INDIANAPOLIS - The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was set to send three student-athletes and one administrator to the 2020 NCAA Leadership Forum in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the Leadership Forum was cancelled due to COVID-19, but we had a chance to catch up with these student-athletes remotely. 

The second spotlight features Bekah Green, a sophomore on the women's basketball team at Ursuline. Green played a key role last season for the Arrows as she averaged almost 30 minutes and 11 points per contest.   

Bekah Green 
School: Ursuline College
Sport: Women's basketball
Position: Guard
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Jackson, OH
Highschool: Jackson HS
Major: Nursing 

Holly (Great Midwest): What were you looking forward to learning from the NCAA leadership conference? 

Bekah Green: I was selected as captain as a sophomore, which brought a lot of challenges because it was my first real leadership role. Now looking back and reflecting on it, I realize I could have handled some situations differently and been a better leader for my team. I was really looking forward to gaining techniques on how to approach situations and insight on how to deal with and relate to different group dynamics. With a team, there are so many different personalities meshed together, so you have to be able to communicate and reach everyone in some manner. I was really looking forward to improving my communications skills as a leader. I’m probably going to do some research and reading on that. 
 
Holly: As you transition into your junior season, how do you step into more of a leadership role on your team? 

BG: I can do a better job of setting an example because for the past two years I’ve been the young one and a lot of people see leadership as an age thing. I’m hoping going into this year I can establish standards for the team and set a precedent for how we want things done to have a successful season. I guess just including everyone because it’s human nature for you to gravitate toward your best friends on the team, so I want to put myself out there more and hangout with everyone to build a closer bond with the team and give us better chemistry on and off the court. 
 
Holly: Describe your leadership style. 

BG: My leadership style is definitely positive and encouraging. I try to put a smile on everyone’s face when I walk in the gym everyday and try to be a shoulder to lean on. I definitely lead through my energy. It’s hard for me to be vocal and say the harsh things. I like to be positive about everything so that’s something I want to get better at. 
 
Holly: Talk about some of the leadership qualities you admire from head coach Shannon Sword. 

BG: Coach Sword has definitely been a great influence on my life in the past two years. She’s very organized and when she believes something, she does not waiver from it which I think is really awesome. She wants things a certain way and has expectations for us all to work hard every day. She’s worked hard her whole life, so I definitely admire her work ethic. She also is very comforting. I feel like I could talk to her anytime I need anything. She’s always there for us on and off the court and is just a really great coach. 
 
Holly: What areas have you seen yourself make the greatest improvements in from your freshman to sophomore season? 

BG: I had a tough time transitioning my freshman year, so I wanted to make sure I would be a positive role model and mentor for the younger girls. I didn’t want them to be intimidated by me or scared to come and talk to me. I wanted them to feel comfortable and be able to ask me questions or have me stay after practice with them to shoot. A lot of girls this year thanked me because they really appreciated how I was always there for them. I think I really grew up a lot in the past year. 
 
Holly: What areas do you hope to improve in heading into your junior year? 

BG: Being more vocal. Kind of being able to step up in those hard moments where everyone’s in the locker room staring in silence not knowing what to say after a tough game or tough practice. I want to be able to make people feel better but motivate them at the same time. I feel like I have the whole positive part of it down, but I think I need to get better at being more direct and lighting a fire in everyone’s eyes to get them motivated for the next day. 
 
Holly: How are you and your teammates sticking together in the offseason with the uncertainty moving forward? 

BG: We pretty much have a group chat on every platform, so we’ve been talking a lot. I think that’s super important right now to stay close and create chemistry with the new freshman and the returners before hopefully stepping back on campus in August. It’s been a nice way for us to have communication in a more casual setting and get to know each other even better.
 
Holly: What are some activities you’ve been doing to keep yourself busy? 

BG: I live kind of in the country, so I’ve been taking up photography as a hobby. Doing some nature pictures and I’ve been running outside and shooting basketball. I’m really enjoying the photography part, so I think I’m going to buy a camera. It’s a new hobby. I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures, but I think the sitting around has made me explore that further. It’s a nice outlet for me too. 
 
Holly: Favorite part about being a student-athlete at Ursuline? 

BG: Probably the community. We have a small school, and everyone knows everyone. You see everyone every day. The people in the cafeteria know your order and there’s huge support for student-athletes. The professors come to the games and the next day in class ask you how it was or send you an email saying great game and that they watched the livestream. So I think just the sense of community. Everyone at Ursuline definitely loves it and it’s a really special place. I’m really glad I chose to be there. 
 
Holly: What do your career aspirations look like?  

BG: I definitely want to pursue a career in orthopedic nursing and eventually become an orthopedic nurse practitioner. I actually broke my leg my senior year (of high school) and only got to play ten games. That was really hard on me, being sidelined. The nurses and healthcare providers provided much more than physical care to me. They provided emotional support. I want to be able to be with my patients someday that have had injuries and be able to inspire them and relate to them and tell them my experience and that it will be alright.