Yale Impacted by NCAA Leadership Conference

by Stephanie Wei '05

From May 25-29, 2003, I had the honor of participating in the NCAA Leadership Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The conference is intended to enhance the leadership and communication skills of 308 student-athletes from Division I, II, and II universities across the nation. We were divided into 10 “color teams” that consisted of approximately 30 student-athletes and two administrators. Each team was assigned two trained NCAA facilitators who led the discussion and activities.

Over the short time of five days, I learned more about my peers and myself than I ever thought was possible in such a limited time span. As unbelievable as it may sound, the conference was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and has given me a new outlook on my capacity as an individual and my role as a student-athlete at Yale. I arrived in Florida thinking that the conference would be a good time and I would hopefully improve my leadership skills. However, at the end of the week, I was shocked with the extent to which I had learned about myself as a leader, student-athlete, and person.

Through the dialogue and interaction with fellow conference participants and facilitators, we explored the characteristics of effective leaders and our personal leadership styles. Surrounded by and working with strong individuals, I was able to better perceive and understand my strengths and weaknesses. I entered the conference hoping that I would learn a new concept or two about leadership, but I assumed that most of the program would be trite and boring. I knew that we would discuss characteristics, such as persistence, positive attitude, listening, and confidence. We did address these qualities; however, our unique approach to examining them has allowed me to truly understand how to implement these attributes in order to improve my leadership skills.

We also discussed trouble areas and issues of student-athletes, which included the demands and expectations of student-athletes; inclusion; party behaviors; and trust gaps within intercollegiate athletics. Then, we talked about possible methods to solve these problems. At the end of the conference, we had to complete a self-directed project, which addresses an issue on our respective campuses. For my individual project, I would like to enhance the involvement of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This project would benefit student-athletes at Yale because the SAAC provides a voice within the NCAA structure and promotes a positive student-athlete image.
Another highlight of the conference was the appearance of two special speakers: human rights and sports activist Richard Lapchick and five-time Olympian Willye White. Lapchick delivered the keynote address through his narrative of the hardships and resistance that he has encountered in his fight for racial equality, particularly in the field of sports. His message emphasized one of the main lessons of the conference: on the surface, we seem different, but by working together, we learn that we are actually quite similar, and collectively we can achieve greatness. White’s words at the closing ceremony were especially inspirational. She talked about the obstacles that she hurdled on her road to success. Urging us to take personal responsibility for failure and to channel adversity in a positive manner, she has encouraged me to believe in my power as an individual to achieve change and my ability to accomplish great triumphs as a student-athlete leader.

During the closing ceremonies, I was faced with some very difficult goodbyes. I was surrounded with hugs, tears, promises of keeping in touch, and future reunions. I walked away with an inspired vision for future changes for the better and the confidence in my ability to realize my goals. I look forward to implementing my self-directed project in the fall, which I believe will help address issues that are critical to the Yale community. Finally, I am honored to say that I had the privilege of being a participant in a group of 308 of the most incredible leaders that I have ever encountered. Although the bonds were molded in merely five days, the friendships, networks, and impressions will be long lasting.

Stephanie Wei is a member of the Ivy League Champion Yale Women’s Golf Team