Inner Circle Welcomes New Members

“Transition” was a reoccurring theme found throughout Inner Circle’s first meeting held this past Monday night in the Devaney Era Club in Memorial Stadium.

More than 50 student-athletes, nominated by and recognized as emerging leaders by other student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff alike, came with pen and paper in hand and an unparalleled eagerness to connect with and learn from prominent letterwinner alumni.

Fran (Ten Bensel) Benne, women’s cross country letterwinner (1989-92) and recent Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, and Alvin Banks, football letterwinner (1991), provided participants great insight on their professional journey’s and their personal transition into life after and without sports.

Questions posed by participants focused on how the skills letterwinners acquired while student-athletes benefited their professional success, skills student-athletes still need to acquire, balancing added life responsibilities, and how the immediate absence of being a Division I student-athlete impacted letterwinners psychologically.

It’s fitting that Monday’s dialogue focused on transitioning as Inner Circle did some transitioning and evolving of its own this summer. Wanting to recognize leadership potential within younger student-athletes, Inner Circle welcomed nominations of second-year student-athletes in addition to third- and fourth-year student-athletes. With more than 150 student-athletes nominated to apply for the prestigious group, Inner Circle increased overall participation from 30 student-athletes last year to 59 this year, representing 21 of Nebraska’s 24 sports. 

While participants will continue to meet with letterwinner alumni through their monthly meetings and assist with Link-N-Leaders in April, they will be able to leverage and put into practice the knowledge and leadership skills they have gained through a number of additional events. Inner Circle will partner with the Nebraska Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Academy for a December 10th event in Memorial Stadium and Nebraska Athletics’ N Club for a January 10th event at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Inner Circle will welcome Rhonda Revelle, Nebraska Head Softball Coach, and Amy Stephens, Nebraska Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, to its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 16th.