Hudak, who has been running the program for three years, was eager to be involved with a program that combined honing athletic skills with more general life skills.
"We wanted to develop a program that would help our athletes become not only better leaders on their teams, but also have this carry over to their personal and professional lives," she said.
This year's program began with an overnight at Harris Cabin, which occurred on the first Saturday of the term, Hudak said.
"There, we start the discussion on leadership," she said. "We talk about what is leadership, where we have seen it, qualities of a leader and topics like that."
The cabin trip was followed by a day at the ropes course on Sunday, during which student athletes participated in team-building exercises. After this first weekend of events, the program began holding weekly two-hour discussion sessions, she said.
During the meetings, athletes participating in the program discuss topics such as athletic motivation, accountability as a team player and conflict resolution, in addition to more personal subjects, Hudak said.
"We get perspectives on alcohol and on things that sometimes aren't talked about in an open environment," Julie Campbell '13, a member of the women's golf team, said.
Each discussion centers on a specific issue, according to Hudak. Recently, they discussed diversity on athletic teams, she said.
"I didn't want just a program that students would come to and then leave," Hudak said. "I wanted them to be able to take things from it and implement them right away."
In addition, numerous speakers have been invited to speak to the LEAD students, Hudak said. These speakers include coaches, such as Dartmouth women's lacrosse coach Amy Patton, as well as College administrators and faculty, such as Pam Misener, acting director of the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, according to Campbell.
Several students participating in LEAD said they appreciate the program because it has helped them better understand their roles as student-athletes.
"It's a term that's often tossed around, student-athlete,'" Bernie Susskind '13, a member of the men's lacrosse team, said. "It's good to finally have a program that helps us understand what that actually means, as well as to take on the leadership roles that come with it."
Aurelia Solomon '13, a member of the Dartmouth women's soccer team, said this program has helped her approach certain leadership-related topics.
"I've gained a new perspective on how to tackle certain issues that I deal with," Solomon said. "I have learned how other student-athletes deal with some of the same issues that I deal with on my team," she said, adding that she has benefited from hearing other coaches talk.
The program has grown in popularity in the last few years, Hudak said. For the 2010 Summer term, there were 26 athletes participating in LEAD, which was up from 17 students the year before.
Among the 30 participants this summer, 16 athletic teams are represented, with women's soccer and women's hockey being among the best-represented teams. She said she does not attribute the numbers to any particular reason.
She also said that "unfortunately," there have been more women than men interested in the program.
"I would love for it to be 50-50, or at least closer to that, but the women seem to be more interested in participating," she said.
To participate in the program, students must be nominated, either by a coach or by a former participant of LEAD, Hudak said.
"Fortunately, I've been able to take a majority of the students who applied for the program," she said, adding that this year, the program has been split into two separate weekly sessions on Monday and on Tuesday to accommodate more people.
Hudak also added that she would like to see the program expand, as it is currently limited to the Summer term.
Micah Peters contributed reporting for this article.
