HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College women's volleyball player Madison Bingle was one of 11 NCAA student-athletes selected to attend the 2016 United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace International Sport and Social Impact Summit.
This summit, which is sponsored by the NCAA is an outreach program targeted at the global millennial generation. At the two-week event, participants learn to use the universal language of sports to engage and lead their peers in addressing social and economic issues in their communities.
"I am really excited and proud to represent Coker," said Bingle. "Being a smaller school, Coker might not be thought of in the greater realm of Division I, II and III, but I am excited to present Coker on the NCAA stage."
Associate athletic director for Internal Operations Dr. Katie Flaherty informed Bingle of the event because of not only her phenomenal play on the volleyball court, but for the accolades she has achieved off the court.
"Madison personifies the ideal student-athlete as envisioned by the NCAA Division II model," said Flaherty. "Her academic excellence combined with her proven athleticism and leadership skills on the court has propelled her to receive this distinction."
Madison is a sophomore from Grand Rapids, Michigan and is in Coker College's honors program. Her honors project is focusing on the legality of the United States dropping dioxins and other herbicides during the Vietnam War, focusing on Agent Orange. As apart of the study abroad program, Bingle will be traveling to Vietnam to take a three-credit course where she will going into homes of Agent Orange victims, orphanages and schools for the disabled to back up her thesis on whether or not a war crime was committed.
"I think my paper played a huge role in me getting picked for this event," said Bingle. "The conference is hosted by the United Nations and we will be looking at critical issues such as that, war and human rights in general is the type of law I am interested in. This will be such a great opportunity for me to network and this will give me the mindset to work towards being an international human rights attorney."
On the court during her sophomore season, Bingle led the Coker women's volleyball team with 254 kills and 275 digs and head coach Julia Rafalowski added to the importance of her contributions on and off the court.
"I am beyond proud of Madison for being selected for such a wonderful opportunity," said Rafalowski. "She was my first thought when we were asked for nominees and she will represent the women's volleyball team and Coker extremely well. She is a 4.0 student and this Summit will help propel her into her future which she has high aspirations."
The 2016 summit will take place June 6-18 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
About NCAA leadership development:
NCAA leadership development, located in Indianapolis, coordinates and facilitates education and training for student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators. The staff annually hosts programs, at little or no cost to members, using expert curriculum designed to enhance the well-being and personal development of college athletes. The staff also provides ongoing education and topical training to athletics professionals who identify and serve student-athlete needs. For more information, visit www.NCAA.org/leadershipdevelopment.