Five Bison Student-Athletes Participate in NCAA Career in Sports Forum

Five student-athletes, who are all members of the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute, recently participated the 2020 NCAA Career in Sports Forum. Representing Bucknell were Drew Phipps '20 (wrestllng), Logan Bitikofer '21 (football), Kaelyn Long '21 (field hockey), Tessa Brugler '21 (women's basketball) and Shelly Melville '21 (women's lacrosse).

Due to COVID-19, the NCAA turned this year's forum into a virtual experience for the selected student-athletes. The forum allowed students to learn more about a career in sports and to hear from current industry leaders through virtual panels, breakout sessions and discussions. Alongside networking opportunities, the student-athletes also had the opportunity to explore more about their personal strengths and how those carry over into life post-college.

We asked each of the participants to share some thoughts on the event

Drew Phipps
How has this experience impacted your future goals?
"I am going to continue my job search throughout the summer to find a coaching position. This forum showed me the ins and outs and gave me a better overall view of what a career in sports is like. The parts that we see in games and practice only make up 20% of what actually goes into the job."

Logan Bitikofer
What was your biggest takeaway from the Career in Sports Forum?
"The biggest takeaway for me was understanding that getting to where you want to be in your career will take time, there will be ups and downs but you can't let that get to you, you have to BET ON YOURSELF. I was able to gain key experience while also learning from some of the great professionals in the world of athletics. This gave me the guidance that I needed for life after sports."

Shelly Melville
How has this experience impacted your future goals?
"This experience gave me the confidence I needed to push forward with my dream job in the field of sports psychology. It also did more than aid me in planning for my future, I feel that it positively influenced my ability to lead my team next year. All participants were able to take the Strengths-Finder Test and as a result, I now know what my strengths are and how to best apply them."

Tessa Brugler
What was your biggest takeaway from the Career in Sports Forum?
"My biggest takeaway from this experience was to try to find my purpose. All I have known my whole life centers around being an athlete and a basketball player. The forum talked a lot about finding ourselves and our identity outside of the sport we play. This experience challenged me to learn more about myself as a person and not necessarily as an athlete. I have been trying to identify myself in different ways and this is something I hope to continue working on."

Kaelyn Long
What was your biggest takeaway from the Career in Sports Forum?
"One of my favorite speakers was Jonathan Orr, who addressed a topic that was very relatable to me as a Bucknell student-athlete: identifying myself based on the sport I play. Throughout our athletic careers, we identify ourselves based on our performance, but I was reminded that in order to be successful in the real world, we must assess and redefine our core identity by ripping off that label of 'being a member of the field hockey team.' I loved the quote Jonathan left us with, 'It's hard to figure out what you want to do if you don't know who you are.' Post-conference, I am even more encouraged in pursuing a GA position after I graduate and then from there settling into a collegiate field hockey coaching position. I was reminded that coaching is so similar to my other passion of teaching...as a coach, I want to constantly learn more, ask questions, and inspire/connect with others."

Five Bison Student-Athletes Participate in NCAA Career in Sports Forum

Players Mentioned

Logan Bitikofer

Tessa Brugler

Kaelyn Long

Michelle Melville

Drew Phipps