NCCU's Germain, Smith to participate in NCAA Leadership Conference

June 8, 2004

DURHAM, NC -- North Carolina Central University sophomore student-athlete Ariel Germain and Assistant Athletics Director George Smith were selected to participate in the 2004 NCAA Leadership Conference from May 30 to June 3 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Germain, a volleyball setter and President of NCCU's Student-Athlete Advisory Council, is one of 321 NCAA student-athletes who have been tabbed as current or future leaders on their college campuses to discuss key issues in intercollegiate athletics and to enhance their leadership skills when they participate in the NCAA Leadership Conference.

Smith, now in his fourth year as an athletics administrator at NCCU, is among 52 program facilitators chosen to join the student-athletes at the conference.

The 2004 NCAA Leadership Conference is designed to enhance student-athletes' leadership and communication skills and to enable them to become more effective leaders and motivators when they return to their campuses. The convention setting provides the student-athletes with an opportunity to create dialogue surrounding topics that affect them on campus and in their communities. The conference also provides them with exercises to enhance their decision-making and problem-solving skills, and improve planning and priority management.

The student-athlete leaders were selected from a total of 1,201 nomination forms that were submitted by college and university officials who have NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills programs at their schools. They represent Divisions I, II and III, and fall, winter and spring sports, including soccer, tennis, basketball, cross country/track, lacrosse, field hockey, wrestling, swimming, football, volleyball, bowling, softball, ice hockey, golf, baseball, gymnastics, rowing, diving, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and equestrian. There also will be five students from abroad attending the leadership conference who will participate in the discussions and skills enhancement sessions with the NCAA student-athletes.