INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA has selected 352 student-athletes who have been tabbed as current or future leaders on their college campuses for the 10th annual NCAA Leadership Conference, which serves as a forum to enhance leadership and decision-making skills and provides an opportunity to discuss key issues in intercollegiate athletics.  The leadership conference will take place May 28-June 1 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, just outside Orlando. 

The 2006 NCAA Leadership Conference provides student-athletes with a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their communication and leadership skill sets.  The NCAA Leadership Conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities.   The conference consists of daily exercises and activities to help the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing members to a group.  

During the leadership conference, student-athletes will discuss a variety of topics such as sportsmanship; public perceptions of student-athletes; conflict resolution; student-athlete mental health; and social responsibilities.  They also will discuss division-specific issues, create dialogue surrounding possible solutions to division-specific issues, and discuss potential career direction.   In addition to the speaker and discussion sessions, the student-athletes will participate in teambuilding initiative games at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.  

A total of 39 coaches, athletics administrators and program facilitators will join the student-athletes at the conference.  In addition, members representing each division’s national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will lead discussion sessions and group activities.  SAAC provides feedback to NCAA committees and councils regarding student well-being issues and is considered the "voice" of the student-athlete within the NCAA governance structure.  Additionally, four student-athletes and one administrator representing the America-Israel Friendship League will be participating in the conference.

Session speakers for the leadership conference will be Bridget Belgiovine, director, NCAA Division III governance; Beth Debauche, director, NCAA Division I governance; Abe Frank, managing director, NCAA government relations; Bernard Franklin, senior vice president, NCAA governance and membership services; Warde Manuel, athletics director, State University of New York, Buffalo; Kyle Maynard, University of Georgia student-athlete wrestler; Joe Mulvey, regional development director, Habitat for Humanity International; Lori Runksmeier, athletics director, New England College; Rosie Stallman, director, NCAA education outreach; Tom Stewart, NCAA Leadership Advisory Board and managing principal, Andrew Thomas and Company, LLC; Ron Stratten, vice president, NCAA education services; Sylvester Taylor, convention services manager, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort; Roger Thomas, commissioner, North Central Conference; Deloris Todd, athletics director, North Carolina A&T University; and Charlotte Westerhaus, vice-president of the NCAA Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Following the leadership conference, the student-athletes will be asked to share their experiences and topic discussions with their campus SAAC, as well as other campus leaders. The participants also are asked to develop an action plan that addresses an issue on their campus or in their community and implement the plan once they return to their schools.

The student-athlete leaders were selected from a total of 1,319 nomination forms that were submitted by college and university officials who have NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills programs on their campuses.  They represent Divisions I, II and III, and fall, winter and spring sports. 

Selection criteria for the conference include the student-athletes' demonstrated ability and strong desire to be a leader and the student-athletes' potential to benefit significantly from a leadership development experience. In order to be eligible for the conference, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing, and have athletics eligibility remaining in the following academic year.  A selection committee chaired by Cricket Lane, director of student-athlete development at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, reviewed the nominations to determine the final selections.  The selection committee also works to ensure that the conference includes a diverse group of student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

A list of attendees can be located in the Tools & Resources box above.