Connect And Grow

The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is an event hosted for student-athletes across all three divisions. Since 1997, the forum has aimed to teach upwards of 5,000 student-athletes valuable leadership skills.

The multi-day event gives student-athletes a refined understanding of personal values, core beliefs, and behavioral styles. They’re then encouraged to connect with like-minded peers in attendance. This year, the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum was held in Bethesda, Md.

Senior administrators and athletic directors were responsible for nominating the student-athletes in attendance. Representing the University of Maryland were Dominic Solis, a junior wrestler, and Adaeze Alaeze, the program director of student-athlete career development.

Solis is an economics major at Maryland and one of two student-athletes selected to represent the Big Ten Conference at the forum.

“Representing not only my home state school but the entire Big Ten Conference was such an honor and a privilege,” Solis said. “I was extremely fortunate to have met and connected with so many great people at the NCAA forum and have many great conversations. I do not take that for granted.”

The forum is designed to enhance leadership capabilities and teach student-athletes how to thrive personally, professionally and athletically. Attendees were broken into teams to engage in discussions about leadership and foster connections among other student-athletes. The goal was to encourage vulnerability, challenge one another with diverse perspectives and provide support during and after the forum.

Solis explained his biggest takeaway from the experience.

“No matter where you’re from, what sport you play or what division you play in, you can make lifelong friends in a very short time,” he said. “Especially when you can learn something about them, or they can help you see a perspective that wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

The opportunity to meet other student-athletes with similar experiences and learn valuable life lessons fostered a community and supplied support that otherwise wouldn’t exist. The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum allows student-athletes to take a step beyond the playing field and explore differing perspectives, discuss difficult topics and reflect on their potential as leaders.

“My experience was awesome,” Solis said. “It was my chance to take a step back as a leader and look at my leadership style and how it can be improved in a safe and healthy environment. I did not feel judged when speaking about tough experiences. Instead, I was praised for sharing my point of view.”

Alaeze represented the University of Maryland as a facilitator. It was Alaeze’s second year of facilitating a team at the forum and she says she’s passionate about its impact on student-athletes.

“This forum is special because I can impact student-athletes, administrators and coaches from all around the country,” Alaeze said. “Being able to lead and add value to my team was such a transformative experience. I loved seeing the impact that the NCAA and Institute for Sport and Social Justice are making in the athletic community. It’s a true privilege to be called upon to aid in the growth of leadership development of our future leaders.”

Alaeze is a former Division I women’s basketball player at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her experience as a former student-athlete provided her with a relatable perspective to succeed in her administrative role in guiding athletes to meet their full potential. Her outlook and impact on athletes at Maryland have been impactful. The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum allowed her to grow as a leader and facilitator.

“The forum’s impact positively impacted our student-athletes at Maryland and my programming by allowing me to continue to grow as a facilitator as the needs of the student-athlete continue to change,” Alaeze said. This experience also taught me new ways to engage and interact with our student-athletes in a meaningful way. This will allow my programming to be fine-tuned and updated to support the needs of our student-athletes.”

The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is a unique opportunity that allows student-athletes and facilitators to grow in their abilities. It’s vital to all student-athletes, collegiate institutions, and administrators that they continue to create meaningful ways to connect and grow with the ever-changing world of sports.