Davidson Wins Assists Challenge
5/13/2015 3:12:00 PM | General, 'Cats in the Community
Courtesy of the Atlantic 10 Conference
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Davidson College athletics has won the second-annual Atlantic 10 Conference Assists Challenge, completing over 19,000 hours of community service during the 2014-15 academic year. In all, student-athletes and staff at the 14 A-10 member institutions completed 71,848 community service hours, three times more than last year.
An amazing number by itself, the record-breaking hours is a fitting finish in a landmark year for the Atlantic 10 SAAC, which included increased involvement in all levels of collegiate athletic administration, heavy participation in the It's On Us Campaign and an annual video competition that saw high participation numbers
"The Atlantic 10 SAAC has made Davidson's transition into the conference very smooth. It's great that we won the A-10 Assists challenge during our first year," said Anna Blair Bullock, a member of the Davidson women's swimming team. "The Davidson student body, student-athletes included, value community service and giving back to others."
The Wildcats scored 48.11 points and reported 19,722 total hours and claimed first place in the friendly competition.
All 14 A-10 institutions reported hours this year, contributing to the 71,848 total hours, an increase of 48,138 total hours over last year. This year, 12 of the 14 institutions recorded over 1,000 hours, and 10 of those reported over 2,000 hours of community service. Last year, nine schools were over 1,000 and five broke 2,000 hours.
"I'm so impressed by the phenomenal increase in the total number of community service hours all of our student-athletes have put in this year," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "We see what our student-athletes do on the field and we trumpet their academic achievements, but this is a tremendous reminder that our athletic programs are generous in the time they commit to giving back and helping out."
Dayton placed second in this year's competition and Saint Louis was third. Total score is calculated by dividing the number of hours reported by the number of NCAA student-athletes at that institution.
"As an athlete at Davidson, community service means the same thing to me as it does to any student - getting involved with something I'm passionate about and helping to make it better in the world around me," said track and field/cross country student-athlete Whitner Chase. "The A-10 Assists Challenge provides Davidson and the conference as a whole with the rare opportunity to celebrate our capacity for care and our will to create change."
Last year's winner, George Washington, placed fourth, and Saint Joseph's finished in the top five for a second straight year.
The A-10 Assists Challenge promotes community service as a fun and competitive activity. The initiative, which accomplishes the A-10 SAAC's goals of community service engagement and awareness, also helps promote both the community service activities that all A-10 student-athletes complete and the organizations and causes they are assisting.
Like the annual Video Competition, which serves to spotlight a shared message or theme through student-athlete-produced videos, the Assists Challenge helps increase the visibility and awareness of the A-10 SAAC. This year, Dayton won the video competition, giving Flyer student-athletes a 1-2 finish in the two competitions. GW placed second in the video competition with George Mason rounding out the top three.
But it's more than just friendly competitions for the A-10 SAAC. This year also marked the first time student-athletes have attended Atlantic 10 business meetings when the SAAC was invited to participate in the league's January joint meetings in Washington, D.C.
"The involvement of the student-athletes at our meetings is part of our long-standing commitment to enhance student-athlete experience in leadership and governance," McGlade stated following the meetings. "Our SAAC members not only were able to witness, but also participate in our business meetings, expanding their voice in the league's dialogue."
The student-athletes had the opportunity to participate in the Conference governance process, helping build their leadership skills. They interacted and networked with administrators from across the league. This included sitting in on meetings, participating in social events and taking part in a Leadership Forum with select administrators.
"Any time that we can get more interaction, more communication with our student-athletes, the better. I was very happy that the A-10 took an aggressive stance ahead of many leagues to bring our SAAC together and meet with the ADs, meet with the faculty reps, and the senior woman administrators to really be part of our group and help us as we lead this great conference forward. When they come together here as leaders representing their institutions, it's pretty cool," Saint Louis Athletic Director Chris May said during the week of the meetings.
In addition to coming to A-10 governance meetings, some A-10 SAAC members have been involved on a larger scale. Duquesne senior soccer student-athlete Devon Tabata has been involved at the NCAA level for two years, serving as vice chair of the National SAAC and as a member of the NCAA Academic Cabinet. But most recently, her involvement has stepped up as Tabata was selected to be one of two student-athletes on the NCAA's new governing body, the Division I Council.
"If you want changes to be made to better you, to better your team, to better other student-athletes on your campus, you have to be a part of SAAC. That's where the forefront of these decisions begin and you're really able to start making an impact," Tabata said.
The A-10 SAAC also played a major role in the Atlantic 10's participation in the It's On Us campaign that was designed to put an end to campus sexual assaults. The student-athletes worked pledge drives at A-10 Championships, created awareness videos and sparked campus involvement throughout the year for this worthwhile cause.
It's been a busy year for A-10 SAAC members, but they love being involved and being a part of the Atlantic 10. These student-athletes are future leaders, and those skills are being honed by their involvement in the A-10 SAAC.
"The skills that we can grow here truly will translate over into a professional setting," said Tabata. "Putting yourself in challenging situations, that's really where you'll be prepared to move on to the next stage."
