At the 2004 NCAA Convention, I will be hearing proposals related to playing and practice seasons for the fourth straight year as a member of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. It will be the first time I have heard them as chair of the SAAC.

At the close of the 2003 Convention, the conversations continued about the future direction of the division and on issues that appeared to divide the division. During the past year, surveys were sent out and Management Council representatives traveled to conference meetings to discuss areas of concern. After much deliberation and membership input, both the Presidents and Management Councils endorsed a "reform" package to address key areas and help realign Division III with its philosophy.

There is only one problem with the proposed legislation: Some of it is not popular with the group that it will affect most -- student-athletes.

After attending three Division III Regional Leadership Conferences, there was one issue that concerned student-athletes the most: a reduction in the playing and practice seasons. At the 2003 NCAA Convention, legislation was proposed to reduce the time student-athletes would spend in their playing and practice seasons, a proposal the membership defeated. Now legislation has been proposed again to reduce the playing and practice seasons for Division III student-athletes. And once again, Division III student-athletes are strongly opposed.

As student-athletes, we understand and appreciate the fact that Division III affords us the opportunity to not only be student-athletes but also members of other campus organizations and groups. We are attending Division III institutions so that we can successfully integrate athletics with academics. If this is not currently happening, we believe that the proposed reduction in athletics competitions would not fix the problem. We also believe that if the student-athlete experience is a paramount concern, then we should have a say in the decisions that affect us.

Many of the surveys and conversations that took place did not involve student-athletes. While the Division III SAAC gave feedback on many issues, we often were unable to provide feedback from those institutions and conferences that we represent. At the past two Division III Regional Leadership Conferences, student-athletes were asked why they do not want a reduction in contests. Their simple reply: "Because we want to play." They often referred to other extracurricular activities such as band and drama, which have no restrictions placed on the amount of time participants are allowed to dedicate to music and theater.

An emphasis has been placed on the amount of time a student-athlete spends in season. While student-athletes recognize that a two-week reduction is reasonable, any reduction in the number of contests is not favorable. Based on this feedback, at the November Division III SAAC meeting, members voted to oppose Proposal No. 60, which reduces the number of contests, and support Proposal No. 61, which reduces only the length of the season. Proposal No. 61 was an area that we as student-athletes felt we would finally be able to show some compromise. Although we continue to feel institutions and conferences should set their own standards, we acknowledge that this is a compromise we can live with.

I believe that Division III is the epitome of what it means to play athletics solely for love of the game. We do not compete because someone is watching or because we are obligated to do so, but because we want to. I also am aware of the emphasis recently placed on championships in Division III. I realize that we are athletes and naturally competitive, and I am not aware of an athlete who does not want to participate in or win a national championship. After all, we do practice and compete knowing that someone is going to win.

While attending the Division III SAAC meeting, I received a handout with Division III "talking points." On that handout was a question that read, "What does Division III athletics have to offer?" Below that question was a list of bullet points. According to that list, Division III "offers student-athletes the opportunity to become well-rounded individuals who successfully integrate athletics and academics." Also on the handout was the bullet point that read, "The student-athlete experience is of paramount concern."

At the bottom of the talking points document is a phrase, "Serving the Division III Student-Athlete." It is important to remember that the student-athlete voice at each campus and conference remains critical for resolution of these types of issues.

Jaime Fluker, a former track and field student-athlete at Carthage College, chairs the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.