is a big thing for Whalen. Along with practice and games, this means making classes, homework, and studying a priority, especially when it means reaching the team's GPA goal of 3.2. If you're injured, it means making sure you are there an hour before practice in order to see the trainer and making appointments with the learning specialist. Collectively, all of these things take a lot of discipline to achieve. If you can't manage your time, you're not going to be a successful component to the team.
