Lainy Kruger joins Gator volleyball player Lauren Harden this week at the NAA Career in Sports Forum.
Lainy Kruger Participates in NCAA Career in Sports Forum
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 | Women's Swimming & Diving, Otis Hawkins Center
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A pair of Gators — swimmer Lainy Kruger and volleyball player Lauren Harden — are in Indianapolis today for the start of the NCAA Career in Sports Forum. They are the first Florida student-athletes selected for the highly competitive program since swimmer Kelly Fertel and gymnast Megan Skaggs participated in 2021.
The NCAA Career in Sports Forum is an annual educational program that brings together approximately 200 student-athletes from across the country to explore careers in sports, with an emphasis on college athletics. The three-day event is designed to help participants chart professional career paths while gaining exposure to a variety of roles within the industry.
Throughout the forum, attendees participate in panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities with athletics administrators, coaches and representatives from national governing bodies at the campus, conference and national levels. Programming focuses on helping student-athletes identify how their strengths align with career opportunities while providing practical tools for career development and transition into the sports industry.
Participants gain insight into areas such as personal branding, career planning and navigating the sports job market, while also learning about the responsibilities of intercollegiate coaches, athletics administrators and governing body staff members.
The forum is open to nominated NCAA student-athletes in their third, fourth, fifth or graduate years of eligibility who competed in an NCAA-sponsored sport during the current academic year. Institutions may nominate up to five student-athletes for consideration.
Kruger and Harden's selections highlight their accomplishments beyond competition and place them among a distinguished group of student-athletes preparing for future leadership roles in the sports industry.
The NCAA Career in Sports Forum is an annual educational program that brings together approximately 200 student-athletes from across the country to explore careers in sports, with an emphasis on college athletics. The three-day event is designed to help participants chart professional career paths while gaining exposure to a variety of roles within the industry.
Throughout the forum, attendees participate in panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities with athletics administrators, coaches and representatives from national governing bodies at the campus, conference and national levels. Programming focuses on helping student-athletes identify how their strengths align with career opportunities while providing practical tools for career development and transition into the sports industry.
Participants gain insight into areas such as personal branding, career planning and navigating the sports job market, while also learning about the responsibilities of intercollegiate coaches, athletics administrators and governing body staff members.
The forum is open to nominated NCAA student-athletes in their third, fourth, fifth or graduate years of eligibility who competed in an NCAA-sponsored sport during the current academic year. Institutions may nominate up to five student-athletes for consideration.
Kruger and Harden's selections highlight their accomplishments beyond competition and place them among a distinguished group of student-athletes preparing for future leadership roles in the sports industry.
Players Mentioned
Fly/Free/IM
/ Women's Swimming & DivingGator Tales #60: Duke Werner - Executive Associate Athletics Director / Director of Sport
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