PEORIA, Ill. -- Senior women's basketball player Jenny Van Kirk (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) represented Bradley University at the annual NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference, which was held May 24-27 at the Walt Disney World Coronado Spring Resort in Buena Vista, Fla.
Described as one of the largest non-competitive gatherings of NCAA student-athletes, this is the 13th leadership conference that the NCAA has hosted for student-athletes who compete in fall, winter and spring sports in Divisions I, II and III. The conference was designed as a forum for student-athletes to discuss key issues collectively, and to provide them with an opportunity to enhance skills, which will enable them to become more effective leaders and motivators when they return to their campuses. The conference also provides student-athletes with exercises to enhance their decision-making and problem-solving skills, and to improve planning and priority management.
"The NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference was an excellent experience from which I gained a variety of skills and developed great relationships," Van Kirk said. "Interacting with over 600 student-athletes and administrators enabled me to make connections with people from across the nation and gain an understanding of many different perspectives on leadership. I am extremely thankful that I was provided with such a great opportunity, and I am looking forward to applying the things I learned on campus this year."
The National Student-Athlete Development Conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. The four-day conference consisted of daily color team sessions, exercises, speakers and activities to help the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing members to society.
A team co-captain, Van Kirk was a Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association Scholar-Athlete and was a Second-Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V selection. She started 19 of 31 games last year and helped the Braves to a school-record 21 wins while averaging 5.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Van Kirk was a Second-Team Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete in 2008-09 and also was a recipient of the MVC Good Neighbor Award.
Student-athletes attending the leadership conference are representing 20 NCAA sports from Divisions I, II and III. Van Kirk is the 14th Bradley participant in the annual event and first Bradley women's basketball player to take part in the annual conference. Previous Bradley representatives include: baseball player Miguel Osorio and softball player Dana Liberton (1998), women's tennis player Ali Kail and men's basketball player Matthew Lee (1999), men's golfer Dan Bradley (2000), baseball player Todd Spicer (2001), men's basketball player James Gillingham (2002), men's cross country runner Eric Michel (2003), women's golfer Carly Sobel (2004), volleyball player Ashley Vance (2005), track and field's Maya Monitto-Webber (2006), women's golfer Rikki Sobel (2007) and men's basketball player Theron Wilson (2008).
For more information on the NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference please visit http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/academics+and+athletes/leadership/nat+s-a+lead+dev+conf/index+-+nat_s-a_lead_dev_conf
