WE KICKED OFF our first guest lecture of the year with Carlton Colleges’ own Torin Baker speaking to the students, speaking to them about the core values and history that the College presents as well as talking to them about the opportunities ahead for the year.
Baker is the head coach of the Football Development Program at the Carlton College of Sport. He is also part of the coaching panel of the Carlton Football Club, working as a Development Coach for the men’s AFL and VFL programs.
“Studying at the College, you are a part of the brand of Carlton Football Club, and La Trobe University,” Baker said.
Baker brings a different perspective to the organisation of Carlton College. His strong coaching background, with a focus on development and success, provides a culture of high-performance learning and continued growth in studies.
He also spoke to the students about the history of the Carlton College of Sport. He showed the students photos of the old facilities, comparing them to the newly refurbished and upgraded classrooms, lecture theatre, study rooms and gym facilities.
“The facilities here are provided for everyone’s sake, to continue to apply yourselves to not only accomplish your educational goals but also to continue to better yourselves in your career goals.
“The history of this College shows a lot of growth. The growth is both in the physical features of the facilities and the growth in our graduate students. We have a lot to show since the start of the Carlton College of Sport,” he said.
Baker took the time to open the discussion about the core set of values that are emphasised at the Carlton College of Sport. He ran the students through not only the way the College fulfils these values but how each student now represents the values of Carlton College.
“In football, values are everything. It’s the way the team bonds together, the way the organisation runs, and it’s the way each individual presents themselves.
“You are your own personal brand within the organisation, but you also reflect the values that we hold ourselves on,” he said.
In an activity, Baker wanted to hear from the students about what values and attitudes represent a high-performance learning facility, and how they would align with the core values of the Carlton College of Sport.
It was a great first guest lecture for our students, who were able to start the year off learning about the history of Carlton College and about the values and attitudes that are expected in a high-performance environment.