INDIANAPOLIS – For the seventh year, the NCAA is inviting more than 200 current student-athletes and NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipients, with an interest in working within the sports industry, to the Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis which runs from June 2-5. A committee from within the NCAA membership selected seven student-athletes from the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference to attend including Mount Holyoke's own Colby Newsham.

A rising sophomore, Newsham is a member of the Lyons field hockey team. The Harvard, Mass., native scored six goals, including two game winners, with three assists for 15 points. A starter in all 22 games, Newsham also recorded 30 shots, 19 of which were on goal. Highlights of her season included scoring the lone goal in a win at Springfield and adding two tallies in a victory against Wheaton.

Newsham, who is a former standout of the Bromfield School, helped Mount Holyoke blaze its way through the NEWMAC Tournament. The Lyons, who were the fifth-seed, defeated fourth-seed MIT (2-1) in the Quarterfinals, top-seeded Babson (1-0 in 2OT) in the Semifinals and bested second-seeded Wellesley (2-1 in a shootout) to claim the program's third conference title and send MHC to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. 

In addition to Newsham, the NEWMAC will also see Tia Karapoulios (Smith College), Marnae Mawdsley (Springfield College), Simone Morin (Springfield College), Kelsey Harris (Wheaton College), Olivia Papayrikos (Wheaton College) and Deirdre Wilson (Wheaton College) at this year's event.

Participants who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in sports, and who were viewed as leaders on their campus, were invited to apply to attend the forum after a nomination by athletics administrators at their respective schools. Many current and past attendees are members of their Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the student-athlete voice within the NCAA governance structure. The selection committee is comprised of administrators and coaches within the NCAA, many former forum participants themselves.

"Supporting NCAA student-athlete leaders with their education is a key goal for the Association," said Bernard Franklin, NCAA executive vice president of education and community engagement and chief inclusion officer. "Our Career in Sports Forum puts student-athletes and postgraduate scholarship recipients in a non-traditional academic setting where they can learn directly from successful leaders, which can have a positive impact on their future after graduation."

One of more than 20 annual programs and resources organized and directed by the NCAA leadership development department, the Career in Sports Forum provides college athletes with a broader scope of the career tracks available within the sports business, with the primary focus on college athletics. The forum provides student-athletes interactive experiences with successful individuals in the sports business and a peek into their day-to-day duties and responsibilities.

Forum attendees will hear from keynote speakers and panelists, highlighted by LaChina Robinson, former women's basketball player at Georgia Tech and current TV analyst; Stevie Baker-Watson, director of athletics at DePauw University; and Craig McPhail, vice president of athletics and club sports at Lees-McRae College. The participants also learn best practices for gaining employment and gathering a better understanding of what future expectations will be once they get a job in sports at the Next Steps Fair, hosted in the NCAA Hall of Champions.

The NCAA leadership development department provides professional and personal development for the entire Association, including student-athletes, coaches and administrators, through accessible resources, strategic partnerships and annual customized programming at little or no cost to the membership. For more information, please go to www.NCAA.org/leadershipdevelopment.

Search #LearnLead and follow the social conversation and events at the 2016 Career in Sports Forum, as well as all the leadership development programs in 2016.