KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Betsy Butterick Becky Burleigh
Shawnee Harle Mindset First - Robert Beer, Victoria Pacitti
KEYNOTE SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Betsy Butterick, The Coach & Communication Specialist
As a former coach with experience in DI, DII, DIII, and the WNBA Betsy utilizes her unique background with individuals ready to improve and teams of all kinds - from the locker room to the boardroom.
As "The Coaches' Coach" she meets coaches where they are and supports the growth that they're looking to make. As a Communication Specialist, Betsy helps teams improve communication effectiveness while working collaboratively to create positive change at all levels of team.
Professional, playful, and with a talent for people-centric design, Betsy offers a personal and experiential approach towards learning and development.
A life-long athlete, Betsy grew up playing all sports and was a competitive basketball player (and an awful golfer) at the collegiate level. She now spends her time in Colorado Springs with her wife and daughter cycling, hiking, exploring, practicing yoga, chasing sunsets and in constant pursuit of the perfect breakfast burrito.
Relevant Certifications
B.A. Psychology (Claremont McKenna College, 2006)
Certified Integral Coach (New Ventures West, 2011)
NCAA Women Coaches Academy Faculty Member (via WeCOACH since 2015) D.I.S.C. Certified (through Athlete Assessments, 2015)
Becky Burleigh
Few college coaches can match Becky Burleigh's ability to bring a team ready to challenge for each season's conference and national titles on such a consistent basis. There is no question that Burleigh stunned the soccer community when the Florida program she started in 1995 claimed the 1998 NCAA crown in just its fourth season of play. But focusing on that obvious achievement doesn't give due credit to the job Burleigh did year-in and year-out as a tactician of the sport, developing players and promoting the sport at local, state and national levels.
In 26 seasons at the helm of the UF soccer team, Burleigh, 53, led UF to a NCAA Championship, two NCAA College Cup appearances, 14 Southeastern Conference titles and 22 NCAA Championships berths. Along the way, Burleigh picked up National (1998) and SEC Coach of the Year (2012, '10, '08, '00 & '96) honors. One of two females (and only in DI) in NCAA soccer history with 500 career wins, Burleigh finished her 31-season coaching career in the top 10 on two NCAA Division I Winningest Coaches charts:
- 74.5 percentage No. 8
- 513 wins No. 4
The 1998 season's culmination with a 1-0 victory over North Carolina for the NCAA Championship marked a remarkable job by Burleigh, as the program she built from its beginnings used a four-year fast track to the national crown. In 1998, Florida set season marks for best record (26-1), highest national ranking (No. 1), and highest NCAA Championships seeding (No. 2). Florida captured its third consecutive SEC Tournament title and advanced to its first-ever NCAA College Cup. By taking UF to the College Cup, Burleigh became only the second female coach to lead her team to the NCAA semifinals and the first to win the NCAA crown. Burleigh also received the 1998 NSCAA/adidas, College Soccer Weekly and Soccer Buzz National Coach of the Year awards.
Burleigh's Gator teams were overachievers from the beginning, setting impressive milestones each fall. After joining the Gator program in June of 1994, Burleigh had just over a year to put together the first Florida soccer team. Burleigh used the time wisely, and the team that she introduced to the crowd of more than 4,400 at the James G. Pressly Stadium on Sept. 2, 1995 was a squad that was ready to step into the challenges of NCAA Division I soccer competition. Burleigh's second Gator team made it known early that they were ready to take a spot among the nation's elite, defeating then-No. 9 Virginia, 1-0, the opening week of the 1996 season for UF's first win over a ranked team. Florida quickly jumped into the top 10 of every national poll -- a position it would hold throughout the 1996 campaign. The 1996 UF squad became the first of four UF teams (1998, '99, '00) to sweep through the SEC regular season and Tournament undefeated. As a second-year program, Florida was the youngest in the 32-team field of the 1996 NCAA Championship, reaching the NCAA quarterfinal and finishing the season ranked in the nation's top 10. The 1997 Florida team defeated three top-25 teams and although the Gators finished second in the SEC Eastern Division, UF did defeat SEC Eastern Division champion Vanderbilt to win the program's second consecutive SEC Tournament title.
In the team's sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the Gators again advanced to the NCAA College Cup in 2001, falling 3-2 in overtime to eventual NCAA champion Santa Clara.
Those early successes evolved into the Gator soccer team being a regular among the nation's ranked teams. Over the course of the program's 26 years under Burleigh, Florida has:
- 22 NCAA Championships' berths (1996-2001; 2003-2017; 2019)
- Two NCAA College Cup appearances (1998, 2001), winning NCAA title in 1998
- 14 SEC team titles (1996-2001; 2006-2010; 2012-13, 2015)
- 12 SEC Tournament titles (1996-01; 2004; 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015-16)
Florida's 22 overall NCAA appearances is 12th among Division I programs. Among the top-15 teams in NCAA appearances, Florida is the youngest (25 seasons).
Prior to being named Florida's first head soccer coach, Burleigh coached the Berry (Ga.) College Lady Fury for five seasons (1989-93), when she compiled an 82-23-6 overall record. During her five-year coaching tenure at Berry, Burleigh guided the Lady Fury to two NAIA national championships (1990 and 1993) and was also named NAIA National Coach of the Year during the same two seasons. Burleigh was named NAIA Regional Coach of the Year in her first season as head coach at Berry in 1989, when her squad finished as the national runner-up. At Berry, Burleigh compiled a 76.6 win percentage, as she lost only seven games to NAIA opponents during her five seasons of coaching the Lady Fury.
