Passing the Torch
At the beginning of April my Vice President Erin and I decided on who the exec board was going to be for Carolina Jump Rope for the 2022-2023 school year. I think we have a really solid group, and I know they are going to do great things for the team next year, but it was weird to see the first exec without my name in it. I’m happy with what I was able to accomplish as President, but it is strange to think that after this year I will be passing the torch and won’t be running the team anymore.
Even though I’m not the one who started Carolina Jump Rope it still feels like I’m handing over my baby to the next group, and I feel so confident that the team is going to continue to thrive next year. I’ve been on exec for the past three years, first as a Social Media Chair, then Vice President, and now President. I’m so thankful for my time on exec, and each year’s exec taught me different valuable lessons.
My sophomore year was the first year that Carolina Jump Rope had an exec board, and that was the year I was Social Media Chair. This group was a very strong group that worked together really well, and it showed me the value of having a group that communicates well with each other and that is all there for the right reasons to do what’s best for the team. I had so much fun with this group, and it really solidified Carolina Jump Rope as a family for me.
My junior year I became Vice President, and we had to deal with many unexpected challenges due to COVID-19. This exec taught me a lot about doing what you can with the situation you’re in as we worked hard to keep people interested in the team during a time where we had to practice virtually. Working to keep a connection was hard, and I also learned many valuable lessons about the importance of communicating expectations with everyone else who was on exec last year.
That brings me to this year where I am President, and I have learned a lot about delegating. I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times, so it was a good lesson for me to learn to be able to give tasks to others and trust that they will do a good job with it themselves and that I don’t need to worry about it. I have loved feeling like I am truly able to give back to this team that has given me so much this year, and I have really learned to trust my gut since I’m the one making the final decisions on what is best to do for the team.
Each exec over the years came with its own challenges, none of them were perfect, but I think they each had their own lessons that would influence the exec the following year. I am so proud of how the team has progressed throughout my time, despite some of the unforeseen challenges we had to face, and I can’t wait to see what next year’s group accomplishes.