Thursday, February 03, 2011

MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference recently held its annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Winter Meeting in DeLand, Florida, from January 28-29 on the campus of Stetson University. Thirty-two A-Sun SAAC members and administrative liaisons representing all 11 A-Sun institutions participated in the gathering which included a dinner hosted by the Atlantic Sun Conference on Friday night.

In conjunction with the meeting, all SAAC members participated in a community service project at the Chisholm Center near the Stetson campus on Saturday morning. Thirty-six youngsters from the DeLand area participated in the activities which included playing basketball, soccer, tennis, football and arts and crafts. Stetson University provided a luncheon for the group in the form of a pizza party at the end of the day.

During the meetings, the SAAC voted unanimously to change A-Sun policy which presently requires the individual who serves as the A-Sun representative to the NCAA National SAAC to also serve as the Chair of the A-Sun SAAC. If approved, the change would increase student-athlete involvement within the SAAC with a new Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary elected annually.

Other items discussed at the meeting included the 2010-2011 A-Sun SAAC Fundraising Competition, the NCAA SAAC Award of Excellence, the NCAA Sportsmanship Award, creating a SAAC Best Practices document and working to increase campus implementation of the NCAA RESPECT Initiative. The group also supported the implementation of an A-Sun ROLE/PLAY Initiative, which will be an A-Sun student-athlete driven sportsmanship initiative.

“This year’s meeting was a great example of what our talented student-athletes can accomplish when they have an opportunity to meet and discuss our SAAC and their goals for having a voice in both the student-athlete experience on their campus and within the A-Sun and NCAA governance structure,” stated Sherri Booker, A-Sun Senior Associate Commissioner and SAAC liaison.

The next A-Sun SAAC Meeting will be held on the campus of Kennesaw State University in September 2011.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.