PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A pair of Coppin State University student-athletes recently had the chance to attend the recent NCAA Regional Leadership Conference from Nov. 7-10, 2013 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
Coppin State University student-athletes Christina Epps and Patrick Thomas along with Athletic Academic Advisor and SAAC Advisor Janelle Rich represented the Eagles.
They were among more than 450 student-athletes, coaches and administrators who were in attendance for this year's program. Epps, the 2013 MEAC outdoor triple jump champion, is currently a graduate student competing on the women’s track and field team. Thomas is a junior on the tennis team.
Participants from the MEAC schools (Delaware State, Coppin State, Howard University, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore) joined together for a photo and took the opportunity to network with each other.
The purpose of the forum was for student-athletes to leave feeling empowered and to utilize the skills they learned back to their campus to help their fellow student-athletes. The team sessions focused primarily on building leadership by identifying personal values and behaviors. The DiSC assessment played a major part in the sessions.
“The leadership forum was truly an amazing life changing experience,” Epps said. “We not only learned about the importance of leadership tools, skills, and styles but we learned the importance of just being yourself, and how following your own path takes true courage and perseverance especially in an age where peer pressure has only become more prominent.”
Motivational speakers Chris Herren, Rayna Dubose, and Sam Davidson spoke on the importance of being a pro at being you.
“The forum was an inspiring experience and helped me understand that there are more traits of being a leader than I realized and that I possess all of them,” Thomas said. “Now it's time for me to capitalize and tie them all together to become a better leader.”
Members of each division’s national SAAC held hour-long discussions during which they got the student-athletes perspective on a variety of topics.
While the forum focused on student-athletes, athletics professionals were also present. The forum allowed them to share ideas that assisted in building intercollegiate athletics as a whole.
“The biggest thing for me at the leadership forum was the networking experience,” Rich said. “It was a great opportunity as a young female administrator to get the chance to hear what other administrators are doing to enhance themselves and their students in the athletic programs.”
The Leadership Forum is one of the largest non-competitive gatherings of NCAA student-athletes representing their colleges and universities.