Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer will host the first-ever Legendary Challenge seminar on April 25.

The event is a branch-off of Legendary Teams, a daylong program launched last fall that generated considerable interest in the business community.

"I would highly recommend this program for anyone looking to promote leadership within their organization," said Todd Pearson, a Tech alumnus and current employee for the B.F. Saul Company who attended the Legendary Teams.

Beamer certainly has the credentials to show for strong leadership. The longtime Hokie football coach is ranked fourth among active Division 1A coaches in victories, has led the Hokies to 16 straight bowl games and has won six conference championships.

Frank Beamer plans to use his coaching success to teach others how to set championship goals and achieve them, and how to get focused and help a team through tough times.

"It's really a shame that students may go four years at Virginia Tech without learning directly from arguably the most influential figure in Blacksburg," said Michael Woodhead, the director for Legendary Challenge. "This program gives them that opportunity."

Speaking alongside Beamer is management professor Chris Neck and former Tech football player and current Denver Bronco Eddie Royal; the three plan to talk for two hours, with each of the speakers covering certain aspects of leadership and achieving success.

Royal will attest to Beamer's lessons, conveying what he's learned from Beamer and how he set a Legendary Challenge that inspired him to have success as a rookie in the NFL.

Neck, Business Week's 2007 Favorite Business Professor of the year, also spoke at the Legendary Teams event last fall and returns for the Legendary Challenge Event.

"The event is founded by the Cooperative Leadership Institute," Woodhead said, "and they approached Dr. Neck last fall and convinced him to sign on for the event."

The author of five leadership and management books, Neck plans to teach goal setting, tactics for motivating yourself and those around you, receiving recognition and rewards, and doing it all over again.

"The program is all about inspiring," Woodhead said. "It inspires its attendees to dream, mobilize, succeed."

Following the seminar, Herma's Readers will be throwing a tailgate party in the premium parking lot adjacent to the stadium. The cost for the tailgate is included in the program fee and will run from the program's end up until the start of the spring football game.

At the tailgate, guests will be given the opportunity to meet Eddie Royal and receive his autograph, participate in team building activities, support Herma's Readers, and use the event as a great networking opportunity for businesses.  

"Eddie will be signing the Herma's Readers T-shirts on sale in the University Bookstore," said Woodhead. "All proceeds from those sales will go to support Herma's Readers program."

Following the tailgate, all guests are invited to attend Tech Football's spring game, where a Hokie victory is guaranteed.

Tickets for students cost run $49 and are available on www.legendarychallenge.com.