What is SAAC?

Look on the campus of most colleges or universities throughout the country and you are bound to see a rather peculiar acronym – SAAC. NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions and conferences have SAACs. So what is SAAC? The acronym stands for Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and it is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience.

 

The purpose of SAAC may vary across conferences and institutions; however, the following five points reflect the primary purposes of SAAC :

 

1. Generate a student-athlete voice within the institution.
2. Solicit student-athlete response to proposed NCAA legislation.
3. Suggest potential NCAA legislation.
4. Organize community service efforts.
5. Create a vehicle for student-athlete representation on campus-wide or conference-wide committees.

 

At the University of the District of Columbia, Director of Athletics Patricia Thomas has assembled a staff that is extremely devoted to providing its student-athletes with experiences that enhance their comprehensive development. In fact, many members of the staff – Ms. Thomas included – were once student-athletes themselves, and truly understand the student-athlete experience. SAAC provides student-athletes an outlet for voicing their opinions, ideas, and even grievances. The 2011-12 SAAC, for example, determined that the department and the student-athlete body could do more to welcome its new recruits and transfers on campus. Therefore, it was decided that the next year’s SAAC would host an ice cream social when all the athletes arrived on campus for the 2012-13 school year. The event proved to be a great success and helped introduce the new student-athletes to not just their teammates, but the entire Firebird Community.

Just as the UDC athletic staff provides student-athletes a voice on campus, so too does the NCAA when drawing up legislation at its conventions. The NCAA not only asks its student-athletes for feedback on its proposed legislation, it tries to solicit their ideas as potential legislation. The decisions the NCAA makes have a profound impact on student-athletes’ lives. Whether or not a coach can call or text a potential recruit, prospective student-athlete visitation protocol, the number of games/events in a season a coach can schedule, the timetable on pre-season practices, mandated holiday breaks, amateur status and student-athlete eligibility requirements, rules regarding social media, and much, much more. If, hypothetically, a student-athlete at UDC had his or her own idea or wanted to voice an opinion on a particular NCAA-related issue, he or she could reach out to a SAAC member at this school. The school SAAC could then make their case to the East Coast Conference SAAC, and one representative from the ECC SAAC could present to the Division II SAAC. The Division II SAAC consists of one student-athlete representative from each of the DII multi-sport voting conferences, one student-athlete representative from Division II independent institutions and two student-athlete at-large positions. It affects the NCAA legislative process via an annual summit held each July with the Division II Management Council, during which members of the SAAC have an opportunity to interact with members of the Management Council on proposed NCAA legislation and current Division II issues. Also, committee members participate in the NCAA Convention each January, where they express the student-athlete voice on collective concerns regarding proposed Division II legislation.   

 

While SAAC is serving its own constituents’ (student-athletes) best interests in NCAA legislative matters, they are also serving their community through engagement activities and charitable donations. This year, the Firebirds SAAC helped organize and execute several community service projects including: Men’s Soccer and Volleyball Youth Days, SAAC Fights Hunger, Coaches vs. Cancer, and Make-A-Wish Week. The Make-A-Wish fundraising campaign is an integral part of the overall Division II “Life in Balance” philosophy. In fact, Division II was the first NCAA division to sponsor a division-wide community service campaign, and during 2010-11, Division II institutions and student-athletes raised more than $405,000 for the Foundation. Over the last nine years, the Division II SAAC has raised $2,409,536, helping to grant many wishes for courageous kids.

 

Lastly, SAAC creates a vehicle for student-athlete representation on campus-wide or conference-wide committees. Recently, SAAC Vice President, junior Kaydian Jones was selected to represent the University of the District of Columbia and the entire East Coast Conference at the NCAA Division II Identity Workshop. There she was able to listen to a variety of speakers and NCAA Division II representatives and watch a presentation about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The workshop covered topics such as the “I Chose Division II” brand and the Division II hexagon of attributes (passion, sportsmanship, learning, service, resourcefulness, and balance), game day environment and social media awareness. 

 

 

To sum up, the purpose of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is to provide insight on and ultimately improve the student-athlete experience. This is accomplished by giving student-athletes a voice on campus and at the NCAA Convention, and an opportunity to participate in community service and serve on campus-wide or conference-wide committees.

 

The following student-athletes will serve as SAAC executives in 2013-14:

 

Roque Hernandez – President

 

Kaydian Jones – Vice President

 

Hillary Mugun – Secretary

 

Check out the latest edition of The Firebird Fan Podcast

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Washington, DC- Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach, Dickie Mahaffey, stopped by the studio today for an interview and podcast session for our latest podcast episode. This podcast covers both tennis teams as they center their efforts for a strong showing in the post season as they hold on to the number two ranking in the region.

