MACOMB, Ill. — The NCAA held its annual Student-Athlete Leadership Forum on April 11-14. According to the NCAA, the event, which was created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance. During this year’s Forum, which was held, more than 230 student-athletes and administrators from all three NCAA divisions from all over the country came together to learn more about leadership. Division I and II conference offices and Division III schools nominate select student-athletes and administrators to attend the forum.
Western Illinois University was well-represented in Bethesda, as three alumni and a current WIU Athletics staff member took part in this year’s event. Tori Niemann ‘13, Darrick Gardner ‘19, Lamarr Pottinger ‘15, and Assistant Athletic Director for Development Tayler Onion each played a role in the 2024 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. Niemann and Onion served as color team facilitators, Gardner served as a project team manager, and Pottinger served as the key contact for oversight of the Leadership Forum.
“Forum was an incredible experience! I got my first opportunity to participate in NCAA programming while working at WIU after my playing days,” said Niemann, Leatherneck Women’s Basketball Alumni and current Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development at Clemson. “This Forum was so fun knowing there were three other Leathernecks facilitating, organizing, and running this opportunity for over 200 participants. Everywhere I go, there is always some sort of Leatherneck connection!”
Niemann played for the Leathernecks from 2012-2015 and was named to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team in 2014. Niemann still sits in the top 10 of six record book categories for WIU Women’s Basketball.
Darrick Gardner, who is currently participating in the NCAA’s prestigious Postgraduate Intern Program in Administrative Services, earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WIU. Gardner was also a member of the club baseball team while at WIU.
“Getting the opportunity to experience the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum was incredible,” said Gardner. “It really hit home for me seeing alumni from WIU facilitating and organizing the event, truly putting on full display the type of community WIU has always had. My time at Western allowed me to grow into the professional I am today, and this experience was full circle on what WIU has done to help me get to where I am now.”
Lamarr Pottinger, who completed his master’s degree at WIU while working as an academic advisor for athletics, currently serves as the Director of Leadership Development at the NCAA.
“I was fortunate enough to go through this program as a student-athlete and administrator,” said Pottinger. “This transformational program has shaped who I am as a leader and I am grateful that I was able to share this space this year with my fellow Leatherneck alumni.”
Tayler Onion, who currently serves as Assistant Athletic Director for Development at WIU, served as a facilitator for one of the color teams at this year’s Forum.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as a facilitator for this year’s Student-Athlete Leadership Forum,” said Onion. “In addition to being surrounded by so many current and future game changers in college athletics, it was so awesome to have WIU so well-represented at the event throughout the week.”
This year’s program theme, “Light the Torch,” was a nod to the upcoming Olympic Games. It inspired student-athletes and administrators to come together, celebrate one another, and leave ready to apply and share the lessons learned in the program on their own campuses and out in the world.
