SEATTLE -- Senior baseball student-athlete Channing Nesbitt represented the University of Washington and the Pac-12 Conference, alongside Oregon's Shweta Sangwan, at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum held in Washington, D.C. November 16-19, 2017.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum engages a diverse and dynamic representation of student-athletes, coaches, faculty and administrators. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, the experience of exploring the relationship between personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and a thorough understanding of the NCAA as a whole, the different divisional perspectives and the valuable role of Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).
"I really enjoyed how the program challenged us as individuals to come together and learn from different leaders around the country," said Nesbitt. "I gained a lot of insight into how different people thought and analyzed their own situations regarding leadership. This conference provided me the time to reflect and dissect my own use of leadership as well as pinpoint areas in which I still need to grow.
"I was able to acknowledge my own strengths and weaknesses and was taught the skills of how to address both of these aspects," Nesbitt continued. "Overall, I was able to make real connections with so many likeminded and motivated individuals. I felt inspired as I left the conference to bring back this information and incorporate what I learned into my daily life, while hopefully inspiring new leaders to step forward and utilize their minds and voices."
Eddie Jones, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator, joined Channing on the trip.
"The weekend was a reminder and refresher of how incredible the young people we work with are, and the role we have in developing them into leaders and professionals," said Jones. "Channing is a star, and was the embodiment of the world class leaders that attend UW, compete athletically, and are changing their environments for the betterment of society. I am humbled to have attended, learned as much as I did, and share the experience with Channing,"
The Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has been a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes, many who have grown personally and professionally, gained a new network of peers and friends, as well as felt the rewards and importance of community service. Currently, each Division I and Division II conference office selects student-athletes from among their active member schools and an administrator from the conference office, to represent their conference at the forum.
