Indiana University Athletics
Max Dean Garners Spot at 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference
8/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
April 13, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana redshirt freshman wrestler Max Dean has been selected by the NCAA to represent IU at the 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference which is being held May 29 to June 2 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The NCAA Leadership Conference Selection Committee received 1,166 nominations from 298 institutions and a total of 324 student-athletes were selected to attend the conference.
"Max is really deserving of this honor," Indiana head coach Duane Goldman said. "He is a model student-athlete and a great representative of our wrestling program and Indiana University. In all aspects of life, he is a true leader. I think he will honor his post his well."
Dean advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 165-pound weight division. Over the course of the season, the West Chester, Ohio, native recorded a 26-14 ledger. Additionally, Dean picked up fifth place at the Big Ten Championship to earn his bid to the national-title meet.
The NCAA Leadership Conference provides NCAA student-athletes with a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills. The leadership conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. The five-day leadership conference consists of daily exercises and activities to help the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing members to a group.
"Being selected to the 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference means a lot to me, and it is a great honor to be selected," Dean said. "I feel honored to not only be a part of it, but to also go learn more about the conference and leadership. This award is not only good for me, but will be for my team. The Indiana wrestling team is coming on strong. This past year was great for us, and I hope I can use this conference to help better the team even more."
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. College and university officials who have CHAMPS/Life Skills programs at their schools are encouraged to nominate student-athletes for the conference. Many of the participants selected for the leadership conference are also members of the student-athlete advisory committees (SAAC) in their athletic conference or on their campus.
In order to be eligible for the leadership conference, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and must have athletics eligibility remaining in the following academic year. A committee comprised of CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators from member institutions and NCAA student-athletes review the nominations to determine the final selections.
