Oct. 16, 2008

Cleveland, Ohio - Due to the success of the 2008 Female Mentoring Program the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) will offer the program to NACMA female administrators for the second straight year.

The goal of this program is to assist NACMA female members, who wish to pursue a career in collegiate athletics administration, by matching them with a NACDA/NACMA female mentor who will provide guidance and act as a resource throughout the course of the year. A growing trend in intercollegiate athletics shows that many women who begin careers in the field of athletics administration do not stay in the industry long-term. The Female Mentoring Program will encourage those females to stick with it and help them through the "growing pains" of being a young athletics administrator.

The mentor will be asked to: share experiences and advice about how to excel in the industry, while balancing life outside of work; encourage the mentee to reach her professional/personal development goals; and provide professional and technical instruction, while also providing additional resources to help the mentee gain confidence to move ahead professionally.

Carly Newlands, a current mentee at Northern Illinois University and former NACDA Intern, feels the program has been very beneficial. "Knowing that I have support and someone who can give constructive advice is very encouraging. I would encourage all young professionals to find a mentor," stated Newlands.

The Female Mentoring Program will be a year long partnership which will begin in January 2009 and continue through December 2009. Mentors and mentees will be asked to communicate once a month so a trusting relationship can be created between one another.

If you are interested in participating please click here.

About NACMA: NACMA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics marketing administrators. For more information about NACMA, please visit www.nacma.com. NACMA is administered by NACDA. In its 44th year, NACDA is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics director.