800 CIAA athletes to descend on Navy SEALs base for next phase of ‘Mental Toughness’ training

March 30, 2011 - PRLog -- VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (March 31, 2011) – More than 800 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association athletes will plunge into the next phase of their training with the U.S. Navy SEALs during all-day conditioning and team-building events next month.

The training—part of a “Mental Toughness, Never Quit” campaign conducted by the SEALs—will occur on four weekends in April at the SEALs’ Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach, Va. The events are a follow-up to on-campus seminars at the CIAA schools in February and March that were highly regarded by athletes, coaches and athletic directors.

The SEALs will be putting the athletes through various drills, including aquatics training and both land and water obstacle courses. The athletes will also participate in “Mental Toughness” presentations.

“The Navy SEALs are giving an edge to the athletes—not just in a game situation, but in life, too,” Peggy Davis, Virginia State University athletic director and president of the CIAA, said. “Mental toughness is not only necessary on the field or on the court, but it also is required as we face real-life situations. This training will help each participant to make better decisions.”

The program, focusing on schools in the CIAA—the nation’s oldest black athletic conference, established in 1912—was developed as part of the Naval Special Warfare’s effort to attract top minority talent. More than 1,000 athletes attended the on-campus “Mental Toughness” seminars. The SEALs are an elite military unit, participating in the most dangerous and important U.S. military operations. SEALs undergo one of the most rigorous special operations training programs in the world.

“Navy SEALs are a special group of warriors, and we thought the CIAA would be a great place to look for the next generation of young men who want to make a difference in defending our nation,” Cmdr. Brodes Hartley of the Navy SEALs said. “A culturally diverse military gives us the best from all over America and ensures that we field a top-notch defense.”

Although the base training events target the CIAA schools’ football players, any CIAA male athlete can participate. The timing, during spring football camp, gives players a new perspective on training and allows coaches to get an early assessment of their talent for the upcoming fall season. The SEALs will provide players with a unique look into how mental preparedness is essential to winning.

The goal of “Mental Toughness, Never Quit”—which includes goal-setting, visualization, positive self talk and 4x4x4 breathing skills—is to provide valuable training to athletes and expose them to potential career opportunities within the SEAL Teams.

Steve Harrell, president and CEO of LuBear Corp., a marketing and personnel firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is leading the effort to bring the SEALs and the CIAA together. For Harrell, the partnership is special because he grew up in Portsmouth, Va.

“It’s important for me to leave the world a better place than when I came in,” Harrell said. “This program will expand young men’s horizons and give them the opportunity to be their best in whatever they do.”

Rhadi Ferguson, who has a doctorate in education, is a professional strength/conditioning coach and was a member of the 2004 U.S. judo Olympic team, is helping facilitate the program with the schools and the SEALs. He is now a partner with LuBear Corp.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
•   Cmdr. Brodes Hartley, Navy SEALs, 619-537-2105, brodes.hartley@navsoc.socom.mil; or Scott Williams, public affairs officer, 619-537-1161, scott.williams@navsoc.socom.mil
•   Steve Harrell, president/CEO, LuBear Corp., 513-593-5759 or sharrell@lubearcorp.com

Navy SEALs are a special breed of warrior who conduct special operations in any environment, but who are uniquely trained and equipped to operate from, around and in maritime areas. SEALs take their name from the environments in which they are trained to operate: sea, air and land. Their small, highly trained teams usually work quietly at night, conducting some of the nation’s most important missions. SEALs are constantly deployed throughout the world to protect national interests.
LuBear Inc. is a marketing and personnel recruitment and retention firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio.


CIAA/Navy SEALs Little Creek
tentative schedule
   
Saturday, April 9   Fayetteville State University, Virginia State University
   
Saturday, April 16   Bowie State University, Chowan University, St. Augustine's College, St. Paul's College
   
Sunday, April 17   Elizabeth City State University, Virginia Union University
   
Saturday, April 30   Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Winston-Salem State University
   
Sunday, May 1   Livingstone College