Ashley Torain (Pickerington, Ohio), a freshman at Baldwin-Wallace College, is one of 273 student-athletes from across the nation selected to participate in the 2003 NCAA Leadership Conference, May 25-29, at the Coronado Springs Resort and Walt Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
The conference is part of the NCAA CHAMPS/LIFESKILLS Program (Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success). The program was initiated in 1991 by the NCAA Foundation to create a total development program for student-athletes.
"To have Ashley selected to represent Baldwin-Wallace at the NCAA Leadership Conference is an amazing honor for her and for B-W," said Michelle Gallagher, the CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator at Baldwin-Wallace College. "It’s great to see our student-athletes recognized at the national level. We in CHAMPS/Life Skills congratulate Ashley, as well as Emily Krile, Will Pearson and Sayre Wuhr, for being chosen as our top student-athlete leaders and gaining NCAA recognition."
Torain, a chemistry major and a point guard on the B-W women’s basketball team, hopes to become pediatric surgeon. In high school she earned three varsity letters in three years, was named team captain, was named District II All-Star and also earned All-Ohio Capital Scholar Athlete Honors.
Torain earned her first varsity letter as freshman. Prior to the preseason, she had arthroscopic knee surgery and rehabilitation. Nonetheless, Ashley played in 24 of 30 games and helped the Yellow Jackets compile a 25-5 record and advance to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. She averaged 1.5 points per game and had 33 assists. Her best game was an eight-point performance in a 64-57 win against Wittenberg in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The seventh NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida is one of the largest non-competitive gatherings of NCAA student-athletes. The conference was designed as a forum for student-athletes to discuss key issues collectively the conference also is designed to help students enhance skills, and become more effective leaders and motivators when they return to their campuses. Central to the conference are exercises to enhance student decision-making and problem-solving skills, and to improve planning and priority management.
The NCAA education services division directs the leadership conference. NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators as well as other related athletic administrators and coaches participate as facilitators. In addition, NCAA committee members and Leadership Advisory Board members are invited to participate and assist with the dialogue sessions.
During the five-day leadership conference, student-athletes have the opportunity to discuss a variety of topics, such as the demands and expectations of student-athletes; inclusion education; international student-athlete experiences; recruiting visits; student-athlete responsibility; party behaviors; trust gaps within intercollegiate athletics; and sportsmanship.
Following the conference, the student-athletes are asked to share their experiences and topic discussions with their campus student-athlete advisory committees, as well as other campus leaders. The participants are also asked to develop a strategic plan that will address or solve 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. Nearly 1,200 students were nominated for the program. A committee comprised of CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators from member institutions and NCAA student-athletes review the nominations to determine the final selections.
275 Eastland Rd.