June 2, 2003
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Steve Dombroski (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) of the men's lacrosse team served as the Siena College representative at the annual NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. last week. Dombroski joined student-athlete leaders from around the country in the five-day event that focused on developing teamwork, communication and leadership skills.
Among the many workshops Dombroski attended included a national Student-Athlete Advisory Council panel question and answer session, as well as seminars on motivation and awareness. Human rights and sports activist Richard Lapchick and five-time Olympian Willye White also addressed the more-than 300 student-athletes in attendance.
"The conference was a great learning experience and opened my eyes to some key issues facing student-athletes at Siena and across the country," Dombroski said. "I take away many valuable lessons, as well as new friendships with people I otherwise would never have met. All and all, I wouldn't trade the opportunity for anything."
The 2003 NCAA Leadership Conference is one of the largest non-competitive gatherings of NCAA student-athletes. The conference is designed to enhance student-athletes' leadership and communication skills and to enable them to become more effective leaders and motivators when they return to their campuses. The convention setting provides the student-athletes with an opportunity to create dialogue surrounding topics that affect them on campus and in their communities. The conference also provides them with exercises to enhance their decision-making and problem-solving skills, and improve planning and priority management.
A wide array of activities from jam sessions to skits, were utilized in throughout the conference. The participants worked full days-in most cases from 8 a.m.-to-8 p.m., as they tackled some of the most pressing issues facing today's student-athletes. The true reward came in the bonding and trust the student-athletes forged with one another throughout the seminar.
The student-athlete leaders were selected from a total of 1,172 nomination forms that were submitted by college and university officials who have NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills programs at their schools. Criteria for selection include the student-athletes' demonstrated ability and strong desire to be a leader and the student-athletes' potential to benefit significantly from a leadership development experience.
In order to be eligible for the conference, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and must have athletics eligibility remaining in the following academic year. A committee comprised of CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators from member institutions and NCAA student-athletes review the nominations to determine the final selections.
