INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA Office for Diversity and Inclusion will host the Women of Color in College Athletics Symposium, Friday, January 11, at the NCAA Convention in Nashville. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 12 noon CST at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
The symposium will be an opportunity for NCAA officials, athletics department and conference administrators, university administrators, former student-athletes, and NCAA convention delegates to address and discuss campus matters that impact student-athletes of color, and in turn, the university and athletics administrators with whom they interact.
The goals of the symposium are to foster leadership in athletics administration and coaching; provide insight into campus and cultural issues affecting student-athletes; and address the perceptions and realities of Title IX for women of color. There will be presentations by speakers, roundtable discussions, and summary reports from the roundtables.
The symposium will focus on three topics:
1. Leadership in athletics administration and coaching
• Opportunities for mentoring women of color; responsibilities of being a women of color and a leader; development opportunities for current leaders to expand their career; and access to nontraditional sports and careers for women of color
2. Student-athlete issues
• Life on campus and social issues for women of color; cultural competency issues; discussion of how the media plays on stereotypes when covering women of color in sports
3. Title IX issues
• The perceptions and realities of Title IX and women of color
Speakers include:
• Alpha Alexander, director of athletics, Lane College
• Theresa Cheek, director of athletics, Central State University
• Keri Gaither, director of athletics, University of Detroit-Mercy
• Emmett Gill, associate professor, Rutgers University
• Alfreeda Goff, senior associate commissioner, Horizon League
• Debi Gore-Mann, director of athletics, University of San Francisco
• Peggy Green, associate professor, Fayetteville State University
• Beverly Kearney, head women’s track coach, University of Texas
• Kelly Landry Mehrtens, director of athletics, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
• Gloria Nevarez, senior associate director of athletics, University of Oklahoma
• Teresa Phillips, director of athletics, Tennessee State University
• Denee Rivera-Barracato, assistant athletics director, Adelphi University
• Tina Sloan Green, co-founder and president of the Black Women in Sports Foundation
• Sage Steele, broadcaster, ESPN
The NCAA Office of Diversity and Inclusion will provide a summary of the symposium to the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, which will determine if programming or new initiatives should be created as a result of the discussions.
MEDIA NOTE: Media interested in attending the NCAA Women of Color in College Sports Symposium should contact the NCAA Media and Public Relations Office at 317/917-6117.
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