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The University of Utah Athletics
Spencer Toone To Participate in NCAA Leadership Conference
Spencer Toone To Participate in NCAA Leadership Conference
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May 7, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah football player Spencer Toone has been invited to participate in the NCAA's seventh annual Leadership Conference, May 25-29 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Toone, a native of Blackfoot, Idaho, will start at rover linebacker for the Utes this fall as a redshirt sophomore. He played one year at Ricks Junior College before serving an LDS church mission to Australia.
The NCAA Leadership Conference is one of the largest non-competitive gatherings of NCAA student-athletes. The 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 302 student-athlete leaders were selected from a total of 1,172 nominees that were submitted by college and university officials who have NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills programs at their schools. Student-athletes attending the leadership conference represent NCAA Divisions I, II and III. A total of 48 coaches, athletics administrators and program facilitators will join the student-athletes at the conference. In addition, 24 members representing the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) also will participate in the discussion sessions and group activities. SAAC provides feedback to NCAA committees and councils regarding student welfare issues and is considered the "voice" of the student-athlete within the NCAA governance structure.
Following the leadership conference, the student-athletes will be asked to share their experiences and topic discussions with their campus SAAC, as well as other campus leaders. The participants are also asked to develop a self-directed project that will address an issue on their campus or in their community, and implement the plan when they return to their campuses.
Criteria for selection include the student-athletes' demonstrated ability and strong desire to be a leader and the student-athletes' potential to benefit significantly from a leadership development experience. In order to be eligible for the conference, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing, and must have athletics eligibility remaining in the following academic year.