BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum (SALF), created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience to grow student-athletes, administrators and coaches personally and professionally after their attendance. Selected attendees of the forum return to their campuses with vital leadership skills, a distinguished understanding of the interconnectedness among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded individuals to provide continued connection and conversations after the program concludes. This year, two Patriot League student-athletes and the Patriot League administrative intern were chosen to attend the 2021 NCAA SALF on November 18-21 in Houston, TX.

The Patriot League selected two student-athletes from its member institutions to attend the forum. The application process was communicated to student-athletes through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Liaisons for each institution. Upon receipt of the applications, they were reviewed by a committee composed of League staff and were chosen to represent the Patriot League and their respected universities at the forum. The 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum representatives were Edik Pribitikin, a senior on the men's tennis team from Loyola Maryland and Noha Shahba, a sophomore women's rower from Colgate University, along with Patriot League administrative intern Ashleigh Crutcher.

Participants were assigned to a team signified by a color with approximately 30 other student-athletes, administrators, and coaches upon arrival. They worked in an open environment with trained facilitators to engage in discussions regarding leadership and its many properties. The color team sessions are designed to build a family of team members that encourages vulnerability, diverse perspectives, and creates a web of support during and after the program. In addition to impactful color team sessions, attendees learn about the internal operations of the NCAA, participate in a community service project, and hear from resounding keynote speakers who share inspiring stories and teachings. After four days on-site, participants are expected to return to their campuses and conference offices feeling rejuvenated, connected and confident.

In reflection of the forum, Crutcher talked to Edik Pribitikin and Noha Shahba about their key takeaways and how they plan to apply them at their institutions and future careers.
Q: What did you hope to gain from attending the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, and did it meet your expectations?
PRIBITIKIN: I was honored when I heard that I had been selected by the Patriot League staff to represent the Patriot League at NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum (SALF). It caught me a bit off guard, considering no one from Loyola had attended the conference before, so I knew that I just wanted to soak in the opportunity. I had few expectations for the conference and hoped to gain new contacts in the college sports world. 
SHAHBA: I was hoping to learn more about leadership as it specifically pertained to athletics. I think the forum greatly exceeded my expectations as we learned about leadership not just in athletics but also in our personal lives and work lives. I also wasn't expecting to walk away feeling so inspired, but I came out of it having a new drive and new ideas of what I want to bring back to Colgate's campus.

Q: What is something that you learned from the weekend that you did not know before?
PRIBITIKIN: I think there is so much that I learned that it is hard to pinpoint one thing that stands out. However, after reflecting upon the experience, I think the theme of vulnerability and compassion shines through. As a leader, I knew that I had the ability to be serious and help motivate others through brute force. However, through the help of my color team, I started to understand the tools needed to show a more compassionate, vulnerable side as a leader that can be valuable in certain situations. 
SHAHBA: I never thought about how much emotional intelligence can affect leadership skills, and I think that was a very important takeaway from this weekend. I also didn't know about the crucial conversation skills that we learned, and I liked the idea of contrast, where you use I do, and I don't statements to help resolve conflict or clarify your position. 
 
Q: How has this experience changed your outlook on leadership and how do you think it will impact your future career?
PRIBITIKIN: Leadership comes in different forms, and everyone has their own story. A big takeaway from my color team was that there is no one truth. Everyone has their own vision, their own leadership philosophy and their own strengths and weaknesses. Every leader does not necessarily need to be "bulletproof," and often surrounding oneself around valuable assistants can go a long way. In the future, I will look to lean on my core values and strengths to respond to the person or situation in need. 
SHAHBA: I feel like my leadership skills have definitely been not only strengthened, but also diversified. Before the forum, I had one outlook on what leadership should be and what a leader should look like, but now I see that there are many different ways to be a leader and how to take advantage of my strengths and others' strengths to achieve our goals together more effectively. I am hoping to become a Physician Assistant in the future, and I think having these strengths will be particularly beneficial when managing different patients' diagnoses and treatment plans. Being able to effectively work in a team and utilize each team members' strengths to their full potential will help create much more success. 
 
Q: Personally, who was the most interesting speaker, or what was the most interesting event you experience over the weekend? What made it stand out?
PRIBITIKIN: I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from Olympian Haylie McCleney. When Haylie spoke about "Mudita," or the act of being unselfish and taking pride in seeing others succeed, that really resonated with me. Being a tennis player on a college team, it is often hard not to delve into the individual aspect of the sport. However, moving forward I'm excited to use the philosophy of "Mudita" to tune into my teammates more and become a better leader.  
SHAHBA: The most interesting speaker that I experienced was Jonathan Sprinkles. I was incredibly inspired by him and felt the drive to do more with my life. I had had a really rough week prior to the conference, and he showed me a different side of leadership where yes, you can take mental health breaks as needed but those mental health breaks can't consist of you sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. I also think having him tell us that we are valued and that he was proud of us was very powerful. It was a very basic act, but sometimes you don't realize how much you need to hear something like that and how much it can change your perspective. It ended up being a very therapeutic speech. 

Q: Would you advise future student-athletes to partake in this experience? What advice would you give them about getting the most out of it?
PRIBITIKIN: This is a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, that if given, must be taken. Having top-level athletes from around the country who are all like-minded in the same place at once does not happen very often. To have a fulfilling experience, I would urge student-athletes to be authentic and open. In my experience, I was able to get the most out of myself and the others in my color team by being honest and open, thus creating a sense of trustworthiness. 
SHAHBA: I would absolutely advise future student-athletes to partake in this experience. They should contribute to the discussions as much as possible, sit with new people at meals and learn more about them, step out of their comfort zone and take advantage of all of the things the conference has to offer. Also, make sure to do the pre-work because it sets up a really good foundation for the conference. Be open and honest and let yourself be vulnerable, you'll learn a lot more about yourself that way.