PEAK

18 PEAK | WINTER 2017 recommended winter Bridge to a number of fellow lacrosse players on both the men's and women's teams and he's been brutally honest. "I told them it is going to be cold, it's going to be lonely and it's going to be a lot of work," he said. "But when you come out the other side you'll be happy that you did it, and a lot more knowledgeable because of it." Because Bridge, like their sports, relies to a great extent on teamwork, there are lessons that work both ways. "I think the vast majority of the teamwork skills that I used in Bridge were ones that I developed through playing volleyball here," said Patrick. "Timeliness, working with a group of people toward one goal and being fully committed to doing your part, whether that's being the leader of the group or being a really awesome follower. Those are both extremely valuable skills we learn in sports and I think for a lot of students they were learning it for the first time." Damore, likewise, came to appreciate a real-life benefit of playing on a team. "I actually had a conversation with my coach during Tuck Bridge and again afterward about how many parallels I was drawing with what we were doing in groups, and what we do in softball," she said. "In Bridge you work in your groups and do projects and activities that are geared to highlight certain aspects of organizational development. It was refreshing to see that how we handle our sport and working as a team translates into the work world." If the team experience is helpful in the Bridge world, the Bridge experience can be helpful in the sports world according to Osborne. "I think I definitely came back with more skills in group work, and being able to understand other people's point of views in a better way," he said. "One thing that might be overlooked about Bridge is how much more organized I became because of it. There was just so much material and so many things that were going on all the time it forced me to be extremely organized. "That's been a huge help on the lacrosse team trying to keep straight all the different duties and all the different things that we deal with on a daily basis." For Patrick, one of the greatest assets of the program was Bridge's version of coaches. "Something that really impressed me about the Bridge program, and to me I think might have been the most valuable part of the program, was the professors that teach it," she said. "The professors were so engaging, intelligent and thought-provoking with their insights into the classes we took. It made the courses really interesting and easy to follow. "That type of professor inspires learning and makes you want to do well in that class. It made the work very worthwhile.' The bottom line? Damore's valuation would be that it's a "buy" for Bridge. "It's good for your resume, for applying for jobs, and for people to see you as better qualified," she said. "It helps you feel more confident and better about where you stand when you are applying for jobs in the real world. "I would and I have recommended it. The preface is, it is a little tiring, and by little I mean quite tiring. But the experience and knowledge and all of the other things you get out of Bridge are well worth it." PHOTO CAPTION: SENIOR MADDIE DAMORE (ABOVE), SENIOR WILEY OSBORNE (RIGHT), AND SENIOR EMILY PATRICK (BELOW). The recruiting visit of Maddie Damore '17 was made possible by the generosity of Richard Donahue '48 and David King '78 through the Athletic Sponsors Program.

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