Visit to Birmingham Sheds Light on Civil Rights Movement for McKenzie and Creary

The District of Columbia celebrates its Emancipation Day today, April 16^th because on this day, in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act. This act freed about 3,100 enslaved persons in the District of Columbia nine months before Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation which freed most, but not all slaves throughout the country. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued 150 years ago, the fight for equality has long persisted.

Head cross country and track & field coach Alton McKenzie and junior Shauna-Kay Creary recently visited Birmingham, Alabama while Shauna-Kay was the first ever Firebird to compete in the Long Jump event at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March. On their trip, they witnessed the sights of some of the most pivotal moments in the Civil Rights movement which took place only 50 years ago.

 

 By Alton McKenzie

While I knew it was a great idea to pay a visit to some historical places during our time in Birmingham, AL for the NCAA Indoor Championships, never did I imagine how moved I would be by the experience. Turns out that our trip to Birmingham coincided with the 50^th Anniversary of what are still today some of the most significant moments in America’s History as they relate to Civil Rights and social justice.

To think we were walking in Kelly Ingram Park, the site where many folks gathered for demonstrations in the 1960s, hit home for me once I was actually there with Shauna. I could feel the seriousness of how she grasped this experience as we walked through the park and headed to the Civil Rights Institute. Once we went inside the Civil Rights Institute and went through the building seeing pictures, hearing speeches and seeing some of the items retrieved (like the burnt bus transporting Freedom Riders from Atlanta to Birmingham) made the experience one that was more personal as you could truly see what was experienced, versus just reading or hearing of the atrocities experienced.

Most compelling was actually seeing some of the glass from the 16^th Street Baptist Church that was bombed in September 1963, and actually looking directly at the church from the Civil Rights Institute which is across the street. To fathom the reality that four little girls lost their lives in this tragic incident was an emotional moment, and one I will remember for the rest of my life. It brought me back home, mentally, to Washington, DC and the significance of what it meant for me to be at the opening ceremony for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial in October 2011, when I brought our XC & Track & Field teams to the event. I can no longer view Martin Luther King’s letter from a Birmingham jail written April 16, 1963 as just text – it’s a reality that sinks in more than ever…”injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

To be able to visit the 16^th Street Baptist Church was also an experience hard to put into words. What happened to Shauna and I, though, was very telling about the magnitude of what happened 50 years ago in the very spot we were staring. A couple from Wisconsin approached us asking if the church was open. They said they had been to the Civil Rights Institute and also wanted to visit the 16^th Street Baptist Church. They said they could remember seeing the news as children, (they were teenagers back in the early 60’s) and never really understood how serious or tragic these events were at the time. They apologized to myself and Shauna saying, “We wish we had done more.” We told them we were in town from Washington, DC and we proceeded to have a great conversation.

As we departed to head to the track, I thought about the opportunities I have been afforded as a result of so many who sacrificed so much in 1963.  This introspection made me even more appreciative of what I am able to do today. Our society has come a long way, and we have so much further to go. I think Shauna said it best: “Coach, to see what some folks had to go through for their freedom makes it even more important that my generation take advantage of the opportunities we have right in front of us today.”

Shauna-Kay’s comment:

During my visit to Birmingham, Alabama for the NCAA Division II Championship, Coach Alton McKenzie and I visited The Civil Rights Institute. It was a very informative visit as it shed some light on a lot of things that happened in American history such as segregation and all the things black people had to endure before gaining freedom. To see all the pictures, video clips and letters telling the different tales of the fight for equality was both moving and empowering. To know that many people lost their lives fighting for what was right and just was also inspiring.

Firebird Weekly Update – April 15, 2013

Firebird Update

Wednesday, April 10: The men’s tennis team played host to Division I Howard University, where they easily defeated the Bison, 8-1.  Senior Aleksandar Grabovac and sophomore Simon Andersson claimed the first win of the day by defeating Spencer Mitchell and Myron Davis, 8-3.  Andersson went on to defeat Serbia Kendall 6-3, 6-1 in singles play.

Thursday, April 11: The men’s tennis team climbed to No. 2 in the NCAA East Region rankings after back-to-back wins over top-five ranked teams the previous weekend.  The Firebirds, who were previously the No. 3 ranked team in the region, defeated No. 2 Queens, 6-3 and No. 4 NYIT 5-4.

