University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Participate in NCAA, BIG EAST Forums
7/14/2023 5:34:00 PM | General
STORRS, Conn. – Five members of the UConn Athletics community participated in prestigious NCAA and BIG EAST Conference forums in the last few months as the Huskies took advantage of personal and career development seminars.
Senior Ainsley Svetek (women's ice hockey) and junior Travel Roux (men's track & field) along with Assistant Athletic Trainer Tavarus Ferguson traveled to Cincinnati for the fifth Student-Athlete Well-Being Forum, co-hosted by the BIG EAST and Xavier. The 2023 Forum focused on the intersection of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and well-being.
Speakers included BIG EAST commissioner Val Ackerman, Dr. Alfiee Breland Noble of The AAKOMA Project and Ramona Cox.
Senior Jenna Zydanowicz (women's cross country/track & field) participated in the NCAA's Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, where 250-plus athletes, coaches and administrators came together from April 13-16 in Baltimore.
The Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is an annual leadership development offering that is designed to provide a transformative learning experience for student-athletes from across divisions and sports in the NCAA membership. Division I and II conference offices and Division III schools nominated select student-athletes to attend the forum, run by the NCAA's leadership development department.
This year's Student-Athlete Leadership Forum centered on the theme "Beyond the Box." Sessions and speakers engaged attendees on the theme a few different ways, including the value of getting out of their comfort zones, learning from failure and other perspectives.
Senior Rachael Woodruff (women's cross country/track & field) went to Indianapolis for the NCAA's Career in Sports Forum in June. Built around common video game tropes, the theme for the 2023 Career in Sports Forum was "The Pursuit of Purpose." Programming during each of the four days was a different level, broken into concepts such as "Choose Your Character," "Choose Your Playing Field," "Embrace the Challenge" and "Trust Your Process."
The forum highlighted potential career paths in sports and emphasized the attendees' professional and personal development.
