Klein reflects on attending NCAA Career in Sports Forum

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Recent graduate Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) of the Bryant University women's basketball team was one of 200 student-athletes to attend the NCAA Career in Sports Forum last weekend in Indianapolis, Ind.

"I was very excited to be representing Bryant at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum," said Klein. The 6-1 forward was also one-of-four student-athletes selected from the Northeast Conference invited to attend the annual forum.

One of more than 45 annual conferences and seminars organized and directed by the NCAA leadership development department, the Career in Sports Forum provides college athletes with a broader scope of the career tracks available within the sports business, with the primary focus on college athletics. The forum provides student-athletes interactive experiences with successful individuals in the sports business and a peek into their day-to-day duties and responsibilities.

"My favorite session was definitely the DISC session," said Klein. "The NCAA had each athlete do a test before coming to the forum and I found out that I am a solid "I" or Influencer."

Klein was indeed an influencer on the court this season, helping the Black and Gold to their best-ever finish in the NEC as the Bulldogs reached the conference finals after bolstering an 11-7 record against league opponents. The Ontario-native led Bryant with 15.4 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, finishing the season on the NEC First Team.

The forum featured a number of speakers and panelists, including Stevie Baker-Watson, associate vice president and director of athletics at DePauw University; Jason Burton, head women's basketball coach at the Texas A&M University-Commerce; Clyde Doughty Jr, director of athletics at Bowie State University; Oliver Luck, NCAA executive vice president of regulatory affairs; Felicia Martin, vice president of the NCAA Eligibility Center; and Craig McPhail, director of athletics at Lees-McRae College.

"The speakers were very intriguing," said Klein. "I also enjoyed exploring downtown Indianapolis, the food and the opportunity to meet a lot of great people."

Click here to view pictures from the forum.