College sports naturally create a pipeline of leaders. The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is helping to strengthen that pipeline by developing the skills of hundreds of student-athletes each year.
"If you look at almost any major organization of almost any kind, especially successful ones, you're going to find athletes somewhere in their leader hierarchy because athletes rise to the top. They learn a lot of really important lessons over the course of their careers," said NCAA President Charlie Baker, who attended the 2023 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum from April 13-16 in Baltimore. "The work that the NCAA does through this program and through others trying to help build on that I think is a tremendous asset, not just to sports and not just to schools, but the country."
The Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is an annual leadership development offering that is designed to provide a transformative learning experience for student-athletes from across divisions and sports in the NCAA membership. Division I and II conference offices and Division III schools nominated select student-athletes to attend the forum, run by the NCAA's leadership development department.
The most recent Student-Athlete Leadership Forum brought more than 250 student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators together for an experience attendees described as unique, transformational and empowering.
"There's nothing else like it. I've been to a lot of leadership camps. I've learned a lot from a lot of leaders, but me being here has helped me transform myself in ways that I didn't even know I could," said Derrick Parker, a football student-athlete at Grand Valley State. "I just feel like I really found bits and pieces of myself that I feel like can turn me into a better leader, not only on my team or in my community, but in this world."
"I think this program is really unique because everyone here is a leader. They're all nominated to come, so whether they feel like they're a leader or not, this program will show them that what they're doing on their campus, whether it's on committee or a team, they are leading people," added Charles Dean III, an athletic trainer at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and a facilitator at the forum. "I think (the forum's) also very personalized. Everything we teach our learners is very focused on them and how they can bring it back to their campus."
This year's Student-Athlete Leadership Forum centered on the theme "Beyond the Box." Sessions and speakers engaged attendees on the theme a few different ways, including the value of getting out of their comfort zones, learning from failure and other perspectives.
"The theme 'Beyond the Box' definitely means pushing myself to be uncomfortable, being able to understand that discomfort is just growth in disguise," said Andrea Walker, associate athletics director at UIndy. "Really it's about just stepping outside of the box, pushing myself in every single situation, really making sure I'm empowering myself to find my voice and communicate those experiences that I'm having to benefit all of those around me."
At the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, participants are divided into color teams of 30 student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Throughout the event, the color teams create meaningful connections and thoughtful discussion surrounding key elements of leadership.
A key component of the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is the color team experience. Participants are divided into color teams of 30 student-athletes, coaches and administrators. This smaller group setting creates a space for meaningful connections and thoughtful discussion surrounding key elements of leadership. Each color team was led by a pair of college athletics administrators, who facilitated sessions on topics including leadership identity, emotional intelligence, crucial conversations and more.
"They gave me a new perspective on how to be a better leader and a better version of myself," Nyah Leveretter, Kentucky basketball player, said of her color team. "Everybody's opinions, experiences all mixed together, they really helped me grow as an individual in ways that I can't wait to take back to my own university and apply in my own life."
"What makes this program so unique and life-changing are the connections. Some of these people I'll still stay in touch with for a very long time," added Karlie Guimond, a field hockey player at Smith. "It's just really fun to see what everyone wants to do to improve their team or to improve athletics. That's what makes it really special and life-changing because you don't get this in your day-to-day life."
In addition to the smaller group setting, participants gained insight into the NCAA governance process and the role of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at the conference and national level. Attendees also attended mental health breakout sessions with subject matter experts and engaged with members of the Baltimore Ravens front office.
"I can't even put into words how much I've learned," Leveretter said. "You learn so much about yourself, so much about other people, other programs, different divisions of the NCAA and everything that goes into it from in your sport and the people behind the scenes who work to make your experience the best it can be."
The forum's keynote speakers were Julianne Sitch, the first female head coach of a men's soccer team to win an NCAA championship, and Jonathan Sprinkles, a best-selling author and motivational speaker whose work centers on the power of connection.
"This forum was a really great opportunity to network with people who have similar interests to me and have that same value that athletics is a pathway to our future and to many different opportunities," Guimond said. "I really liked that everyone shares this passion for making sports a better place, a more inclusive place, and that I got to network with people who believe in the same things as me."
Jonathan Sprinkles, the keynote speaker on the final day of the 2023 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, engages with student-athletes.
