Mount Olive, N.C. – University of Mount Olive Women's Lacrosse student-athlete Kristin Sternkopf was attended in the NCAA's Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis, Indiana June 6-9. Sternkopf joined UMO alumni Alexis McNeil, Michael Munoz, and Camila Kurebayashi as recent attendees to the career in sports forum.
"It was an unforgettable experience! I'm so grateful that Mr. Eisen and Mrs. Lindsay chose to nominate me and give me the opportunity to learn more about my future profession, to network myself, but especially to represent Mount Olive. I met so many incredible people from different backgrounds and walks of life, it really opened my eyes," said Sternkopf.
Participants that were a junior or senior and who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in sports, while also being viewed as leaders on their campus, were invited to apply to attend the forum after a nomination by athletics administrators at their respective schools. Many current and past attendees are members of their Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the student-athlete voice within the NCAA governance structure. The selection committee is comprised of administrators and coaches within the NCAA, many former forum participants themselves.
The Career in Sports Forum, an annual educational forum hosted by the NCAA, brings together 200 student-athletes to learn and explore potential careers in sports, with the primary focus on college athletics.
This unique, four-day forum is designed to assist student-athletes in charting their career paths, as well as provide an opportunity to network and learn from current athletics professionals.
The cutting-edge topics covered by industry experts include: how personal values intersect with career opportunities, how behavioral styles impact individual effectiveness, the key professional and career development information to assist with the transition from a student-athlete to a professional, and the role of the college coach or athletics administrator. Participants will network with peers, as well as key decision-makers at the campus, conference and national level of college athletics.
This year's participants sat in on panels that discussed everything from how the NCAA makes game schedules, to mental health as a student-athlete, as well as how to network yourself once your playing days come to an end. The student-athletes also had a chance to ask members of the NCAA important questions, real questions that came from the student-athletes that make up the NCAA.
Sternkopf also had one-on-one conversations with people who took her views on things to a different perspective.
"Having access to the knowledge, experience, and advice that I did really helped me grow my goals and career plan in four short days. The one thing that really stuck with me was to never be too big for the people, or little jobs, that got you to where you are. As well as that success is a habit, not a result," commented Sternkopf.
One of more than 45 annual conferences and seminars organized and directed by the NCAA leadership development department, the Career in Sports Forum provides college athletes with a broader scope of the career tracks available within the sports business, with the primary focus on college athletics.
"Being one of the 215 student-athletes chosen from across the country to sit in the national office with some of the most important people that make up the NCAA has been an experience of a lifetime, one I'll never forget," concluded Sternkopf.