INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- At the end of May, EMU cross country and track & field student-athlete Alex Belisle had the opportunity to attend the NCAA Career in Sports Forum. The forum provides student-athletes with opportunities to network with peers and decision-makers in athletics, while helping student-athletes understand how their personal strengths and career opportunities intersect.

Below is a Q&A session that was had with the rising senior on his time in Indianapolis and what he learned from a four-day session with many like-minded peers. 

Q: How did you find out about this forum? What was the application process like? 

AB: I found out about the Career in Sports Forum after attending the NCAA convention. Carrie knew I was interested in working in sports, so she told me about the CSF and asked if I was interested. From there, she nominated me, I was selected to submit an application, I applied, and about a month later found out I had been accepted. The application process was pretty straightforward - just some questions about why I was interested and why I was a good fit.

Q: What made you want to take part in the forum? 

AB: I've been interested in coaching for a long time, and the CSF felt like an opportunity that was impossible to pass up. It is designed specifically for current NCAA athletes who want to work in sports.

Q: What was the highlight(s) of your time in Indianapolis? 

AB: The scheduled programming by the NCAA was informative and well planned, but the real value for me came in the in-between moments. The time between sessions, where everyone would let down their professional demeanor, and we could just talk like normal college kids and form real connections. 

Q: You mentioned in your email that it was an outstanding experience to be surrounded by so many like minded people who share similar goals; what are your goals when it comes to a career in sports? 

AB: My goal is to become the head coach of a collegiate cross-country and track team. I've been involved in running for a long time, and it's given me so much; I would love to help foster the love of running in others. 

Q: After taking part in this, what advice would you give to someone who wants to work in sports? 

AB: There are more opportunities than you realize. I didn't consider working in sports to be a realistic option until recently, but once I started to pursue it, I was presented with so many paths forward. You just need to be determined and unafraid to talk to people. 

Q: What were some of the different panels/workshops that you took part in? 

AB: They had a pretty wide selection of panels that we could choose from throughout the four days we were there. Topics ranged from working in the NBA or NFL to internal and external relations within college sports. My favorite panel was the coaching panel, where coaches with very different backgrounds talked about how they got into coaching and gave advice to people wanting to pursue that path. 

Q: Anything else you'd like to add that I haven't asked in the above questions?

AB: I would like to emphasize how cool all the people I met were. There were times when it felt like a big party that the NCAA was paying for. The NCAA put in a lot of resources to ensure that this would be a valuable and enjoyable experience for all the attendees. I would 100% recommend this forum or other programs that the NCAA runs to anyone at all interested in working in sports.