WASHINGTON, Pa. – Earlier this month, Washington & Jefferson College sophomore Josh Chambers (Hanover, Md./Indian Creek) had the unique opportunity to participate in 2024 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Bethesda, Maryland. 
 
A four-day event, the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum provides participants with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their core values, develop emotional intelligence, embrace vulnerability, grow their personal network and develop leadership skills. Division I and II conference offices and Division III schools nominate select student-athletes and administrators to attend the forum.

"The event was amazing! I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from some amazing instructors, speakers, and other athletes," Chambers said. "At the forum we had amazing guest speakers like former Olympian, Hazel Clark."
 
Building relationships was a key focus of the program and was encouraged through small group activities. Participants were each assigned to a color team with about 30 other student-athletes, coaches and administrators, as well as two trained facilitators, who serve as college athletics administrators on campuses throughout the NCAA membership. Facilitators guided participants through a series of workshops that encouraged introspection and discussion about leadership.
 
"We were divided into color groups and were assigned color group leaders who are NCAA coaches and administrators who led our group activities," Chambers said. "During our group sessions we collaboratively learned about aspects of leadership and reflected on personal experiences to help us grow as leaders and shape the environment when we return to our schools. Some of the topics included our core values, strengths, and emotional intelligence. We also learned a little about NCAA governance and Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)."
 
Chambers is appreciative of the opportunity to build his leadership skills while also connecting with fellow student-athletes the mentors from the forum. 
 
"It was an amazing four days," Chambers said. "The facilitators and student athletes I connected with will stay in touch. Our experiences helped shape our leadership perspectives."