Northwestern University Athletics
David Thompson, an Exception to the Rule
9/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 18, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Most often, it is the senior members of an athletic team who are looked upon to provide leadership and guidance to the rest of the squad. They are the ones who have been battle-tested and have developed the experience over the course of four years.
David Thompson is an exception to the rule. From May 26-30, Thompson, a redshirt freshman, represented Northwestern University at the 2002 NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. at the Walt Disney World facilities.
The main focus of the conference is to help student-athletes deal with the issues that face them in athletics, academics and their everyday life. Organizers also focus on helping the delegates learn what it takes to bring a team together to reach its potential.
A defensive end for the Wildcats, Thompson was one of nearly 300 individuals who represented all three divisions of the NCAA at the conference. He gained the opportunity to attend the conference after being elected by Northwestern's academic guidance counselors and then filing an application.
The opportunity to learn about the issues that affect those who play different sports-and at different divisions than him-was one that opened Thompson's eyes.
"Playing at the Division I level, I'm at the top of the food chain," Thompson said. "We get a lot of the funding, we get a lot of the recognition, we get a lot of the publicity and the TV time. At the conference, I got to hear from a Division III track athlete who hardly gets any recognition. They're college athletes too, and their voice should be heard. They work hard and they're out there for the love of the game. They're not getting scholarships so I think they deserve a lot of opportunities also."
The student-athletes who attended the conference were divided into small groups where they discussed important issues such as cutting sports, hazing, voluntary vs. nonvoluntary workouts and the pressure to win. The delegates also help the NCAA to get an understanding of how the organization can make improvements in order to accommodate the student-athletes' needs.
One area in particular where Thompson had his preconceptions changed dealt with the issue of Title IX and equal opportunity for women in athletics.
"We discussed a lot about Title IX while I was there," he said. "I was very ignorant about it before. Now I understand it a lot more and respect it a lot more. I want to be more involved on campus. At the leadership conference, the main focus is for the players to come back to their schools and get involved with their schools."
A major outlet for student-athletes to voice their concerns on campus is through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The SAAC offers its members the chance to discuss with one another and administrative members how the school can best attempt to find a productive balance between athletics and academics.
SAAC also takes an active role in building a relationship between the university and the community. Through activities such as clean-up projects and food drives, an academic institution is able to create a bond between the school and the community that is good for both entities. In return, the hope is that the community will support the athletic teams in a sign of goodwill.
According to Thompson, the biggest impact that attending the conference had on him individually was an increase in his confidence level that he could translate into his daily life.
"Going there really showed me that I am a leader," he said. "When you go there, you figure things out. You're in tight teams and you build great relationships. You learn how to solve things. You learn how to use your mind systematically. It was a great experience working with other people."
The delegates also spent a good portion of their time involved with breakout sessions. In small groups, the student-athletes were faced with problem-solving activities that often required the input of all of the members. The sessions taught the group members how to think creatively and to break situations down in order to find a solution.
A native of Rockledge, Fla., Thompson said if his ultimate goal of playing in the National Football League does not work out, he plans to fall back on his economics major. A career as a financial consultant or stockbroker may be in his future.
For now, Thompson is content to earn his degree from Northwestern University and help the Wildcat football team reach its potential.
He has already made his impact felt on the playing field, cracking the starting lineup for each of Northwestern's first two games this season. He ranks fifth defensively with seven solo tackles and 12 total. As for his goals for the season, "I just want to take it one game at a time," Thompson said. No need to rush. He'll have plenty of time in his career here at Northwestern to show his leadership-both on and off the playing field.
