Kiehn and Beecher Represent Temple at Athlete Leadership Connection

Each year, the Athlete Leadership Connection (ALC) is hosted by the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF). The conference is held to bring corporate leaders in contact with female collegiate athletes to help prepare them for life after sports. This year, Temple University was represented at the conference by senior rower Emily Kiehn and senior track and field runner Madison Beecher.

The attendees were greeted by the President of WSF and former Bobsled Olympian, Elana Meyers Taylor, and Managing Director of Morgan Stanley, Lisa Cregan. First on the agenda was a workshop titled "Extreme You," led by the CEO of Flywheel Sports, Sarah Robb O'Hagan.

Following initial full group sessions, the athletes went to breakout sessions. The first was with Olympic Ice Hockey star Meghan Duggan and tennis great Ilana Kloss. This session was titled "Building Your Sport: Women Are Watching."

The second breakout, with Senior VP of Human Resources for the New York Mets Holly Lindvall, was to help athletes get their first job following graduation. The day concluded with a panel on mental health followed by a networking session for attendees.

This event offered valuable takeaways to the attendees.

"I feel like I gained a lot of confidence from the experience. Being a woman in sports is a privilege and it truly gives you leverage in the corporate world. I also learned how to compose myself in interview situations," said Kiehn.

But it was not just an event of lectures. According to Kiehn, the athletes participated in a workshop worked on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

"I gained insight that as a student-athlete, you are an asset to a lot of companies you potentially want to work for," Beecher said.

Both Beecher and Kiehn praised this event for the value it offered them as women in sports.
"This is an experience every student-athlete should experience, especially women. Many times we're looked over when in reality women make phenomenal strides within sports," said Beecher.

Conferences such as ALC are part of a continuing push by outside organizations, the NCAA, and universities to prepare athletes for what comes after graduation. Student-athletes spend a large portion of their time with athletic-related activities and often are unable to find free time for professional development. Now, athletics is beginning to implement a larger emphasis on career readiness for the 98% of athletes that do not go professional for their sport.

Temple University Athletics

Kiehn and Beecher Represent Temple at Athlete Leadership Connection

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