From the moment Solomon Siskind first walked into an NCAA leadership development opportunity as a student-athlete, his journey has quietly come full circle.
The assistant director of student-athlete development at Illinois started on the receiving end of that intentional support as a participant in the Emerging Leaders Seminar and later as an NCAA postgraduate intern, working in the office of inclusion.
He shifted to the front of the room as a facilitator, helping deliver those same transformational experiences to others. In addition to being a certified DISC instructor, Siskind has been a facilitator at the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum and the Career in Sports Forum.
Now, as a third-year doctoral student and NCAA graduate research grant recipient studying Black student-athlete belonging, he's benefiting while simultaneously helping to shape the future for the next generation.
"The intentionality and the thoughtfulness behind every LD program is unmatched," Siskind said. "I've left every single thing I've done with LD feeling full, inspired and wanting to re-create that on my campus. I've been able to take some of those things and implement it in our leadership curriculum."
Siskind enjoyed a powerful, firsthand example of his life's work when his first postgraduate intern walked into his office because she just had accepted her first full-time role. It was one of Siskind's professional highlights and a reminder that leadership goes deeper than just showing up and delivering directives.
Watching her realize she was worthy of that next opportunity felt, to him, like watching his own journey, from the intern being poured into to the mentor helping someone else step into her future.
"Being a leader means I'm not just thinking about my own stuff anymore," Siskind said. "Now I'm responsible for someone else's development. It forced me to step outside myself and be intentional with her growth: one-on-ones, evaluations and professional development. Seeing her feel prepared to take that next step in student-athlete development has been cool. Being able to see that joy in their face is special."
Siskind's connection with others is rooted in the pain and adversity he endured during his time as a football student-athlete at Massachusetts. Three knee surgeries, long rehabilitation stints and the quiet work of rebuilding away from the grind forced him to rethink who he was and how he showed up for others. Those challenging moments now give him the perspective and empathy necessary to guide and inspire the student-athletes he works with.
"My injuries stunk in the moment, but they were really blessings because they forced me to figure out who I was outside of my sport and prepared me for life after it ended," Siskind said. "Now, a lot of my work is helping our student-athletes do the same — whether they go pro, to the Olympics or stop after college, at some point they won't be able to compete, and I want to support them the way my director and others supported me."
A New England kid at heart, Siskind grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts, and is a devoted Boston Celtics and New England Patriots fan. He'll happily dissect a playoff series as easily as a leadership curriculum. He's also a self-described "hip-hop head" who came up in the blog era, spending hours digging for new artists and sounds with the same curiosity and passion he brings to his interactions with his student-athletes.
Through NCAA leadership development and his own path, Siskind has learned that intentional, vulnerable leadership is measured by how you pour into others.
He channels the same guidance he once received as a student-athlete and transforms it into fuel to help today's student-athletes discover who they are beyond their sport and fill them with confidence so they can walk boldly into life after athletics.
