The three-day virtual event begins Wednesday and will include nearly 400 student-athletes representing colleges and universities from all three divisions.
Bethaney Keen, a projected spring 2020 graduate, is a longtime starter for USF softball. Chyanne Dennis has been key defender during USF women’s soccer’s run to conference titles in each of the past three seasons.
TAMPA, MAY 26, 2020 – USF’s Bethaney Keen and Chyanne Dennis will get well-prepared for the working world while attending the virtual 2020 NCAA Career in Sports Forum this week.
Close to 400 NCAA junior and senior student-athletes from all divisions around the country will have the opportunity to get career guidance and network with athletic administrators and sports industry experts during the three-day event that begins Wednesday.
“It is important to host the Career in Sports Forum this year, as we want to continue providing student-athletes with career and leadership development, even during these challenging times when we are unable to meet in person,” said Lamarr Pottinger, associate director of NCAA leadership development, in an NCAA release.
Keen, a marketing major, was one of 60 USF student-athletes projected to receive their degrees this spring, increasing USF Athletics’ graduate total to nearly 350 since the 2016-17 school year. The infielder from Bradenton, Fla., started in all 85 games the past two seasons for USF softball and has been a part of the program since the 2017 campaign. Keen has driven in 75 runs through 141 career games (all starts) and hit four of her 11 career homers during the 2019 season that saw the Bulls defend their American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Dennis, a defender for USF women’s soccer, has won a conference title in each of her first three seasons with the Bulls. The business management major from Sunrise, Fla., started 20 times during the 2019 season and helped the Bulls win a school record 16 games on the way to appearing in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Dennis has started in 47 of the 55 games she’s played in since 2017 and helped the USF defense post 22 shutouts during the highly successful span.
This week, Keen and Dennis have the opportunity to learn more about themselves as leaders by participating in projects that require critical thinking as well as practical experiences that will help strengthen their personal and professional skills. Through their participation, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of roles within the athletics industry and how their personal and professional interests align with potential career paths.
Forum sessions include how student-athletes can become more aware of their inner strengths, how to develop a career plan, practical approaches to the job search, how to navigate as a young professional in the athletics industry, the role of an athletics administrator and head coach, and other motivational and key messaging from speakers. Student-athletes also will have opportunities to engage in breakout sessions where they will engage in guided discussions to further curriculum understanding and build community with other student-athletes. A student-athlete task force was created to identify and develop specific sessions where student-athletes expressed particular interest.
Last year, USF football offensive lineman Michael Wiggs (Lakeland, Fla.) and volleyball player Claire Embry (McKinney, Texas) attended the Career in Sports Forum that’s typically held at the NCAA’s headquarters in Indianapolis for close to 200 student-athletes. The event was expanded this year to provide more guidance and education, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forum speakers include directors of athletics, representatives from athletics academic services, athletic conference offices, head coaches, and officials in business and professional sports.
“We must continue to execute our vision to educate student-athletes, be inclusive and focus on bringing these young leaders together in a community format where they can continue learning,” Pottinger said. “The student-athletes will gain more insight around the sports industry and careers at the forum. However, they will also learn what their strengths are and who they are outside of their sport. The ultimate goal is to have these individuals walk away more prepared to gain employment after college athletics.”
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 54th season in 2019-20. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 19 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, and own 120 conference titles overall. Eleven USF programs reached national postseason competition in the 2018-19 season and six were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the fourth straight year in 2018-19 and have posted a program record 10 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had 309 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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