DII Identity Workshop and Jenna Davisson
About a month ago we posted a blog written by a student-athlete about the DII Identity Workshop in Palm Beach Fl. Now we take a look at the workshop from an athletic administrator’s point of view. Senior Women Administrator, Jenna Davisson of UNC Pembroke was also in attendance at the workshop. Below are her thoughts and a recap of the entire event.
In early February, I received an opportunity from the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) to attend the NCAA Division II (DII) Diversity Seminar in Palm Beach, Fla., and immediately accepted with the hopes of meeting new people, learning about new things the NCAA is doing and, of course, for the beautiful Florida weather.
On our first day, those in attendance were told we were going to become agents for change for branding and awareness for DII, we would be looking at the difference between community service and community engagement, leadership and personal branding, and we were going to accomplish this in a span of two days. I couldn’t believe we were going to do so much in two days, but it was so worth it. There wasn’t a dull moment and we accomplished something every opportunity we were together.
I opted for the first flight of the day from North Carolina to Florida to spend a few hours at the beach before I was convened to start the seminar. The flights went as smooth as expected, but once I arrived at the airport in Florida and found my way to the ground transportation desk, the road became a little bumpy. I am an experienced traveler and a Type A person so, of course, I had everything planned accordingly, but the reservation I made for a van to take me to the hotel was “not running” that day and I was told I had to take a taxi for the same price. While I was discussing the change with the customer service agent, the head women’s basketball coach from King, Josh Thompson, stepped up to the desk and was told the same news about the shuttle.
After introducing myself and briefly talking about the excitement we both shared for this seminar, Josh and I decided to share a taxi on the way to the hotel. Another hiccup occurred once we were at the hotel when the taxi driver refused to take a credit card, but we didn’t let this phase us. As we were checking in, I met Chase Long, a wrestler from Ohio Valley who had actually wrestled at UNCP at the regional championships we hosted a few years ago. He was just a nice guy and so easy to talk to. I couldn’t believe my first trip to this part of Florida with the few minor issues were overshadowed by the two wonderful people I had just met. It only was a small taste of the amazing encounters I would soon be experiencing.
Following a few wonderful hours in the sun and exploring the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic (which is stunning if you ever get the chance and would love to visit the area), all of those in attendance met in the hotel lobby and were escorted to dinner where Jill Wilson and Josh Looney of the NCAA introduced themselves and previewed the fun-filled few days we had ahead of us. The place we had dinner was in this fun restaurant with a bowling alley attached. I ate dinner with compliance directors, associate athletics directors and sports information directors from all over the country. A few of the people I met knew people I had worked with in the past and it made me realize how connected we all are in DII.
At dinner, we were given color groups that we would be in for the duration of the seminar. My color was red and I joined my fellow “red” members at the bowling alley. Each group was given the challenge of bowling the highest score for a prize with a slight twist in the competition. We were told that every other frame had to be bowled different. One frame had to be bowled with your left hand, another between your legs, another holding the hand of a teammate and the hardest of all was under the legs of a fellow teammate. This challenge helped our “red” group connect so much faster than a quick slight-chance meeting. We were pumped and cheered each other on even if we gutter-balled it which I did on several occasions. Unfortunately, the “red” group came in second place, but we had so much fun taking pictures and laughing at the fun we were having.
Ben Brownlee, the associate commissioner for the Mountain East Conference, and Jackie Paquette, the assistant athletics director at UIndy, both of which were on the “red” team with me, found ourselves a nice little ice cream shop on the way back to the hotel and found ourselves in what seemed like endless conversation until we reached the hotel.
