ORLANDO, FLA – Representatives from the American Athletic Conference and its 13 member institutions gathered for the second annual American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium Symposium on April 6-7 on the campus of the University of Central Florida. Leaders from athletics and academia attended the two-day event. UCF Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) Dr. Manoj Chopra, chair of the Conference’s FAR Committee, served as the event’s facilitator.
The symposium once again focused on a holistic approach to the health and well-being of student-athletes and a significant increase in student-athlete participation on panels highlighted this year’s event.
“Our Conference is committed to being at the forefront of student-athlete health and well-being,” American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco said. “The Symposium once again provided a valuable forum for examining and sharing information, research and observations regarding the academic and personal well-being of our students. I applaud the participants for their commitment and contribution to this vital area.”
“It was a great honor for me to host this symposium here at UCF,” Chopra said. “Beyond competition, beyond sports, we want to examine the model of the student-athlete and the student-athlete experience. We want to help them develop, both academically and with their well-being in mind, which is of utmost importance to all of us in academic pursuits as well as in athletics. Student-athlete involvement enhanced the symposium, because we got the student-athletes’ perspective on each topic,” Chopra said. “We were able to hear their personal stories, not just their perspectives on the topic, but what they’ve gone through.”
University of Cincinnati swimming and diving student-athlete and American Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Council chair Enna Selmanovic agreed with Chopra’s assessment.
“The amount of student-athlete involvement this year was tremendous,” Selmanovic said. “It was great to hear what my fellow student-athletes have dealt with and what’s affecting them personally. All the presentations were amazing. I don’t think there was a single one that wasn’t intriguing or necessary. All of them were important and crucial to student-athlete well-being. Everyone who was there can attest to the fact that the panels that include student-athletes get to you just a little bit more. People are brutally honest, because they want to make a change.”
Dr. Lee Dorpfield, who serves as a behavioral health coordinator for USF Athletics, echoed the need for input from student-athletes.
“We need to hear from the student-athletes what is important to them and what they need in terms of support to be able to perform at the highest levels of competition,” Dorpfield said.
Dorpfield was also part of a panel discussion on Student-Athlete Psychological Issues. The panel focused on a range of issues, including the need for various services, the right fit for providers, the male and female perspectives, the international perspective, the sport medicine perspective and the need to better understand the student-athlete experience by stakeholders to develop appropriate interventions when necessary. One topic Dorpfield mentioned numerous times was “destigmatizing” mental health issues among the student-athlete population.
“Having high-profile student-athletes discuss their personal issues and willingness to seek out help can really help combat the stereotypes student-athletes have about mental health,” he said. “Mental health is not just about pathology, but prevention, education and life coaching as well.”
Other panel topics included:
-research into the mental and physical impacts of involvement in collegiate athletics
-concussion and injuries research
-research into wellness and promoting healthy communities
-discussion regarding intercultural communication within the conference
-a student-athlete-only roundtable discussion of the elements of student-athlete well-being
body image issues
-academic support research, including a discussion regarding how athletic performance can enhance academic success
-the drivers of student-athlete academic success
Many of the research presentations were given by faculty members from American Athletic Conference member institutions who were awarded grants by the American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium. A key component in the award of these grants is that the researchers present their findings at this annual symposium.
Three keynote speakers were also major highlights for those in attendance. The NCAA’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bryan Hainline, spoke on day one. Dr. Richard Lapchick, who serves as the Director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport and is also Vice President of UCF’s DeVos Sport Business Management School, presented on the second day. ESPN Wide World of Sports Vice President Faron Kelley gave the final address of the event.
“Dr. Hainline is brilliant and a very personable guy,” Selmanovic said. “He gave a general presentation about what the NCAA is doing and what the Sport Science Institute is doing, how they’re trying to impact student-athlete well-being. When Dr. Lapchick spoke, I cried during that presentation. I don’t think there was a dry eye in that room. What he was saying was so moving. He talked about using sport as a platform to make a change. Mr. Kelley talked about his story and again, how sports can influence the world and how athletes can use their platform to make a difference. All three were very inspirational.”
Next year’s Symposium will be held at the University of Tulsa in Spring 2019 on dates still to be determined.
