68th Annual NAIA Convention Begins Friday
KANSAS CITY -- The 68th Annual NAIA National Convention kicks off on Friday, April 17, at the Kansas City Marriott here. The annual event serves as the nearly 300 member college sports organization's most important gathering. The five-day event is an opportunity for NAIA members, councils and committees to discuss new legislation, honor award recipients and plan for the future.
Convention highlights...
NAIA-NACMA Workshops
On Friday, April 17, the NAIA and the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) will host a series of workshops designed for the marketing mind. NACMA President Dennis Kalina will be in attendance along with experts in the areas of fundraising, social networking, web streaming and more.
Dr. Colleen M. Hacker Scheduled for Keynote Address
Dr. Colleen M. Hacker an internationally recognized authority on psychology of peak performance and sport psychology will give the keynote address at the NAIA Luncheon sponsored by OAI on Sunday, April 19. Dr. Hacker has served as the Sport Psychology Consultant to the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team since 1995. During her tenure, The National Team won a Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, Gold in the 1998 Goodwill Games and were again crowned World Champions in the 1999 World Cup. Most recently, the National Team won gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Dr. Hacker is currently a professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington and is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame.
Sunday's State of Association Address
NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr will give the State of the Association Address on Sunday, April 19, beginning at 4:30 p.m. (CT). Carr during his tenure as NAIA President has provided tremendous leadership to advance the Association's strategic plan and is a tremendous advocate for the NAIA and character-driven intercollegiate athletics.
NAIA Awards Banquet Takes Center Stage
On Monday, April 20, all convention attendees will gather for a special celebration of athletic administrators, coaches and student-athletes. During the NAIA Awards banquet, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha, the NAIA will formally recognize recipients of the following awards: Athletics Director of the Year; Charles Morris Award; Wally Schwartz Award; Dr. Leroy Walker Award; and NAIA Hall of Fame honoree Mike Cleary. Cleary is the executive director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of America.
NAIA Annual Meeting
The NAIA Annual Meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 21, in the afternoon and serve as the final agenda item at the convention. Convention attendees will gather to vote key legislation.