Wittenberg Men's Swimming and Diving Captain Kyle Dunaway

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - It may have the appearance of fun in the sun with cartoon characters, but an upcoming trip to Disney World is as much about business and personal development as anything else. Men's swimming and diving standout Kyle Dunaway and Wittenberg Director of Athletics and Recreation Garnett Purnell will participate in the seventh annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference May 25-29 at the Coronado Springs Resort and Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

"This is a great opportunity for me," said Dunaway, who will be a senior next year and served as team captain of the Wittenberg men's swimming and diving team for the 2002-03 school year. "I really want to bring some leadership concepts back to Wittenberg and find ways to implement the lessons I will learn. I hope that our entire athletic program will be able to benefit from my attendance at the conference."

Dunaway is one of 302 NCAA student-athletes from around the country who have been identified as current or future leaders on their campuses and in their communities. The conference is annually billed as one of the largest non-competitive gatherings of NCAA student-athletes, and it has been designed to enhance leadership and communication skills.

Wittenberg Director of Athletics and Recreation Garnett Purnell

During the five-day conference, participants discuss such topics as diversity, student-athlete welfare, social behavior, Title IX, NCAA rules and regulations, and peer pressure. There is a great deal of small group work in which student-athletes from different backgrounds are put together to share ideas and exchange problems they encounter in their athletic departments and solutions that can be shared with others for implementation. Mark Trempe, a graduating senior and an all-conference track and field performer, represented Wittenberg at the 2002 conference.

Purnell is one of 48 coaches, athletics administrators and program facilitators who will be participating in the conference. He will be making a presentation on "Career Paths to Becoming Director of Athletics."

"This gives me an opportunity to share with student-athletes some ideas of how to become an athletic administrator," he said. "As a result, we are able to tap some of our most talented student-athletes to serve in that role in the future."