Crosse and Daniels Participate in Black Student-Athlete Summit

This winter break, Temple lacrosse midfielder Charessa Crosse and women's soccer defender Arryana Daniels had the opportunity to travel to the University of Texas for the 2020 Black Student-Athlete Summit.

The event has been held for the last six years at Texas with a rotating theme, this year's being, "The Mental Health of the Black Student-Athletes." The days were long for the attendees, with activities ranging from roughly 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

"Every day the conference was broken into sessions and during these sessions, there were three to four speakers. For the student-athletes, the sessions with the speakers were only from 8:30 am to noon and then we had a lunch break. After the morning speakers, the student-athletes had their own session where we did some icebreakers and other activities," said Daniels.

The sessions were predominantly in line with the theme of mental health, and many of the speakers were doctorates and graduate students in the mental health field.

Crosse cited former University of Hawaii alum Jason Ferguson as her favorite speaker. A former football standout, Ferguson's career was plagued by injuries. The stress of recovery and academic rigor led to drug addiction, and he shared his story. Ferguson was able to beat his addiction and use what he learned as a student-athlete to obtain success in the software and technology industry.

"His speech was incredibly inspirational and moving," said Crosse.

Ultimately, it was not just a weekend in Texas. It was a great opportunity to bring what Crosse and Daniels learned back to Broad Street. Crosse discussed learning from her fellow student-athletes about support clubs on other campuses, and possibly starting one at Temple.

Daniels hopes to bring back what she learned by teaching other athletes to prepare themselves for the not-so-easy transition from college to the workforce and how to refine skills that they already have to be more successful in all areas of their life.

The event came with several highlights, but both athletes had standout moments. Daniels pointed to a session with the Director of the Fearless Leadership Institute, Thais Bass-Moore, in which the men and women were separated.

"During the session, the athletes, as well as Thais, shared their related experiences and thoughts on different situations women face in college, both in relation to men and to women in general," said Daniels.

For Crosse, the highlight was the opportunity to get to know the other student-athletes in attendance. Conferences like this provide an outstanding opportunity to build friendships with people who would never otherwise meet.

Daniels and Crosse both expressed extreme gratitude to Temple for supporting them in attending this event.

"I highly recommend this conference because the speakers are carefully chosen and educate student-athletes, administrators and coaches on all things related to sports, academics, daily life, and future plans," Daniels said.

Temple University Athletics

Crosse and Daniels Participate in Black Student-Athlete Summit

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