BALTIMORE, Md. – Three Great Midwest student-athletes along with one conference office staff member participated in the NCAA’s 2023 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum (SALF) over the weekend in Baltimore. Corina Conley (Women’s Basketball - Kentucky Wesleyan), Maleah Gibbons (Volleyball - Ursuline), Trent Maddox (Football - Ashland), and Katie Gilhooly (Director of Digital Media and Communications, Great Midwest) spent four days with more than 250 other student-athletes and administrators learning skills to take back to their respective campuses.
The 2023 SALF theme was “Outside the Box,” which was integrated into the programming throughout the week.
Created in 1997, the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is an opportunity for college athletes, coaches, and administrators to collectively learn about themselves and grow as the next generation of leaders. Both participating student-athletes and attending administrators and coaches return from the forum with enhanced leadership capabilities that allow them to thrive personally, professionally and even athletically. Participants are assigned to a “color team” with about 30 other attendees, and within those frequent color team sessions, they work in an open environment with trained facilitators to engage in discussions regarding leadership and its many components. They build a family of team members that encourages vulnerability, challenges one another with diverse perspectives, and provides unconditional support during and after the program.
In addition to impactful color team sessions, participants feel the rewards of a community service project, learn about the inner workings of the NCAA, and hear from resonant keynote speakers who share powerful stories and teachings.
Aside from spending almost six hours each day with their color groups, the forum provided the opportunity to see a variety of presentations from speakers on the topic of leadership. On Friday morning, participants heard from NCAA President Charlie Baker and Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) members. On Friday afternoon, the group participated in mental health breakout sessions. Student-athletes heard from Dr. Aaron Goodson, Director for Behavioral Health at Duke University while coaches and administrators sat in on a presentation from Dr. Nyaka Nilampti, Vice President of Wellness and Clinical Services at the NFL.
Kentucky Wesleyan's Corina Conley speaks with newly oppointed NCAA President Charlie Baker.
Saturday’s agenda included a presentation and Q&A with Julianne Sitch, University of Chicago Head Men’s Soccer Coach. Sitch, a former professional soccer player, is the first female head coach of an NCAA men’s team to win a national championship. The group then had a “Lunch and Learn” panel session hosted by staff from the Baltimore Ravens. Jonathan Sprinkles from Connectology Coach was featured as Sunday’s keynote speaker.
University of Chicago men's soccer head coach Julianne Sitch speaks to group at 2023 SALF.
Student-Athlete Corner
“My favorite part of this weekend was getting to build strong connections with student-athletes from all divisions, parts of the country, and sports. We were challenged together and pushed outside of our comfort zones which allowed us to grow greatly! These are connections that I’m confident will last a very long time!!” – Corina Conley
Kentucky Wesleyan's Corina Conley participates as part of the Blue Team.
“My favorite part about this weekend was all of the sessions in our color groups as well as the lip-sync battles on Friday night. It got to show everyone’s creativity while having fun with each other.” – Maleah Gibbons
Ursuline's Maleah Gibbons works on a project as part of the Pink Team.
“SALF not only helped me to better understand my strengths and core values as a leader but also helped me to see my areas of weakness as well. The friendships that were created over the four days were intentional and meaningful because of the space we were given to share tough conversations. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as a leader this weekend!” – Trent Maddox
Ashland's Trent Maddox talks with small group members as part of the Pink Team.