Stockton University Athletics

Calloway Attends NCAA Convention as Part of Immersion Program

Field Hockey | 1/31/2019 11:51:00 AM

Share Tweet Pin it +1 E-mail Print

Galloway, NJ - Stockton University junior Niya Calloway (Matawan/Matawan) attended the 2019 NCAA Convention in Orlando, FL last week as part of the Division III Student Immersion Program. The initiative, which began in 2015, brings 40 ethnic minority students to the NCAA Convention, where they are exposed to Division III, its members and its governance process.
 
The 2019 NCAA Convention marked the second straight year that a Stockton student-athlete attended the event as part of the Division III Student Immersion Program. Calloway followed track & field runner Omar Dogbey, who was part of the program in 2018.
 
Calloway is a three-year letter winner as a goalkeeper for the Stockton field hockey team. She has played in 14 games and made 16 saves during her career. She also served as the backup goalie for the Osprey women's lacrosse team in 2017, appearing in one match off the bench.
 
Last fall, Calloway appeared in six field hockey contests, with her biggest highlight coming when she saved a penalty stroke in the second half of the ECAC championship game. The stop kept the score tied and Stockton later won the ECAC crown in overtime.
 
Calloway recently took some time to discuss her experience at the NCAA Convention:
 
Can you describe your experience at the convention and some of the things that you did there?
My experience at the convention truly changed my outlook on the NCAA and enlightened me about the way the world of college sports really works. While I was at convention, I had the opportunity to listen to talks from Mia Hamm of the US National Women's Soccer Team, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee an Olympic Gold Medalist. By having the opportunity to listen to these amazing women speak it showed me that anything is possible and being an athlete is more than sports but about what you can do for others.
 
I also had the opportunity to network and learn about how much work goes into the preparation and creation of many rules and legislations that we often overlook as athletes. I attended various educational sessions discussing the mental health of college athletes and learned how to confront sexual assault on campus and take initiatives towards bettering diversity on campus. All in all, the whole experience was very rewarding and definitely helped me grow as an individual.
 
What was your favorite part of the convention?
My favorite part of the convention was bittersweet but it was actually the last day, and I say this because on the last day I truly realized how much I had grown and learned. It also showed me how valuable the friendships and networking experiences that I had really were. Leaving the convention made me realize the passion that I feel for sports and encouraged me to want to spread the knowledge that I learned and take initiative in making Stockton a better place.
 
What did you learn at the convention that maybe changed your outlook about being a student-athlete?
One thing that really changed my outlook about being a student-athlete was listening to the speeches of various speakers throughout the duration of the convention and noticing one central theme. The theme that I noticed was that no matter how high their current status in life was or whatever sport they played, all of the speakers mentioned how being a college athlete humbled them and showed them that they were a part of something much bigger than themselves.
 
College athletics gives students not only the chance to play the game that they love, but to build relationships and meaningful connections that will last a lifetime and also leave an impact on their communities as role models. Noticing this theme reminded me once again why I love being a collegiate athlete so much and made me even prouder to play field hockey at Stockton.