What Can't Carly Lyvers Do

James Madison women's golf senior Carly Lyvers kicked her Thanksgiving break off this year a little earlier than normal. No, not to immediately go home and spend quality time with her friends and family, but to attend the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Houston, Texas. Lyvers represented James Madison University, as she was one of the hundreds of other closely selected student-athletes across the country who attended the forum. Looking into the holiday break, there were many things she was thankful for and this event was one of them! After countless hours of preparation, Lyvers explains how excited she was to attend this event.

I was extremely proud. I am proud of the hard work I have done while at JMU. The week I found out I was selected was also the week I found out I was on the JMU Homecoming court, and I was so happy to be selected to represent JMU in both ways. If you ask anyone, I truly bleed purple and love this school more than anything else. It was an honor to represent JMU with pride amongst the 250+ student-athletes and administrators at the forum.

The forum consisted of three days filled with various events and seminars for the student-athletes to attend that aimed to help them get a true grasp on authentic leadership. Throughout their time in Houston, the student-athletes were able to converse with one another to come up with new ideas and initiatives that they were able to apply to their personal lives.

My biggest takeaway from the forum was how important it is to recognize my strengths and what I do well. As student-athletes, I feel like we are always looking for ways to get better and we always seem to focus on our weaknesses and what we do poorly. The forum helped me realize how unique each person is and how impactful it is to have a team of people with different strengths.

I was able to identify my weaknesses and what I need to improve on while also recognizing my strengths and how I can maximize them. I learned I need to listen more and speak up when necessary. I am excited to use what I learned about working with other leadership styles with my team in the spring and in my future career. As a leader, I understand that I am not the only leader in the room. Not everyone will lead the same way as you, but learning to be a leader in your own space and collaborating with other leaders is so important.

Lyvers continues to exhibit her strong leadership style on and off the golf course. She brings such a passionate spirit to her growth and development. She loves taking tidbits of information from her coaches, teammates, mentors and guest speakers to incorporate in her own philosophies.

I loved hearing Olympian Haley McCleney talk about "Legacy of Your Leadership." She discussed how important your leadership is because it will leave a legacy once you move onto different stages of life. Haley just won a silver medal at the Olympics and was a key contributor on the University of Alabama's softball team. The biggest takeaway I had from her speech was about a saying that her coach developed called "Mudita," or the sympathetic and unselfish joy in the good fortune of others.

Nevertheless, this experience was one for the books for Lyvers. The activities, conversations and connections that were made will help navigate her career path. She challenges and encourages student-athletes to get involved within their respected athletic departments and take the initiative to invest in their future.

I had a great experience at the forum. I grew to know so many student-athletes and administrators from across the world. Everyone was so welcoming and it was awesome to be in the same space with other individuals that knew what it was like to be a student-athlete. They understood all the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful both in the classroom and on the course. I would recommend it to anyone interested in developing their leadership style and meeting new people!

My most memorable part of the event was definitely the closing session we had with our color team. Everyone was very emotional, and we were reflecting on how close we had all grown and how much we had learned. In that moment, I remember being so thankful that I was selected to have this amazing experience.

To learn more about the NCAA Leadership Forum, read the NCAA's recap of the event HERE.

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Calendar

Completed Event: Softball versus North Carolina on February 8, 2026 , Loss , 3, to, 11

Completed Event: Lacrosse versus Virginia Tech on February 11, 2026 , Win , 13, to, 7

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at App State on February 11, 2026 , Win , 60, to, 53

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Georgia State on February 12, 2026 , Win , 81, to, 79 , (OT)

Completed Event: Women's Tennis versus Howard on February 13, 2026 , Win , 4, to, 0

Upcoming Event: Track & Field at Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational on February 13, 2026 at All Day

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus South Alabama on February 13, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Softball versus #2 Tennessee on February 13, 2026 at 5 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Baseball at #16 Florida State on February 13, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus Washington & Lee on February 14, 2026 at 11 a.m.

James Madison University | Official Athletics Site

What Can't Carly Lyvers Do

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