From the proliferation of photos in each issue of The NCAA News that depict student-athletes performing community service, it's easy to see that for student-athletes and athletics administrators, giving back in a meaningful way to the community is a growing priority for all sports teams from all NCAA divisions.

But community service is more than just a chance to give back. Student-athletes and teams can gain plenty from their participation. Community-service projects create team bonding off the fields and courts, which in turn can strengthen team chemistry during actual competition.

Community service also is a chance to promote the many positive aspects of college sports, thus countering the negative image the public sometimes perceives regarding intercollegiate athletics.

The Divisions I, II and III Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAACs) believe so strongly in the benefits of community service in fact that they participate annually in a project to help community members in the host city during the NCAA Convention. Successful projects have included sponsoring sports clinics at local boys' and girls' clubs, and volunteering at a children's museum.

It's important to remember that youngsters look up to intercollegiate athletes. Community-service projects help position student-athletes to be positive role models.

Community service also can be a two-way street in relationship building. While the community benefits from the service student-athletes and administrators provide, college athletics departments benefit by reaping the rewards of those relationships made with community businesses and individuals -- increased attendance at games and functions, and additional potential donors in fund-raising efforts. By investing in community service, athletics departments develop and maintain healthy community relations.

Recently, the NCAA honored Eunice Kennedy Shriver with the prestigious Theodore Roosevelt Award for her work with the Special Olympics. At the 2002 NCAA Honors Dinner, she called for athletics administrators to do more to help those with the least -- children with mental retardation. In order to aid in this cause and to increase the number of community-service projects, the Division III SAAC is encouraging athletics departments and student-athletes to organize clinics for youngsters with mental retardation. Student-athletes and administrators also can be coaches and volunteers at Special Olympics events.

Campus and conference SAACs are encouraged to organize and participate in at least one community-service project each year. It's not hard to do. SAACs should have the support of their faculty and staff liaisons to provide the committee with direction. There also are other service offices and organizations already established on college and university campuses that can provide the help and resources needed to create a successful community-service project.

Those offices and organizations often welcome the help of student-athletes in reaching their goals. Some institutions already have Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, and even Relay for Life organizations established on their campuses. Many campuses also house volunteer centers that could give any campus SAAC or athletics team an idea of critical needs in their community.

One successful project some conferences have embraced is the distribution of organ-donor cards to spectators at conference games. Other conference SAACs have conducted successful projects during their annual meetings.

National Student-Athlete Day, celebrated annually on April 6, is another great opportunity to plan a community-service event. Campus SAACs can organize events in which student-athletes travel to elementary and secondary schools to talk about being a student-athlete making a commitment to success on the field and in the classroom. Many schools invite community children to their campuses to participate in sports clinics and team building activities on National Student-Athlete Day.

Student-athletes who have participated in community-service projects talk about the joy they get from helping others. That alone is worth the time and effort these projects demand. The NCAA SAACs hope all administrators will continue to encourage and support their student-athletes' community-service endeavors.

For more ideas on how to conduct a successful community-service project, check out the Division III SAAC Web site at http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership_svcs/saac/d3/index.html .

Stacie Wentz,a senior at Salisbury University, is a member of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She is completing an internship in athletics compliance at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, and will start graduate school at West Virginia University this fall.