Photo Blog: 2012 SAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference

Last weekend, 20 student-athletes from across the SAC came together for the second annual SAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference. The event was packed full of team building exercises, leadership training, community service and a lot of fun. Below are some of the sights from the memorable weekend.

The setting for the Leadership Conference -- YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in picturesque Black Mountain, N.C.

The student-athletes' digs for the weekend. Not exactly roughing it.

All of the weekend's events and programming was focused on one central goal – reaching new heights.

SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz kicked off the conference by welcoming the student-athletes and discussing some key SAC issues. He also gave a presentation on teamwork.

Mike Limpach from Musco Lighting challenged the student-athletes to find their passion and pursue it with integrity.

The student-athletes went through an exercise to learn how their unique personality traits might impact their future careers.

Keynote speaker Bev Benfield of Speak 2 Success presented on effective leadership – both in a team setting and for later in life.

Day two of the conference started with a challenging ropes course. An expert instructor prepared the student-athletes for what they were about to face.

Completing the ropes course required teamwork, communication and athleticism.

The only way down from the ropes course? A zip line.

Next up was a service project to give back to the local community - a staple of the Division II experience.

Mrs. Juanita, who has lived in the same house for over 50 years, was grateful for the fresh paint job.

The evening's obstacle course let the student-athletes show off their elite abilities.

The obstacle course's winning team about to cross the finish line.

The conference's final day opened with an address from Bradley Maldonado, the SAC's national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee rep. He challenged participants to get more involved on campus.

SAC Director of Strategic Communications Eric Wieberg presented on social media responsibility and building a strong personal brand.

Bev Benfield closed the conference with a lesson on finding positive influences and leading to make a difference. She cited examples from her personal role model, Pat Summitt.

Before saying goodbye, the student-athletes closed with a team break, vowing to take the lessons learned back to their campuses and teams.