Florida Atlantic University Athletics
2001 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference
7/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
July 27, 2001
Excerpt taken from NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference
It was a fantastic program for the student-athletes, for the coaches and everyone else involved according to Jody Brown, head women's coach at Florida Atlantic University who represented the AVCA at the 2001 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference. Also, representing volleyball was AVCA member Sharon Clark, head women's coach at Butler University.
The fifth annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference that was held May 28-June1 in Florida included over 300 student-athletes from NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Programs.
The CHAMPS/Life Skills Program (Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success) was created in 1994 by the NCAA as a total development program for student-athletes. The mission of the program is to provide services and support to the membership, public and media to develop and enhance the life of the student-athlete through educational programs and resources focusing on gender equity, student-athlete welfare, and life skills.
According to the NCAA, the goal of the 2001 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference was to develop a diverse group of student-athletes who could actively participate in and experience a multitude of challenging and thought-provoking activities that will enable them to make changes on their campuses and in their communities.
"I spoke about and answered questions about the issue of coach/player trust, including the level of trust players have for coaches outside of the playing court," Brown said. "We discussed whether players should have a voice within the athletic department and how to communicate their concerns to higher administration."
The experience really opened Brown's eyes to the concerns of student-athletes everywhere. He enjoyed hearing different points of view outside of his Florida Atlantic program. This was also a learning curve for many of the attendees as well.
"I felt the kids really absorbed the message that we're not alone with our struggles," Brown said. "The opportunity to communicate the same problems and issues happen to all universities and all student-athletes helped the attendees grow and learn to problem solve together."
According to Brown, one of the biggest issues under discussion was Title IX and the concern regarding men's sports being dropped. He could sense the trust gap between athletic administrations and players, especially with this issue.
"Student-athletes have legitimate concerns that need to be addressed," Brown said. "Being more open to their questions will alleviate much of the distress they are experiencing."
Brown's overall experience at the conference was one of learning and enjoyment, and he hopes to be fortunate enough to attend the event next year.
