INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Morgan Smithsenior member of this year’s women’s basketball team, i Logan Englea sophomore on the football team, recently had the opportunity to attend the NCAA Student-Athlete Career in Sports Forum held last week at the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The forum highlighted potential career paths in sports and emphasized the professional and personal development of the participants. Smith and Engle were first nominated at the collegiate level before being selected to attend by the NCAA.
The Career in Sports Forum gave Smith and Engle an immersive opportunity to “raise” themselves through tons of networking, inspirational speakers, informative career advice and more from current professionals in the world of professional sports and collegiate athletics.
They participated in special and personal development sessions and heard from keynote speakers, including sessions by Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss women’s basketball coach, and Lacee Carmon-Johnson, manager of basketball development for the Toronto Raptors.
“It was a life-changing experience,” Smith said after returning from Indiana. “Being able to be at NCAA headquarters was surreal. I met so many incredible leaders who spoke to my life and I didn’t realize how many opportunities there were in this industry. The forum opened my eyes to being more than a student-athlete and I’m excited to embrace the values that I’ve also learned to embrace them. I’ve also met so many wonderful other student-athletes who have made me think more deeply about my passion for sports and now I have lifelong connections!”
Engle was one of five student-athletes to be featured in a post-event memo by the NCAA. He was quoted as saying “For introverted people, it was good because it pushed you in the direction of being interactive. You’re not going to grow or learn or understand if you don’t reach out to people.”
He thought he wanted to play sports, but he wasn’t sure where or how. Talking about transferable skills helped Engle realize his strengths and consider other avenues outside of coaching. He spoke with an NCAA staff member who helps run championship events, and that piqued his interest in the operational work of putting on a major event. A self-described introvert, Engle challenged himself to seize his opportunity.
The pair of Bulldogs are two of only 200 selected to attend the forum across all NCAA divisions.
