National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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May 4, 2010 8:33:46 AM

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee recently named the winners of its spring 2010 SAAC Award of Excellence. Sacred Heart was recognized, as was a collaboration among Georgetown, George Washington and Howard.

The SAAC at Sacred Heart adopted a troubled inner-city school and served as tutors and mentors for the elementary- and middle-school students. Meanwhile, the SAACs at Georgetown, George Washington and Howard created the Grassroot Project to educate at-risk youth in the Washington, D.C., area about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The Award of Excellence honors special and unique community-service work completed by student-athletes at Division I schools.

The group at Sacred Heart was acknowledged for its work with the Dunbar School, a K-8 school with heavy security and a host of problems typical of schools that serve at-risk populations. Anywhere from 10 to 15 student-athletes spend several hours at the school every weekday, assisting in the classroom and developing relationships with the students. The student-athletes helped facilitate the Dunbar School's first field trip to a basketball game at Sacred Heart.

"There is no way to measure the value of this program and what long-term effects this mentoring will have on the Dunbar kids," said Lucy Cox, senior associate athletics director at Sacred Heart. "The SAAC group suits up and shows up."

The combination of SAACs at Georgetown, George Washington and Howard were honored for work they began in 2009 fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in their area.

About 40 Georgetown student-athletes began the program, and it later expanded to include the other two D.C.- area institutions. Student-athletes work in area public schools and with the Boys & Girls Club in southeast Washington, D.C. They serve as mentors and role models for area youth, using sports, games and athletes as a vehicle to begin discussions about serious issues and living healthy and responsible lives.

George Washington cross country student-athlete Zach Borenstein told the George Washington student paper that the program benefitted the student-athletes as much as those they were mentoring.

"I gained a lot of exposure to different parts of D.C.," he said. "What we're teaching these kids are things that we may already know, but it's about getting a chance to understand their stories because they definitely have experiences that are especially unique to who we are and where we come from. It's a cliché thing to say, but it is very rewarding."

National SAAC Chair Nick Fulton, a former swimming student-athlete at Wisconsin, said the group that selected the winners was impressed with the three SAACs' ability to work together.

The Division I SAAC created the Award of Excellence in 2009 to honor local affiliates for their work in several categories: progress and growth, community service/outreach, sportsmanship initiatives, teamwork, originality and leadership. The award, given twice annually, is intended to bring attention to the good work of student-athletes and also raise the profile of the national committee.

Fulton said the SAAC received a record number of submissions this spring. The next submission period will be in the fall.