NCAA Swimmers Find Meaning Beyond the Pool with SAAC

Photo Courtesy: NCAA

By Cathleen Pruden, Swimming World College Intern

As much as swimmers love breathing in the chlorinated air and staring at the black line, we also seek meaningful involvement in our college communities beyond the pool. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) provides an ideal opportunity for many swimmers and divers to contribute to the “dry land” side of college life.

SAAC is an NCAA mandated organization that exists on every campus. On some it is more active than others, and its size and structure vary as well, but everywhere its purpose is to bridge the gap between student-athletes and the athletic administration. Every varsity team is represented, with the SAAC representatives communicating information from the administration to their team and providing a voice for their team. Many swimmers and divers have seized the opportunity to be that voice.

For some, becoming a member of SAAC is a way to expand an existing love for the sport, and athletics more broadly.

“I really idolize the idea of being a student-athlete,” says Veronika Jedryka, a junior at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Swimming has really driven me in all aspects. We make time for it because we love the sport and especially the people that share the same passion and love.”

She ran for SAAC because she “knew being in a group that represented all athletes at MIT would be something I would really enjoy.”

MHC reps update their team after the SAAC meeting. Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

Katie Tyler, a junior at Mount Holyoke College, explained that she “wanted to have a more active role in the communication between athletes and administration to better my and my teammates’ athletic experience.”

For others, it is the desire to influence university policies regarding athletics that has drawn them to serve as SAAC representatives. Tyler’s teammate, sophomore Claire Beckett believes, “SAAC adds to the already strong feeling of student engagement on campus. We don’t like not being involved in decisions.”

According to Lucas Amodio, a 2015 graduate of Vassar College, “SAAC gives student athletes the advocacy they need, as any other body of students has or should have.”

Photo Courtesy: Lucas Amodio

“Student athletes face unique problems and SAAC is able to present solutions that would otherwise go unthought of by those trying to solve these problems,” explained Amodio.

SAAC representatives also have an opportunity for involvement in decisions that will shape the future of college sports. As the NCAA contemplates “pay to play” proposals, it is imperative that swimmers (and representatives from other non-revenue sports) advocate for their sports.

Through SAAC, student-athletes have the chance to vote on proposed NCAA legislation. These votes are used to form the school’s stance, which is then carried to the conference and the national SAAC, where the student-athlete voice is represented alongside athletic administration. Swimmers seem to have something to say about every set a coach writes so it is not surprising that representatives like Beckett appreciate the opportunity to exercise her voice, and value the ability to have an input and be involved in decisions.

SAAC’s specific responsibilities vary depending on the drive of the school’s committee and the goals of its student-athletes. Building a strong school community is fundamental to all of these goals. In an attempt to create game hype, MIT’s SAAC added promotion goodies to all the sports this year. MIT’s Jedrekya believes larger crowds came as a result and she enjoyed distributing the goodies “because I interacted with so many other athletes I never really interact with otherwise, and they all were so appreciative of what we do.”

Photo Courtesy: Veronika Jedryka

Jedryka’s comment highlights another SAAC objective– forging stronger bonds among athletes from different teams. It is rare to find packed stands at a dual meet, but at MIT, the entire track team came to support swimming and diving one week, and the swimmers and divers returned the favor a few weeks later.

“They were chanting ‘MIT’ the whole time and cheering so loudly, and to have that support and that crowd made us so happy,” Jedryka recalled. Those connections make a difference.

SAAC also builds stronger relationships between athletes and administrators. Through her work in SAAC, Jedryka has “become more appreciative of the members of the athletics department that make this all possible. That’s why I always make sure to say thank you to these people because my career, our team, and our athletics department wouldn’t be so successful and so enjoyable without them,” she explained.

For Beckett, the change was as simple as “now I feel like I can chat with them [members of the athletic department] outside of athletic events.”

Amodio even had the opportunity to meet with the Vassar Board of Trustees. At a time when non-revenue sports are frequently in a precarious financial position, SAAC provides valuable opportunities for positive interaction among swimmers, university officials and board members.

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

SAAC also offers a platform for teams to give back to the larger community. At MHC, the SAAC organized a “Be the Match” bone marrow drive that engaged student-athletes not only with the entire student population, but the broader community beyond campus. Students saw their athlete peers involved in a worthy cause and making an impact outside the gym. As Tyler noted, this effort by SAAC “adds to the presence of athletics on campus by making it more visible and accessible” in a positive way.

Amodo believes “The most important way SAAC has helped me is that is has allowed me the opportunity to create a place for a swim team in athletics outside of a win-loss record. It has helped me to start to redefine the reputation of the swim team.”

While swimmers value their athletic careers, Jedrekya says, “Academics at MIT is a pinnacle and that’s why student is first in student-athlete.” They are finding their way not only just up and down a lane, but also through life, and involvement with SAAC can help provide the tools for that journey. As the NCAA would say, most swimmers are “going pro in something other than sports.”

Working with the SAAC can be a first step in establishing an identity as something more than a swimmer. Student-athletes are acquiring and testing talents that will serve them in the working world. They are working in groups, serving on committees and becoming leaders. SAAC provides a unique opportunity to understand how swimming has shaped swimmers, how swimmers can build stronger teams, colleges and universities, and how their unique skill sets can connect them to the rest of the world.

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