The Student Athlete Advisory Committee, or SAAC, acts as a student government for Cabrini athletes. SAAC has at least two members from each sports team and is led by the coordinator of athletic programming, Brittany Runyen.
“We meet monthly, and we talk about student athlete experiences as a whole and the ways that we can enhance that experience on campus,” said Runyen.
SAAC members are chosen by their head coaches to represent their team. These individuals have the opportunity to speak on behalf of their team.
Looking for leaders
“I ask all of our head coaches to identify some natural leaders within their team. I like to have an upperclassman as well as an underclassman on the committee,” Runyen said.
However, SAAC is open to any student athlete who wants to be involved. Runyen’s door is always open to student athletes who want a potential SAAC role and are willing to help the organization.
Junior education major Oscar Bautz said, “It’s really fun, you get to work closely with a lot of people you might not get the chance to meet. It’s a great opportunity for doors to be opened within the world of sports.”
Members build leadership skills
SAAC fundraises periodically throughout the year to send members to leadership workshops and the end-of-the-year national SAAC conference. Last spring, SAAC sent two of its members to the NCAA Career in Sports Forum held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
SAAC gives student athletes the skills to lead in the real world, not just on the field. These workshops help develop leadership qualities and connections to the sports industry after graduation.
“All the money that we raise for SAAC goes into leadership opportunities for them,” said Runyen.
SAAC tries to put on one big event per semester. In the fall it is Halloween Havoc, a Halloween-themed pep rally where all the sports teams dress up in costume. There they compete in competitions such as best costume, relay races, and tug of war.
Division III Week
However, the biggest event SAAC puts on is the upcoming Division III Week. The week is hosted by the NCAA and is an entire week in April celebrating what it means to be a student athlete at the Division III level.
“Division III Week is definitely one of our big events. It’s something that gets bigger and bigger each year,” said Runyen.
During the week SAAC gives away free t-shirts to every student athlete on campus. They also host a student athlete appreciation picnic filled with free food and drinks. The event is usually hosted in the Dixon parking lot where all athletes are welcome to join.
“We just want to give thanks to all of our student athletes’ hard work in the classroom and on the field. Our athletes are very busy with class, work, and practice. We want to recognize what goes into being an athlete at the Division III level,” Runyen said.
Division III Week runs from April 10-16. Stay up to date with new events SAAC will host this spring by following them on Instagram @cabrinisaac.
Student athletes interested in being SAAC members can visit Runyen in her office on the second floor of the Dixon Center or by email @bmr68@cabrini.edu.
