“D3 week” was celebrated by millions across the country April 1-April 7, 2019…but what is it?
The reasoning behind division III week
Division III week is when athletes, bystanders, students, friends and coaches are given the opportunity to celebrate student athletics on their campus and in their community. The week typically consists of corresponding activities and events, with the direct purpose to engage students. These activities usually fall into the three categories of displays of leadership, athletic experience or university accomplishments.
Division III week originated in 2010 as part of the identity initiative. The primary goal is to drive community awareness, alongside engagement to institutions that offer division III teams. The division III’s identity initiative combines serious athletics with strong academics, all the while pursuing other passions in the community and campus.
The NCAA actually encourages people from all over the country to get involved and submit their division III week experiences with them.
Division III on our campus
Cabrini released a schedule for division III week on March 29. This is something that is typically consistent each year. In choosing to participate in division III week, Cabrini Cavaliers joined over 450 fellow division III institutions. In the events that occurred throughout the week, it was common to see events followed by volunteer opportunities. This is consistent with the standards and goals set for the week according to the NCAA Division III initiatives of discover, develop and dedicate. An example of this was the first day of activities on April 2nd at St. Anastasia school. During the middle of the week, Cavaliers were invited to attend the student-athlete picnic. The week itself would not have been complete without its annual staff appreciation dinner.
Mike Doyle is a senior history, secondary education major, with a minor in black studies. Additionally, Doyle plays on the varsity basketball team. Doyle believes his experience with Division III week was the best it could have been. Doyle describes experiencing engaging events, such as Student Athlete Appreciation Day.
“My favorite event though is the coaches and administration Apperception Dinner,” Doyle said. “It’s just awesome to thank the people that really make our dreams of playing collegiate athletics come true everyday.”
Ways to get involved in division III week, even after actual the week is over
In addition to submitting brief experiences you had during your division III week celebrations through text and photographs, the NCAA encourages those interested to create and submit a video documenting their experiences. The planning committee responsible for Division III week on a national level encourages those interested to create this video in order to promote future celebrations in order to instill further appreciation for the week itself. Creators have to specifically focus on their campus and community division III week. The video should be approximately a minute in length. The video selected as the winner will be shown at the 2019 NACDA convention in Orlando, FL. Additionally, the creator will receive a $500 prize. Interested in submitting? Send your video to d3identity@ncaa.org.
