Engagement Insider
2/17/13
CHARLOTTE, NC February 17, 2013 – The best way to teach leaders how to increase their impact on those they touch is to form a faculty of dynamic speakers who have already had a strong influence and can articulate their secrets of success to others.
With that purpose paramount, two of America’s top sports organizations teamed up this weekend to hear from experienced experts how to maximize the athletic and personal development of student-athletes and the transition into their professional lives.
Held in Charlotte, NC, the NFL-NCAA Life Skills Education and Professional Development Summit was a time for 75 league Player Engagement personnel and their college counterparts to discover synergies for developing best practices and categorizing available resources for those they serve.
“Collaboration is the key to the NFL and NCAA learning how to build trust with today’s student-athletes to maintain their mental and physical health,” according to NFL Player Engagement (NFLPE) Senior Vice President Troy Vincent. “We assembled an all-star faculty to teach our attendees how to best reach these young people.”
That star-studded faculty kicked off the event in style with Keynote Speaker Oliver Luck, Director of Athletics at West Virginia University, and former Mountaineer and NFL quarterback whose son Andrew was last year’s number one NFL pick.
“We immediately were told by attendees that we started off with a bang, which was good to hear since Oliver Luck is someone who has been on both sides of the NCAA and NFL, and is in the position to determine what this Engagement role will look like,” observed Ron Brewer, Assistant Director of Leadership Development for the NCAA.
Brewer, who opened the event by outlining its objectives, added that, “we designed the Summit so it would kick off that way, and then followed up with forceful speakers such as Felicia Hall Allen (President of Felicia Hall Allen and Associates), one of the most dynamic individual speakers that I have ever been around, and she truly challenged the group.”
Another riveting speaker was Chris Herren, author of ‘Basketball Junkie,” whose promising hoop career was derailed by drug addiction. His talk hit home with Azizuddin Abdur-Ra’oof, Director of Student Welfare & Career Development at the University of Maryland, who stated, “He paid a big price, and his story gives me insight into what to potentially look for on my campus with our student-athletes.”
Additionally, the Summit educated attendees through the use of Case Studies and Breakout Sessions, including “Inside the Locker Room” sessions with the likes of former Pittsburgh Steeler Willie Parker and San Diego Charger Jacques Cesaire, who talked about current issues they and their teammates face.
“It’s been very powerful for me to hear the veterans and see their passion regarding mentorship and how they care so much about the future of the NFL,” noted Keith Embray, Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services at the University of Central Florida,.
Or, as Julie Dunn, Assistant Athletic Director for Career Enhancement and Employee Relations at Northwestern University, described it, “I have been very impressed with the speakers they brought in, and they got our minds going as we take to heart their expertise that they share with us.”
Now, combined with their newfound familiarity with each other, attendees plan to communicate and cooperate after the conference, particularly those in the same geographic regions.
This follow-up approach has served Tina Tuggle well. An attendee of two previous Summits, the Director of Player Engagement with the Tennessee Titans, described its lasting effects, pointing out that, “One result I implement is that when I have players who want to complete their degrees, I contact college connections I made at the Summits who can outline options. Best of all, the people I met there are those I now reach out to so we can exchange ideas.”
This ongoing grass-roots approach is critical to ensuring that student-athletes are acutely aware of all the resources available to them from either/both organizations, and that they know how to use those resources.
Usage of resources will ultimately be one gauge of the Summit’s success, but for now Brewer summed it up best by saying “The goal of the Summit was to bring these two groups of professionals together since they both touch the athletes, so that as they go from college to the NFL we can both be aware of what the other is seeing. Ultimately, it’s a great opportunity for the two groups to meet each other and discuss what’s working, what the hot topics are, and where they need help and assistance.”
To Learn More About The NFL-NCAA Life Skills Education & Professional Development Summit