May 25, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Junior James Georgeff, a member of the UCF men's soccer team, was one of 352 student-athletes selected to attend the 10th annual NCAA Leadership Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. from May 28-June 1.
"James has been a great addition to the soccer program," said UCF head coach Brent Erwin, who is entering his second year at the helm. "He was the first athlete I recruited and I have never regretted bringing him on board. He is a valuable leader, who the other players are happy to follow, and we can depend upon him to do the right thing on and off the field."
The event serves as a forum to enhance leadership and decision-making skills and provides the participants with the opportunity to discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities. Among the topics to be addressed are sportsmanship, public perceptions of student-athletes, conflict resolution, student-athlete mental health and social responsibilities.
The student-athletes will also participate in team-building exercises at Disney's Wide World of Sports ® Complex.
Participants in the leadership conference are then encouraged to share their experiences with their respective Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) and other campus leaders. They are also asked to develop an action plan that addresses an issue on their campus or in their community and implement the plan once they return to their schools.
The student-athletes were selected from 1,319 nominations submitted by college and university officials who sponsor NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills programs on their campuses. Selection was based upon the student-athletes' demonstrated ability and strong desire to be a leader and the student-athletes' potential to benefit from a leadership development experience.
"I hope that attending this conference will help make me a better leader, so I can better serve my team and also the university," said Georgeff, who transferred to UCF from Clemson last fall but redshirted the 2005 season.
Also joining the conference are 39 coaches, athletics administrators and program facilitators.