After attending my final NCAA Convention as a member of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, I thought to myself, “How can I continue to have a voice within the NCAA? How can I stay up to date on the various issues surrounding our wonderful Association? Is there a way I can still stay connected and hear the successes and concerns going on within the student-athlete community?”

Fortunately, the answer to the last question is “yes,” and it’s largely due to the recent creation of the Double-A Zone, the NCAA blog.

As we begin a year-long Centennial celebration of the student-athlete, the Double-A Zone presents the chance for student-athletes to extend their voice to a new level and debate issues affecting their well-being. The Double-A Zone is available to anyone, but — especially for current and former student-athletes — it is an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about issues in college sports.

Megan Burd, who succeeded me as chair of the Division II SAAC, already is a fan of the Double-A Zone. She said it opens lines of communication that are not available through other media. “It spurs discussion about prominent issues on a national level, it allows an easy flow of information and it provides for alternate perspectives that you wouldn’t necessarily get otherwise,” she said.

As a SAAC alum, I could not agree more. For all national SAAC members, the effectiveness of our voice rests with the 360,000 student-athletes we are fortunate to represent. The Double-A Zone provides another avenue for national SAAC members to carry that student-athlete voice forward, and it will become a daily avenue for student-athletes across the country to stay current with topics in intercollegiate athletics. The Double-A Zone is not only a resource we can use to educate fellow student-athletes on various policies, but it also is an opportunity for student-athletes to represent their values in writing.

I hope the entire membership can continue spreading the word about the Double-A Zone to student-athletes. As we continue the Centennial celebration, the NCAA Blog is a phenomenal resource to gain true insight on what student-athletes feel are key topics of interest.

Visit www.doubleazone.com to find out how you as a student-athlete can increase your voice and offer your perspective on NCAA issues.

John Semeraro, a former golf student-athlete at Saint Leo University,  is the immediate past chair of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.