TAMUC – Sports Forum

Burton, Driver, and Fortenberry to represent A&M-Commerce at NCAA Career in Sports Forum

INDIANAPOLIS – Texas A&M University-Commerce will be well represented at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum, as three Lions are participating in the event at the NCAA offices from June 1-4.

For the second consecutive year, head women’s basketball coach Jason Burton will be a keynote speaker at the event, which is in its eighth year. A&M-Commerce students Taryn Driver (volleyball student-athlete and Division II National SAAC vice president) and Brittney Fortenberry (student athletic trainer) are the student representatives from the Lone Star Conference, which were selected by a committee.

Burton’s presentation of “What’s Your ‘Why’?” will focus on having a defined purpose behind one’s career and goals and using their platform in the right way.

“Having a presenter at the Career in Sports Forum for the second straight year is an exceptional honor,” said A&M-Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray. “Even more gratifying is the opportunity for two of our students to represent our institution and our conference as they invest in their future. Our students and staff strive to achieve our mission of being “Best in Class” in everything we do, and having multiple participants at this forum are further proof that we are achieving that goal.”

Participants who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in sports, and 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 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, 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 45 annual conferences and seminars 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, with representation from 73 conferences, will hear from various keynote speakers and panelists. They are Stevie Baker-Watson, associate vice president and director of athletics at DePauw University, Jason Burton, head women’s basketball coach at the Texas A&M University-Commerce. Also attending are Clyde Doughty Jr, director of athletics at Bowie State University, Oliver Luck, NCAA executive vice president of regulatory affairs, Felicia Martin, vice president of the NCAA Eligibility Center, and Craig McPhail, director of athletics 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.