BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum (SALF), created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience to grow student-athletes, administrators and coaches personally and professionally after their attendance. Selected attendees of the forum return to their campuses with vital leadership skills, a distinguished understanding of the interconnectedness among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded individuals to provide continued connection and conversations after the program concludes. This year, two Patriot League student-athletes and the Patriot League administrative intern were chosen to attend the 2021 NCAA SALF on November 18-21 in Houston, TX.
The Patriot League selected two student-athletes from its member institutions to attend the forum. The application process was communicated to student-athletes through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Liaisons for each institution. Upon receipt of the applications, they were reviewed by a committee composed of League staff and were chosen to represent the Patriot League and their respected universities at the forum. The 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum representatives were Noha Shahba, a sophomore women's rower from Colgate University, and
Edik Pribitikin, a senior on the men's tennis team from Loyola Maryland, along with Patriot League administrative intern
Ashleigh Crutcher.
Participants were assigned to a team signified by a color with approximately 30 other student-athletes, administrators, and coaches upon arrival. They worked in an open environment with trained facilitators to engage in discussions regarding leadership and its many properties. The color team sessions are designed to build a family of team members that encourages vulnerability, diverse perspectives, and creates a web of support during and after the program. In addition to impactful color team sessions, attendees learn about the internal operations of the NCAA, participate in a community service project, and hear from resounding keynote speakers who share inspiring stories and teachings. After four days on-site, participants are expected to return to their campuses and conference offices feeling rejuvenated, connected and confident.
In reflection of the forum, Crutcher talked to Shahba about her key takeaways and how she plans to apply them at Colgate and in her future career.
Q: What did you hope to gain from attending the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, and did it meet your expectations?
SHAHBA: I was hoping to learn more about leadership as it specifically pertained to athletics. I think the forum greatly exceeded my expectations as we learned about leadership not just in athletics but also in our personal lives and work lives. I also wasn't expecting to walk away feeling so inspired, but I came out of it having a new drive and new ideas of what I want to bring back to Colgate's campus.
Q: What is something that you learned from the weekend that you did not know before?
SHAHBA: I never thought about how much emotional intelligence can affect leadership skills, and I think that was a very important takeaway from this weekend. I also didn't know about the crucial conversation skills that we learned, and I liked the idea of contrast, where you use "I do" and "I don't" statements to help resolve conflict or clarify your position.
Q: How has this experience changed your outlook on leadership and how do you think it will impact your future career?
SHAHBA: I feel like my leadership skills have definitely been not only strengthened, but also diversified. Before the forum, I had one outlook on what leadership should be and what a leader should look like, but now I see that there are many different ways to be a leader and how to take advantage of my strengths and others' strengths to achieve our goals together more effectively. I am hoping to become a Physician Assistant in the future, and I think having these strengths will be particularly beneficial when managing different patients' diagnoses and treatment plans. Being able to effectively work in a team and utilize each team members' strengths to their full potential will help create much more success.
Q: Personally, who was the most interesting speaker, or what was the most interesting event you experienced over the weekend? What made it stand out?
SHAHBA: The most interesting speaker that I experienced was Jonathan Sprinkles. I was incredibly inspired by him and felt the drive to do more with my life. I had had a really rough week prior to the conference, and he showed me a different side of leadership where yes, you can take mental health breaks as needed but those mental health breaks can't consist of you sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. I also think having him tell us that we are valued and that he was proud of us was very powerful. It was a very basic act, but sometimes you don't realize how much you need to hear something like that and how much it can change your perspective. It ended up being a very therapeutic speech.
Q: Would you advise future student-athletes to partake in this experience? What advice would you give them about getting the most out of it?
SHAHBA: I would absolutely advise future student-athletes to partake in this experience. They should contribute to the discussions as much as possible, sit with new people at meals and learn more about them, step out of their comfort zone and take advantage of all of the things the conference has to offer. Also, make sure to do the pre-work because it sets up a really good foundation for the conference. Be open and honest and let yourself be vulnerable, you'll learn a lot more about yourself that way.
