Nearly 135 Division II student-athletes and administrators gathered April 8-10 for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Super Region Convention in Garden Grove, California.
Throughout the event, participants from the South Central and West regions collaborated to develop plans to better support mental health and the student-athlete voice on their campuses and in their conferences.
"Not only did this conference leave me with inspiration for new projects to bring back to Rapid City, but it allowed me to form genuine connections with athletes that I otherwise may have never met," said Daunte Robbins, a sophomore football player at South Dakota Mines. "This conference offered the irreplaceable opportunity of connecting athletes on a national scale so we can collaborate with each other and make a larger impact. Without a doubt in my mind, every single athlete I spoke with throughout the conference had the drive to better their school, their community and their lives, and I am excited to continue working with them."
Part of the weekend focused on preparing student-athletes to transition out of athletics. Former Wisconsin standout Jonathan Orr, who spent two seasons in the NFL before starting a company focused on helping athletes transition out of sports, spoke to the convention attendees on the topic. Division II SAAC also debuted a new podcast, "Champions for Life," created to educate and provide guidance to college athletes as they move on. Thefirst episodefeatures former Division II SAAC chair Alex Shillow, now an assistant director of development at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
During the three-day convention, student-athletes and administrators listened to and interacted with experts in leadership, mental health, social justice and student-athlete voice. Each day included a project planning session on mental health or student-athlete voice, culminating with project presentations on the final day. Attendees left with plans of action. Several schools collaborated on creating conferencewide action plans, while others created plans to implement at their school.
"We weren't sure what to expect from the weekend, but my students came back to campus so energized to work on behalf of their fellow student-athletes," said Kisha Calbert, student academic success coordinator forCal State Dominguez Hills athletics. "From the accommodations, food, speakers and activities, my students were blown away by the overall experience. We all learned so much and have a ton of ideas to bring back to our campus and are looking forward to implementing them so that we can make the CSUDH experience ours."
Two former student-athletes now working as athletics administrators presented on the impact of the student-athlete voice: Bubba Baroniel, revenue generation and business development coordinator at Nova Southeastern, where he played baseball; and Ashley Beaton, a former volleyball player at Illinois Springfield and current assistant athletics director for student-athlete success at Wisconsin-Parkside.
Presenter Ivy Watts, a former Division II student-athlete at New Haven who graduated with a degree in psychology, focused on mental health. A former All-American who faced mental health struggles as an athlete, she now promotes mental wellness and tries to reduce stigma around mental health by sharing her story through public speaking and her blog,Beautifully Simply You.
"The conference was an amazingexperience," Robbins said, noting that diversity and inclusion speaker, equity coach and author Curtis Hill particularly resonated with him. "As he presented, I couldn't help but write pages of notes on diversity projects I plan to implement at South Dakota Mines."
Keynote speaker Justin Patton, a leadership coach, concluded the convention with a presentation that centered on the factors of credibility, each individual's unique qualities, the No. 1 trait that holds leaders back and why one's purpose is so important. One of Patton's messages to the attendees really spoke to Western Oregon women's basketball guard Tresai McCarver.
"Justin Patton helped me be more aware of the energy I am giving off when I enter a space and when I leave one," she said. "I have already made a slight change in my daily life: when I walk up to my teammates every day in weights, I greet everyone with excitement. Before, sometimes I would only say something if a teammate said hi to me first. Having this awareness will help me recognize when my energy is suffering and allow me to acknowledge how I'm feeling, then change my energy to be more positive."
Student-athletes and administrators learned more about Division II's work with Make-A-Wish and Team IMPACT. Attendees also wrote cards to thank health care workers at Garden Grove Hospital Medical Center for its health care worker appreciation week.
This event was Division II's fourth Super Region Convention since the initiative began in 2017. The division has now held the event in all four super regions. The fifth will be held in April 2023 for theAtlantic and East regions.