April 8, 2008

Wayne State University student-athletes Rachelle Malette (Windsor, Ont./Holy Names) and Caleb Dalman (Hudsonville, Mich.) have been selected to participate in the NCAA National Student-Athlete Leadership Development Conference.

Malette will partake in the first conference on May 25-27, while Dalman will participate in the May 27-29 conference.

The NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference (Formerly 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 conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities.

The NCAA has increased the number of opportunities for student-athletes to participate in the conference to 700 beginning with the 2008 event taking place in Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort.

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 student-athletes representing CHAMPS/Life Skills colleges and universities as well as the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committees.