Chin to Speak at 2012 GNAC Professional Development Seminar

BOSTON, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to announce Jarrod Chin as the 2012 keynote speaker for the 2012 Professional Development Seminar. Chin currently serves as the Director of Training and Curriculum for Sport in Society, a program affiliated with Northeastern University that educates and supports emerging leaders and organizations within sports with the awareness, knowledge and skills to implement innovative and impactful solutions for social change.

The fifth GNAC Professional Development Seminar will occur on August 7^th and 8^th in Boston for conference administrators, coaches and student-athletes. Each year, in conjunction with the NCAA Strategic Conference Grant program, the seminar focuses on a different topic, such as student-athlete well being, sportsmanship, emotional health, gender equity and diversity. This year, Chin will focus his time on the topic of Bystander Intervention.

“Far too often we are socialized to believe that bystanders have little or no power when confronted with violence in our society. At Sport in Society, we believe that individuals can be empowered with the skills to confront violence and abuse,” said Chin.

Chin first joined Sport in Society as a Training and Outreach Specialist with Project TEAMWORK. As such, he facilitated diversity and conflict resolution trainings, primarily with middle and high school students. In 2003, he was promoted to Senior Training Specialist. In this position, Chin’s training duties expanded to include the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), as well as Project TEAMWORK. As a Senior Trainer, Chin was also responsible for training new Outreach Specialists in Sport in Society’s Violence Prevention and Diversity programs.

“On Campus, student-athletes are well positioned as bystanders to be leaders on this issue,” said Chin. “They can hold their peers accountable and set cultural norms at their colleges and universities around issues of violence prevention.”

In his 11 years at the Center, he has trained over 500 middle and high schools in the Project TEAMWORK and MVP curriculums. In total, Chin has led more than 5,000 hours of discussion centered on preventing violence and promoting diversity in both academic and non-academic settings. Chin has also trained numerous colleges, organizations and companies in Sport in Society curriculum.

Joe Walsh, Commissioner of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, anticipates Chin’s keynote address to be an engaging topic that everyone will benefit and learn from.

“The GNAC is excited to have Jarrod speak at this year’s Professional Development Seminar,” said Walsh. “Since the first PDS in 2007, the conference has been able to secure nationally renowned speakers and we look forward to having Jarrod continue this tradition of excellence with his talk on Bystander Intervention.”

For more information on Chin and Sport in Society, please visit any and all of the following links:
http://www.northeastern.edu/sportinsociety/consulting-services/the-sport-in-society-difference/
http://www.northeastern.edu/sportinsociety/about-us/staff/jarrod-chin-biography/
http://vimeo.com/26081031

2012 GNAC Professional Development Seminar Agenda
Doubletree Suites 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Boston, 02134/ Tel: 617-783-0090

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012
5:30PM-7:30PM                                    
GNAC Cookout All Welcome (Hotel roof terrace)

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012
8:00AM - 9:15AM                                  
Athletic Director’s Meeting (Harvard Room)

8:30AM - 10:00AM                                
Exhibitors Tables Open

9:00AM - 10:00AM                                
Professional Development Check-In

10:00AM                                                 
Welcome Joe Walsh, GNAC, Commissioner
GNAC Athletic Trainer, Sports Information Director, and Executive of the Year Presentation
GNAC Women of the Year Presentation and Sportsmanship Awards Presentation, Commissioner’s Cups and Institutional Sportsmanship Awards 
GNAC Hall of Fame induction

10:30AM - 11:20AM                              
Keynote speaker Jarrod Chin, Northeastern University Center for Sport in Society “Bystander Intervention”

11:20-11:45PM                                     
Discussion and questions

11:45PM - 12:15PM                              
Buffet Lunch (Please bring your buffet lunch to the preseason meeting rooms)

12:15PM - 1:45PM                                
Preseason Meetings (ATC, Baseball, M&W Cross Country, Golf, M. Basketball, M. Soccer, M. Tennis, M. Lacrosse, M. Volleyball, Softball, SID, Swimming, W. Basketball, W. Lacrosse, W. Soccer, W. Tennis, W. Volleyball)

1:45PM - 4:00PM                                  
GNAC AD’s Meeting (Harvard Room)

**Please RSVP to both JoeWalsh@thegnac.com and jwenz@mountida.edu