Friday, April 12: The University of the District of Columbia announced that freshman Elio Hernandez of the men’s soccer team was invited to train with the El Salvador U-20 National Team coached by Mauricio Alfaro.  Hernandez was evaluated at an open tryout session held in Washington, DC a few weeks ago and was one of 35 athletes invited to come to San, El Salvador to compete for one of 21 roster spots.

The men’s tennis team picked up their fifth ECC win of the season, defeating Dowling, 9-0.  This win allowed them to remain undefeated in regular season ECC play.  Freshman Simon Bratke picked up his first singles victory of the season as he played in the No. 4 singles spot and easily defeated Marc Lewis of Dowling, 6-0, 6-0.

Sunday, April 14: The men’s and women’s tennis teams held their annual Senior Day against Concordia College.  From the men’s team, the Firebirds honored Aleksandar Grabovac, who amassed a 23-11 singles play record and 19-10 doubles record in two seasons at UDC.  The senior representatives on the women’s team were Tadai Abilla and Kristyna Nepivodova.  Abilla had a three-year, 24-18 record in singles play and 18-6 record in doubles.  Nepivodova posted a three-year career with an overall record of 28-5 in singles play and 29-7 in doubles.  The men’s team lost to Concordia, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA East Region and No. 10 in the nation, by a score  of 8-1.  The women’s team suffered a 7-2 defeat to Concordia, ranked No. 3 in the NCAA East Region.

Melynda Zwick Brown and Scott Urick, head coaches of the Firebirds start-up women’s and men’s lacrosse programs, were interviewed by District of Columbia alum, Butch Adams, on his In and Out of Sports Talk Radio show.  Both coaches talked about their respective playing and coaching backgrounds, the formation of their respective programs, and their progress with regard to recruiting.

For more information and to follow Firebird athletics visit udcfirebirds.com.

Firebird Weekly Update – April 9, 2013

Firebird Update

Thursday, April 4: Twenty-two students between the ages of 8 and 15 from the DC National Guard Family Readiness and the University of the District of Columbia’s Operation Military Kids (OMK) program visited the school’s campus for an informational athletics tour by Associate Athletic Director, Matt Rienzo.  He talked about the school, its 10 athletic sport offerings, its Division II and East Coast Conference affiliations, and he also highlighted some of the team’s most recent successes, such as the Indoor Track & Field squad’s ECC championship in March.

Friday, April 5: The men’s tennis team was ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA Division II East Region poll released earlier in the week.  Their only two losses on the season have come against two Division I opponents.

The women’s outdoor track & field squad has been ranked No. 7 in the USTFCCCA East Region poll after a stellar performance in the first week of the season.  The Firebirds also have several individual athletes ranked among the top-8 in the region in their respective events.

Saturday, April 6: The men’s tennis team traveled to face Queens College, ranked No. 2 in the region, where they defeated the Knights 6-3.  The Firebirds took two of the three possible points in doubles play, and claimed four points in singles play to wrap up the victory.  With the overall match point on the line, junior Carlos Quiroga delivered for the Firebirds by securing a win over his Queens College opponent by a score of 6-2, 6-2.

Sunday, April 7: The men’s tennis team defeated No. 4 ranked NYIT by a slim margin, 5-4.  With the win, the Firebirds improved to 8-2 on the season and 4-0 in conference play, also good enough for first place in the ECC.  The win marked the second win in as many days over opponents ranked in the top-5 of the region.  The Firebirds received strong performances from the doubles team of junior Miguel Uzcategui and junior Ike Kiro.  The partners defeated past ECC Player of the Week Tomas Lieb and Julian Marcon of NYIT, 8-2.

Monday, April 8: Junior Ike Kiro of the men’s tennis team was named the East Coast Conference Player of the Week for this performances in the week ending Sunday, April 7.  Kiro teamed up with junior Miguel Uzcategui to post doubles victories against both Queens College and NYIT.  Individually, the was 2-0 on the week by claiming two convincing singles victories against Queens and NYIT.  Uzcategui, also going undefeated against Queens and NYIT, received Honor Roll mention in the ECC for week seven of the season.

For more information and to follow Firebird athletics visit udcfirebirds.com.

Firebird Weekly Update – April 4, 2013

Firebird Update

Tuesday, March 26: Senior Aleksandar Grabovac of the men’s tennis team was named the East Coast Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the week ending Sunday, March 24^th.  This was his second straight week of receiving the ECC Player of the Week honor.

