Fischer, Glass Childress Sharpen Skills at NYU’s Future of Leadership Program
Two Athletes Unlimited leaders swapped their usual game day settings for a different kind of learning environment this fall when they attended NYU’s Future of Leadership Program, hosted by the NYU Lab for Transformative Leadership.
Sam Fischer, Senior Manager of Softball Operations, and Alisha Glass Childress, former AU Pro Volleyball player turned coach, participated in the three-day executive certificate program designed for leaders navigating the complexities of a rapidly changing world.
The timing was pivotal for both. Fischer came fresh off the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s groundbreaking inaugural season, while Glass Childress prepared for her first season as a coach after wrapping up her playing career.
“I think it’s so aligned with what I’m learning that it is very much going to help me be better as a leader and as a coach,” Glass Childress said. “And I think it’s really cool, and says a lot about Athletes Unlimited specifically that they are always looking for those opportunities, and want the people that are involved in the AU ecosystem to be bettering themselves.”
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The diverse group of leaders in the program particularly stood out to Glass Childress.
“I was so excited and super grateful to be in that cohort of people that are all in different spaces, that are thinking about leadership in this really new and transformational way,” she said. “And the professors and the guest speakers were insanely amazing and really knowledgeable.”
For Fischer, the program let her reflect on the AUSL’s breakthrough season and consider how to build on that momentum.
“The timing was really cool for me personally, because coming off the success of the AUSL season, it was a really interesting time to be like, well, this was super successful, but we want it to keep going and keep getting better,” Fischer said.
Their athletic backgrounds provided a unique view on the topics presented during the three-day program led by Dean Vince Gennaro and NYU faculty.
“Alisha and I talked a lot about growing up and playing a team sport and being coached, and then maybe having coached. There was a lot that we could touch on that was like, ‘Oh, I understand why this felt successful and why this didn’t feel successful,’” Fischer said. “We talked about a lot of teamwork. We talked about AI and its influence right now in work and in relationships and things like that.”
One concept in particular resonated with Fischer as she considered AUSL’s trajectory and planned for improvements in the upcoming 2026 season.
“You know, the phrase, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?’ They had a spin on that… ‘If it ain’t broke, then take it apart and see what made it work, and put it back together and see if there’s a way to make it better,”’ Fischer said.
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The Lab for Transformative Leadership is hosted through the NYU School of Professional Studies, where the program helps executives develop the adaptability needed in today’s fast-changing landscape. The program is designed to help participants focus on building emotional intelligence and strategic thinking alongside data-based decision-making tools.
For Fischer and Childress, the program provided tools that they can immediately apply to their roles at Athletes Unlimited, whether building a professional softball league from the ground up or guiding the next generation of volleyball athletes.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
