By: Kaila Williams, MEAC Intern
During the weekend of October 23-25, 2009, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) student-athletes attended the NCAA Division I Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Student-Athletes from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), and the Big South Conference (Big South) were also in attendance. The theme of the conference was "leadership through service", which stressed the importance of selfless leadership, community service, and personal evaluation.
Student-athletes were divided into "color teams" (red, blue, black, pink, orange, purple, and green) for the weekend. The teams participated in community service activities that consisted of beautifying playgrounds and other exciting events with children from two local elementary schools. The athletes were shown that they could be leaders on and off the field and in their communities as well.
ESPN's Nancy Lieberman spoke on the last day of the event. Lieberman, a former student athlete, played women's basketball at Old Dominion University. Lieberman's post-collegiate career consisted of participating in the Summer Olympics, playing in the WNBA, and Head Coach and Manager responsibilities with the WNBA's Detroit Shock. Lieberman is now known for her broadcasting duties on ESPN.
While speaking to the student-athletes she told them that they could do whatever they put their minds to and it was ok to fail. Lieberman stated that "failure is noble because you can only fail if you try." She also stressed to the student-athletes the importance of selfless leadership, that it was good to focus on their teammates, and sometimes step out of the spot light to better the team, this tied back into the theme of the conference, "leadership through service".
New bonds were established among the participants during the three-day conference, where participating in group activities led athletes to step down from their normal leadership roles in their designated sports and gave them an idea of what it was like to let others lead. The athletes were also given an opportunity develop a better understanding of each other's views and opinions in and outside of their perspective athletic conferences. Each participant undoubtedly walked away from the leadership conference with significant traits that can be demonstrated on their campuses and athletic teams.
MEAC students had the following to say about the NCAA D-I Leadership Conference:
"One of the most important things that I learned was that I'm not just a student athlete; there is so much more that I can do as far as community service. At the conference, we helped kids create seed packets for flowers and dig holes for the flowers. It was great to see the smiles on their faces."
-Jerome Blake, Track and Field, Coppin State University
"The speakers were amazing, especially Nancy Lieberman. Ms. Lieberman really inspired me because of the struggle and dedication she had. I couldn't believe that she went years without anywhere to play and at the age of 38 she finally fulfilled her dream. Ms. Lieberman had a place where she could show her skills to the world, she was already past her prime, but she wasn't scared to mess up her legacy."
-Kene Anusionwu, Men's Basketball, Bethune-Cookman University
"...I am thankful that I had the opportunity to attend this year's NCAA Division I Leadership Conference. I was able to meet and interact with athletes from various schools, as well as from the MEAC. This conference has allowed me to gain leadership skills necessary not only for athletics, but also for life beyond athletics."
-Rashad L. James, Men's Tennis, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
"I truly had a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I am looking forward to sharing with my teammates, coaches, and community, and ready to start applying what I learned throughout the conference, and knowing that to make a difference you must expect change."
-Talareah Frazier, Women's Basketball, University of Maryland Eastern Shore