The men’s tennis team traveled across town to face Division I Georgetown University where the Hoyas gave the Firebirds a 7-0 defeat.  The loss was the second on the season for the Firebirds, with both having come at the hands of Division I opponents.  In doubles play, junior Miguel Uzcategui and junior Ike Kiro defeated the Georgetown pair of Alex Tropiano and Shane Korber, 8-5.  However, under Division I rules, Georgetown took the one available doubles point because they won two of the three matches.

Friday, March 29: The men’s tennis team secured their sixth win of the season by defeating ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan at home, 6-3.  With the win, the Firebirds improved to 2-0 in ECC play and jumped into first place in the standings.  Senior Aleksandar Grabovac  and sophomore Simon Andersson claimed a doubles victory over the Redhawks team of Charles Farres and Sam Thorold, 8-4.  Andersson went on to deny Thorold of a singles victory by completing an exciting come-from-behind win 6-7(7), 6-1, 10-6.

Saturday, March 30: Picking up right where it left off in its historic indoor season, the women’s track & field team opened the 2013 outdoor season with strong performances at the University of Maryland Terrapin Invitational.  Junior Kaydian Jones took hold of the Long Jump by leaping a personal best 5.75M, giving her first place overall by over one foot and placing her 18^th in the nation in Division II.  In the 4x400M run, the team of Marlena Wright, Jerily Benjamin, Rochelle Nelson, and Simone Grant finished 3^rd overall with a time of 3:54.15, with Nelson running a tremendous 3^rd leg and splitting 56.4 seconds to put the Firebirds within striking distance.

Tuesday, April 2: Juniors Rochelle Nelson and Kaydian Jones of the women’s outdoor track & field team swept this week’s East Coast Conference athlete of the week awards as Nelson garnered track athlete of the week while Jones was named field athlete of the week.  Both athletes received these awards based on their performances in the week ending Sunday, March 31.

Wednesday, April 3: The University of the District of Columbia announced that Jeff Ruland will not return as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. The University will begin the process to hire a new coach.

For more information and to follow Firebird athletics visit udcfirebirds.com.

 

Firebird Weekly Update – March 25, 2013

Firebird Weekly Update

Monday, March 18: No Firebird action.

Tuesday, March 19: Senior Aleksandar Grabovac of the men’s tennis team was named the East Coast Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the week ending Sunday, March 17^th.  The Firebirds’ only match of the week was against ECC opponent St. Thomas Aquinas where Grabovac recorded wins in both his doubles and singles matches as the Firebirds went on to win the match by a narrow margin, 5-4.

Wednesday, March 20: The men’s tennis team suffered their first loss of the season to Division I Marist College, 2-7.  One of the wins for the Firebirds came in the No. 1 doubles match as senior Aleksandar Grabovac and sophomore Simon Andersson defeated the Marist doubles team 8-6.  The other win came in the No. 1 singles match as Grabovac earned a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Lorenzo Rossi of Marist.

Thursday, March 21: No Firebird action.

Friday, March 22: University of the District of Columbia announced it will be hosting a Natatorium Community Open House at the Sports Complex on the Van Ness Campus for the public to see the new state-of-the-art Natatorium on Saturday, April 27^th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The event will feature a free “open swim” period, a meet-and-greet with the new Aquatics Director, Lauren Fuchs, and an opportunity to learn more general information and register for membership.

Saturday, March 23: No Firebird action.

Sunday, March 24: Track & Field head coach Alton McKenzie appeared on In and Out of Sports Talk Radio Show hosted by UDC alum Butch McAdams.  McKenzie discussed his teams’ quick ascension into East Region powers, the indoor track & field squad’s inaugural East Coast Conference Championship, and the indoor team’s long list of individual accolades this season.

The men’s tennis team bounced back from their loss to Marist on Wednesday to claim a victory against Chestnut Hill, 6-3.  This win improved their overall record on the season to 5-1.  In doubles play, Firebirds partners Grabovac and Andersson, as well as Miguel Uzcategui and Ike Kiro, earned victories over their Chestnut Hill opponents to grab two of the possible three doubles wins.  The Firebirds were also able to claim four of the six possible wins in singles play, with Uzcategui picking up the match deciding win against Anthony Moore of Chestnut Hill by a narrow score of 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.

The women’s tennis team suffered a lopsided defeat at the hands of Chestnut Hill, 1-8.  The loss snapped a 13-match home win streak dating back to September 11, 2011.  The lone win for the Firebirds was produced by Jessica Nunez in the No. 1 doubles match as she won 7-6(6), 6-4 over Anastasiya Shcherbakova of Chestnut Hill.

For more information and to follow Firebird athletics visit udcfirebirds.com.