Golfer represents USU at NCAA leadership conference

Utah State men’s golfer Preston Otte represented theschool at the NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., May 28-June 1.

The NCAA holds a leadership conference once a year in Orlando. The NCAALeadership Conference provides NCAA student-athletes with a forum to openlydiscuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in theircommunities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance theirleadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills. Theleadership conference also promotes better communication amongstudent-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. Thefive-day leadership conference consists of daily exercises and activities tohelp the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing membersto a group.

“It was just a fantastic experience,” Otte said. “I had talked tofellow SAAC member and football player, Malik Cin, who had gone before andgotten an idea of what it would be like, but it was much better than Ithought it would be. I wish all the student-athletes could go. To see thediverse culture, with everyone coming from different backgrounds to cometogether and share and learn together was just an incredible experience.”

Otte, a native of Burley, Idaho (Burley HS), also has been electedpresident of the USU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), afterspending the past year on the USU SAAC board, a 20-member committeeconsisting of at least one student-athlete representing each of USU’s 16sports.

“One of the main things I learned was how to deal with and accept thedifferent personalities that exist and how I can become a better leader, abetter teammate and a better friend,” Otte said.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provideinsight on the student-athlete experience. The SAAC also offers input onthe rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes’ lives onNCAA member institution campuses.

“Preston is a great young man and he’s been a major contributor to theSAAC board,” said Mary Ellen Cloninger, Senior Associate AthleticDirector/Senior Woman Administrator and SAAC advisor. “He’s always willingto step up and go above and beyond of what’s asked of him. He leads byworking himself, not just talking about it. We’re just really excited forhim and know he’ll do a great job.”

Otte is also involved in Utah State’s CHAMPS/Life Skills program.”CHAMPS” stands for Challenging Athlete’s Minds for Personal Success. USU’sCHAMPS/ Life Skills program is excited to implement a CHAMPS Life SkillsCompetition among its student-athletes. The competition is designed tostrengthen the student-athlete in all five commitment areas of CHAMPS,academics, athletics, personal development, career development and communityservice. Student-athletes and coaches are awarded points for participatingin any of the following categories; teams for teams, scholarly success,community outreach, personal enhancement, professional development, SAACcommunication and athletic excellence.

“We’re extremely excited that Preston represented Utah State at the NCAALeadership Conference,” said Amy Crosbie, USU Student-Athlete ServicesAcademic Advisor/ Life Skills Coordinator. “With his role as SAACPresident, we’re anxious to see how he implements things he learned at theconference here among the student-athletes.”

Otte has plans on how to improve things among the Aggiestudent-athletes, implementing an action plan with the assistance of hisfellow SAAC officers, vice president, gymnast Alex Martin, and secretaryErin Manning of the women’s tennis team.

“I hope that we can improve the communication between SAAC and thestudent-athletes, making them more aware and getting them more involved withactivities, not just athletics, but related to the whole institution andcommunity,” Otte said.

This past spring, Otte helped USU to an eighth-place finish at theWestern Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships, finishing tied for 33rd.Otte’s best finish of the spring was a ninth-place finish at the Cal StateNorthridge Cullum Intercollegiate Tournament. For the year, Otte had a 74average, with a season-low 69 at the Boise State Bronco Roundup.