Five Averett University student-athletes recently participated in the NCAA's Career In Sports forum to learn and explore potential career paths in athletics. Baseball's Dante George, men's basketball's Montre' Cash and Isaiah Jones, women's basketball's Ravyn Johnson and volleyball's McKenzie Miller were among those selected from across the country to participate in the three-day program May 27-29.

All five were looking forward to traveling to the NCAA's headquarters in Indianapolis, but this year's forum was changed to a virtual experience online because of COVID-19 restrictions and concerns. Still, all five Averett student-athletes were able to take advantage of the sessions, learn from panels and guest speakers and broaden their knowledge of the industry. They were also able to connect with other student-athletes from around the country.

"What excited me most about this opportunity was to be able to hear personal experiences and advice from so many different people who are in the career field that I want to be in," Johnson said.  

Topics during the forum included ways to develop a career plan and personal branding, managing yourself as a professional and how to approach a job search.

"One of the biggest things I learned is to always create a great foundation," George said. "You want to make relationships and put your mark and your brand out there because you never know how you can get your foot in the door to the sports world if you don't try." 

All five Averett participants said the forum was a great experience. Here are some of their biggest takeaways from the Career In Sports Forum:
 
 
What excited you most about the opportunity to participate in the forum?
Dante George: "The most exciting thing about being involved with the NCAA Career in Sports Forum was being able to represent our university. It was a blessing to hear all the speakers and absorb all the great information they gave to us."

McKenzie Miller: "We got to listen to educated, successful individuals tell their stories and experiences. Learning from those who have been through these situations was very rewarding."
 

What was your favorite session/moment of the forum?
Ravyn Johnson: "There were so many great sessions but one of my favorites was 'Finding your "why" in sports.' This session made me think about why I wanted to be in this industry and although your "why" may change, it keeps you motivated."

Montre' Cash: "Going into the breakout rooms. During breakout sessions, you would meet with new people every session. You would talk and introduce yourself, and just talk about anything with the different people in your group. Also some of us made a group chat and held our own Zoom meetings after the forum to connect more with one another."
 
Isaiah Jones: "My favorite session was breaking into my small team "Pink Team" where I was able to interact and talk about our strengths as leaders. 

Dante George: "My favorite part of the forum was getting to have mini-breaks in between which let us interact with other athletes across the United States. One of my high school teammates who now plays college basketball was in the forum and he and I were able to link up again, so it was great to be able to interact with other student athletes."

McKenzie Miller: "I think my favorite moment besides hearing the amazing presenters was getting broken into our small groups. It was so cool to be able to talk more one-on-one with individuals from all around the world. It allowed us to have more intimate, deeper conversations. I also think a favorite moment for me was just the fact we got 300-plus people on a Zoom call for three days and it went smoothly."
 

What are some of the biggest things you got out of the forum that will help you moving forward with your career ambitions?
Ravyn Johnson: "I received so much great information and advice throughout this forum, but the biggest thing was to 'Bet on yourself.' Betting on your abilities and hard work is what will take you where you want to go, and that message was from Ole Miss women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin."

McKenzie Miller: "One of the biggest things I took away from this forum was the amount of time and dedication it takes to run an athletics department. Growing up I have always been a part of athletics but hearing from Meg Stevens and Andrew Gavin really opened my eyes. … I will be more appreciative and grateful for the staff in charge of these tasks."

Isaiah Jones: "The biggest takeaways I got from the forum was learning to utilize my networking skills more and building 'My Border of Directors.'"

Montre' Cash: "Building your brand in more ways than I had ever known. Never judge someone by a label. Having fun with what you do. How coaching works and how it is different being a coach on different levels. Being an Athletic Director and the struggles and the best parts of being in those higher positions."
 

What is something you learned that you didn't expect to find out?
Isaiah Jones: "What I learned that I was not expecting was the breakdown of expenses and revenues of NCAA office."

Dante George: "Something that I didn't expect is that I thought the forum would be all about the NCAA, but something that really impacted me —especially since I would love to get to work for Major League Baseball — is listening to Joshua Marriner, who works for the Miami Dolphins and gave out some great information for getting into the professional sports field." 

Montre' Cash: "It was shocking to me how many people want to be in these positions going forward with their lives. It shows you how much people are working and striving to be in positions of authority in sports."
 
 
Was there a presenter whose message really stuck out and why?
Montre' Cash: "Ole Miss women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin talked about being an African-American coach at the Division I level. She spoke from the heart and I got multiple great quotes from her Powerpoint that I will use for our team next year and with my life going forward."
 
Ravyn Johnson: "All of the presenters were great, but Coach Yo's energy was like no other and I was really inspired. Hearing how she is the first to do so many groundbreaking things in her career and as a black woman, it really spoke volumes. My favorite part of her session was when she mentioned that you have to bet on yourself and believe that you can be exactly what you aspire to be, that was the icing on the cake for me."

Isaiah Jones: "Will Baggett's message really stuck out to me because his ABC method is something I have been taught my whole life and something I plan on using during the rest of my career as a player and future coach."

Dante George: "Honestly, there were two presenters who really stuck out to me. First being Joshua Marriner since he works in professional sports and I really wanted to absorb as much information as I could because I hope to work in professional sports. But the very first speaker of the forum who really caught my eye was NFL player Jonathan Orr, and his message of creating a strong foundation because if you don't have a strong foundation and have a good start and good base to build off o,f you may just have to restart your entire mission."  

McKenzie Miller: "The presenters who stuck out the most to me besides our Director of Athletics Meg Stevens were Dr. Ashleigh Huffman and Jonathan Orr. Both of these presenters were on Day 1. Jonathan Orr was our first presenter and was amazing. He talked about finding our identify on the inside and out. He reminded me of my dad. During this season his quote was "Be in the Now." Jonathan Orr used this quote and kind of pulled me in. I connected with this presentation. During a practice or game you should be in the now, not worried about what happened before or what could happen after. Focus on the NOW. Dr. Ashleigh Huffman talked about the power of sports and why we play. A quote Dr. Huffman used was "Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire." To me this meant a lot. I took this quote as take chances even if risky to accomplish your goals.  During this presentation, I just kept being reminded that if you have passion for something you are more likely to fight to accomplish it. Dr. Huffman was so inspirational and really ended my first day of the forum on a high note."