March 29, 2007

Wayne State University's Ashley King, a member of the Warrior women's hockey team, has been selected to participate in the 2007 NCAA National Leadership Conference May 27-31 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

The NCAA National Leadership Conference provides NCAA student-athletes with a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills. The leadership conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. The five-day leadership conference consists of daily exercises and activities to help the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing members to a group.

The conference is an outreach of the successful CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and involves close to 325 student-athletes each year who compete in fall, winter and spring sports in Divisions I, II and III. Many of the student-athletes who participate are members of their conference and campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAACs). Each NCAA member institution that has a CHAMPS/Life Skills Program is encouraged to nominate student-athletes from their campus for the annual leadership conference.

History of NCAA Leadership Conference Program
In conjunction with the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, the NCAA Foundation in 1996 created the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference. The mission of the conference is to provide a diverse group of the nation's top student-athletes an opportunity to actively participate in challenging and thought-provoking activities that will enable them to become better leaders on their campuses and in their communities.

The conference is an outgrowth of the successful CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and involves up to 350 student-athletes representing CHAMPS/Life Skills colleges and universities as well as the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committees. Each institution nominates four student-athletes who have demonstrated an ability or strong desire to be leaders and would benefit from a significant leadership experience. In order to be eligible, applicants must be in good academic standing and must have athletics eligibility remaining in the following academic year.

As a result of participation, student-athletes will enhance their communication skills, decision-making and problem-solving skills, critical-thinking skills and collaborative skills. The conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. Topics for past conferences have included developing leadership skills; changing perception; developing political skills and utilizing the student-athlete committee.

The inaugural conference sponsored by Entergy Corporation and Walt Disney World Sports was held in May 1997 in Orlando, Florida.