INDIANAPOLIS — Averett University's assistant director of athletics communications Dominik Pocrnja was one of 29 athletics communicators selected as participants for this week's NCAA Division III Athletic Communicators Emerging Elite program, which met Dec. 8-9 at the NCAA's national office in Indianapolis.
Drew Wilson, Averett's assistant director of athletics for communications and administration, also attended the Emerging Elite programming as a panelist as part of D3SIDA's executive board. Wilson is the region representative for Region 4.
Pocrnja and fellow participants of the Emerging Elite program went through two days of workshops while also networking with each other and other professionals in the industry.
"To get an opportunity to connect with numerous sports information directors from across the country was wonderful from a networking perspective," Pocrnja said. "It was an honor to hear from many professionals within the industry, and gain a wealth of advice that I will take with me as my career progresses on. The program forced me out of my comfort zone, but in the best way. I took leaps and forced myself to be open and transparent with people I just met, but it allowed me to get to know these people on personal levels, while also sharing our experiences that make us who we are. This kind of event is what people like myself need for the best professional development on a grander scale."
On the first day, participants had workshops on social media, building authentic leadership and DiSC assessments, as well as listened to a panel with tips from the experts. On the second day, Wilson was one of four panelists for a session titled "We're in a People Business" to discuss the importance of building positive working relationships with various roles on and off campus. The session finished with workshops on navigating conflict and creating positive cultures.
"Some of the key moments that resonated with me first came from Ali Spungen, associate director of Division III," Pocrnja said. "Her session on building authentic leadership forced me to be vulnerable within myself, and make me think of the qualities that I best exemplify as a leader. I found that to be one of the hardest steps to simply sit down and list the best values about yourself, but it was a necessary exercise to show appreciation for my abilities, while also reflecting on who I can still become as an SID."
Pocrnja also said he had a lot of takeaways from the profile DiSC assessment, which aims to help professionals understand how to best interact with coworkers whose behavioral styles differ from their own.
He also enjoyed the "Breakfast of Champions" session with Mark Trumbo, the NCAA's director of leadership development, programs and initiatives.
"Within this session, our minds were opened up to what culture truly is, and how simply conflicts can arise from disagreeing on how to toast bread," Pocrnja said. "Defining where you and your team want to go and who you want to be as an organization can work dividends, especially within sport information."
Pocrnja is part of the second class of the Emerging Elite program, which was created in 2024 as a professional development opportunity for young athletics communicators. He was one of 30 selected for the program from a pool of applicants from all across the country.
"To be selected for this program was surreal," Pocrnja said. "I felt so proud of all that I have accomplished to get here in the first place. To only be in my second year at Averett, and third year overall in sport information, having the chance to go to a convention like this meant the world to me, and proved that I have the opportunity to achieve great things in this industry. To represent the ODAC, Averett University and myself is an absolute honor, and I cannot thank everyone that got me to this point enough."