Burleigh earned her 200th career win with Florida's 2000 SEC Tournament semifinal win versus Kentucky, making her the second-fastest active Division I coach to reach the 200-wins milestone. The 300th win came at Mississippi in 2007. With Florida's win versus Florida Gulf Coast in the 2012 NCAA Opening Round, Burleigh earned her 400th win. Win 500 came against Miami in the opening month of the 2019 season. Her 26 wins in 1998 marks a career high in single-season wins.
Burleigh has coached 22 United Soccer Coaches All-Americans, 11 NAIA All-Americans, 51 All-SEC players, 174 student-athletes on the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll, seven CoSIDA Academic All-Americans with 11 honors and 16 student-athletes honored as United Soccer Coaches Academic All-Americans.
As a student-athlete, Burleigh played her collegiate ball at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., where she was a four-year letterwinner. In her senior year, the Tarpon Springs, Fla., native served as team captain and was named to the All-South team as well as the team's Most Valuable Player from her goalkeeper position. Burleigh graduated Magna Cum Laude from Methodist in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in biology. In the fall of 1999, Burleigh was inducted into the Methodist Hall of Fame. She earned her master's degree from Georgia State University in 1993.
She was inducted into the USA South Hall of Fame in the spring of 2015 and the Methodist University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
Becky became the interim Head Coach for the professional club, the Orlando Pride of the NWSL, from July-December of 2021.
Becky and Celia Slater married in March of 2018. They are pet parents to four dogs - Loosey, Rose, Buddy and Large Marge.
BREAKOUT PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES
Shawnee Harle
Shawnee is a two-time Olympian as the former Assistant Coach for the Canadian Women's Basketball Team, and is one of the most highly certified basketball coaches in Canada. She has 26 years of elite coaching and leadership experience including the Olympic Games, World Championships, FIBA Americas, and World University Games.
Her purpose and passion are devoted to helping athletes of all ages gain a competitive edge, get selected to their dream team, earn a scholarship, and compete with courage and confidence when it matters most. And because it takes a village, she also works with their parents.
Shawnee holds a Master's Degree in Coaching Studies, and she is a Master Coach Developer and Master Learning Facilitator for the National Coaching Certification Program, where she trains and mentors both advanced and novice coaches from all sports.
Since winning matters not only in sport but also in business, Shawnee has become a sought-after corporate coach, leadership coach, life coach, and motivational speaker. Her vast experience in the elite world of sport transfers directly to the boardroom where success is talent oriented, and people driven. Teams and leaders are raising the bar after taking her sessions: Build a Winning Team, Transform Managers to Leaders, and Ignite the Leader Within.
Robert Beer, Co- Owner & President of Mindset First
MSc. Sport & Exercise Psychology
Robert has obtained his Bachelor of Science in Psychology through Roberts Wesleyan College and his Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology through the University of Portsmouth. Robert has over four years of experience working with children and adults of all ages. Robert has extensive experience working with recreational, amateur, semi-professional, and professional athletes. Some of the sports that Robert deals with include hockey, tennis, golf, volleyball, soccer, baseball, gymnastics, basketball, swimming, softball, triathlon, curling, boxing, muay thai, skiing, wall climbing, and many more.
Robert's philosophy puts the well-being of the athlete first. Robert strongly believes that if the individual does not express genuine happiness and satisfaction, performance will not be present. Each individual client is seen as unique, and therefore each plan is tailored and created to the specific needs of the client. Roberts approach looks to provide individuals with tangible tools that not only pertain to sport but also every day life. Robert also has extensive experience delivering workshops, seminars, and motivational building presentations with various athletic teams throughout Ontario.
Robert entered the field of mental performance consulting due to his own personal experiences as an elite tennis player. As a successful former D2 athlete, Robert was able to hold the second highest winning record in the university's history. Although this may seem like an incredibly wonderful and fulfilling success, the process and mental battles consistently fell short of providing happiness. Robert spent years enduring performance anxiety, low self-confidence, low self-esteem, poor self-talk, and a lack of emotional regulation in addition to the paralyzing fear of making mistakes. After his four years of collegiate tennis, Robert went on to compete full time on the Futures Tour for the duration of one year. During this time frame, Robert endured his most challenging and emotionally draining mental battles, unfortunately driving him to the end of his own limits.
Due to his experiences, Robert's mission is personally driven. It is his goal to make sure that every individual who utilizes his services will never need to endure the same hardships that he has had to. It is Robert's goal to provide individuals with the necessary tools and support in allowing them to perform at their optimal best while genuinely being happy, content, and proud of themselves and their achievements.
Victoria Pacitti
Co- Owner, Registered Social Worker & Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Victoria has obtained her Bachelor of Social Work through Ryerson University and her Masters of Arts in Counselling and Psychology through Yorkville University. She has over five years of experience working with children, adults, and seniors with mental health difficulties and extreme life stressors, both on an individual and group basis. Common issues that Victoria has worked with include depression, anxiety, addictions, eating disorders, PTSD, trauma, behavioural difficulties, anger and stress management, divorce, grief, self-esteem, confidence, assertiveness, resiliency, and more.
Victoria's philosophy looks to treat each individual as unique, and utilizes a collaborative approach in developing individualized treatment plans. She has been described as non-judgemental, transparent, and gentle in her approach. Victoria has advanced training in narrative therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, solution-focused therapy, and trauma informed practice to name a few.
Victoria entered the field as a social worker and counsellor based on her lived experience of anxiety, depression, and disordered eating. Her priority is to assist individuals who access her services through encouragement and instilling hope and positive self-regard. Victoria has success in helping clients recognize their own strengths and capabilities, and assisting them to utilize these in working towards change.
