From L to R: Michael Sainte (BIG EAST), Erica Di Maulo (St. John's), Romaro Gill (Seton Hall), Dr. Maya Ozery (Georgetown)
NEW YORK – The BIG EAST was well represented at the 2019 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, which took place April 11-14 in Orlando, Fla. Two student-athletes attended the event: Erica Di Maulo of St. John’s volleyball and Romaro Gill of Seton Hall men’s basketball. Additionally, Georgetown’s Dr. Maya Ozery, the Hoyas Executive Director of the Cooper Athletics Leadership Program (CALP), was the facilitator for the two-day forum. BIG EAST Director of Compliance and Membership Services, Michael Sainte served as a conference representative.
Di Maulo has been a key component of the St. John’s volleyball team over the past three years. The Milan, Italy native is coming off of a successful junior campaign that saw her earn a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team for the third time in as many years. The Johnnies’ setter finished the season with 1,389 assists, which is the fourth-most in program history. Di Maulo became one of just five Johnnies with more than 3,000 career assists.
"This was a life changing experience that I will never forget,” Di Maulo said. “It helped each participant to shape their own leadership and personality. It also taught us what makes a student-athlete a great leader.”
Gill is in his second year at Seton Hall and completed his first year of competition by appearing in 27 games for the Pirates in 2018-19 and finishing second on the team in blocks. A social and behavioral sciences major, and native of St. Thomas, Jamaica, Gill is a member of BIG EAST All-Academic team and Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Student-Athlete Honor Society. He is also one of two men's basketball representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
“Participating in this conference meant a lot to me as I got to explore outside of my comfort zone,” remarked Gill. “It helped boost my confidence to be able to speak in front of a large group. I was able to take away a lot of key lessons, one is as a leader, one must be able to communicate well, listen well, and most importantly lead by example.”
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum engages a diverse and dynamic representation of student-athletes, coaches, faculty and administrators. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, the experience of exploring the relationship between personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, as well as a thorough understanding of the NCAA as a whole.
This year's forum featured a refined focus on mental health and its connection to intercollegiate athletics. For the first time since the forum's inception, there was a mental health professional on-site throughout the program. Jessica Mohler, clinical sports psychologist and assistant director of the Midshipmen Development Center at Navy, spoke with visiting athletics administrators and coaches about important tips on navigating the mental health space in athletics. The NCAA Sport Science Institute was also featured at the forum, highlighting the resources available to athletes and exploring common trends with student-athlete mental health.
Additionally, the student-athletes participated in a community service project to benefit the One Love Foundation, a prominent nonprofit organization aiming to educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships and developing leaders of change in this area. Participants will assemble care packages to be distributed at domestic violence shelters in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida.
Key note speakers featured at the forum were Chris Norton, a motivational speaker and former Division III football player at Luther whose story of resilience was the subject of the documentary "Seven Yards," as well as the book "The Seven Longest Yards: Our Love Story of Pushing the Limits While Leaning on Each Other," set for a July 9 release; and Daron K. Roberts, a speaker, author and transition coach whose story of transition from his time at Harvard Law School to an NFL coaching position served as the foundation for "Call an Audible," which received critical acclaim from Sports Illustrated as one of 2017's best sports business books.
The Leadership Forum began in 1997 and has since served as an opportunity for more than 5,000 student-athletes to grow both personally and professionally. During the form, student-athletes network with peers and friends, as well as learn the importance of community service.