FINAL ASSISTS CHALLENGE TOP FIVE STANDINGS
School Hours Points
Davidson 19,722 48.11
Dayton 11,303 28.54
Saint Louis 7,817.5 23.91
George Washington 7,472.5 19.72
Saint Joseph's 5,266 11.81
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Davidson College athletics has won the second-annual Atlantic 10 Conference Assists Challenge, completing over 19,000 hours of community service during the 2014-15 academic year. In all, student-athletes and staff at the 14 A-10 member institutions completed 71,848 community service hours, three times more than last year.
An amazing number by itself, the record-breaking hours is a fitting finish in a landmark year for the Atlantic 10 SAAC, which included increased involvement in all levels of collegiate athletic administration, heavy participation in the It's On Us Campaign and an annual video competition that saw high participation numbers
"The Atlantic 10 SAAC has made Davidson's transition into the conference very smooth. It's great that we won the A-10 Assists challenge during our first year," said Anna Blair Bullock, a member of the Davidson women's swimming team. "The Davidson student body, student-athletes included, value community service and giving back to others."
The Wildcats scored 48.11 points and reported 19,722 total hours and claimed first place in the friendly competition.
All 14 A-10 institutions reported hours this year, contributing to the 71,848 total hours, an increase of 48,138 total hours over last year. This year, 12 of the 14 institutions recorded over 1,000 hours, and 10 of those reported over 2,000 hours of community service. Last year, nine schools were over 1,000 and five broke 2,000 hours.
"I'm so impressed by the phenomenal increase in the total number of community service hours all of our student-athletes have put in this year," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "We see what our student-athletes do on the field and we trumpet their academic achievements, but this is a tremendous reminder that our athletic programs are generous in the time they commit to giving back and helping out."
Dayton placed second in this year's competition and Saint Louis was third. Total score is calculated by dividing the number of hours reported by the number of NCAA student-athletes at that institution.
"As an athlete at Davidson, community service means the same thing to me as it does to any student - getting involved with something I'm passionate about and helping to make it better in the world around me," said track and field/cross country student-athlete Whitner Chase. "The A-10 Assists Challenge provides Davidson and the conference as a whole with the rare opportunity to celebrate our capacity for care and our will to create change."
Last year's winner, George Washington, placed fourth, and Saint Joseph's finished in the top five for a second straight year.
The A-10 Assists Challenge promotes community service as a fun and competitive activity. The initiative, which accomplishes the A-10 SAAC's goals of community service engagement and awareness, also helps promote both the community service activities that all A-10 student-athletes complete and the organizations and causes they are assisting.
Like the annual Video Competition, which serves to spotlight a shared message or theme through student-athlete-produced videos, the Assists Challenge helps increase the visibility and awareness of the A-10 SAAC. This year, Dayton won the video competition, giving Flyer student-athletes a 1-2 finish in the two competitions. GW placed second in the video competition with George Mason rounding out the top three.
But it's more than just friendly competitions for the A-10 SAAC. This year also marked the first time student-athletes have attended Atlantic 10 business meetings when the SAAC was invited to participate in the league's January joint meetings in Washington, D.C.
"The involvement of the student-athletes at our meetings is part of our long-standing commitment to enhance student-athlete experience in leadership and governance," McGlade stated following the meetings. "Our SAAC members not only were able to witness, but also participate in our business meetings, expanding their voice in the league's dialogue."
The student-athletes had the opportunity to participate in the Conference governance process, helping build their leadership skills. They interacted and networked with administrators from across the league. This included sitting in on meetings, participating in social events and taking part in a Leadership Forum with select administrators.
"Any time that we can get more interaction, more communication with our student-athletes, the better. I was very happy that the A-10 took an aggressive stance ahead of many leagues to bring our SAAC together and meet with the ADs, meet with the faculty reps, and the senior woman administrators to really be part of our group and help us as we lead this great conference forward. When they come together here as leaders representing their institutions, it's pretty cool," Saint Louis Athletic Director Chris May said during the week of the meetings.
In addition to coming to A-10 governance meetings, some A-10 SAAC members have been involved on a larger scale. Duquesne senior soccer student-athlete Devon Tabata has been involved at the NCAA level for two years, serving as vice chair of the National SAAC and as a member of the NCAA Academic Cabinet. But most recently, her involvement has stepped up as Tabata was selected to be one of two student-athletes on the NCAA's new governing body, the Division I Council.
"If you want changes to be made to better you, to better your team, to better other student-athletes on your campus, you have to be a part of SAAC. That's where the forefront of these decisions begin and you're really able to start making an impact," Tabata said.
The A-10 SAAC also played a major role in the Atlantic 10's participation in the It's On Us campaign that was designed to put an end to campus sexual assaults. The student-athletes worked pledge drives at A-10 Championships, created awareness videos and sparked campus involvement throughout the year for this worthwhile cause.
It's been a busy year for A-10 SAAC members, but they love being involved and being a part of the Atlantic 10. These student-athletes are future leaders, and those skills are being honed by their involvement in the A-10 SAAC.
"The skills that we can grow here truly will translate over into a professional setting," said Tabata. "Putting yourself in challenging situations, that's really where you'll be prepared to move on to the next stage."
FINAL ASSISTS CHALLENGE TOP FIVE STANDINGS
School Hours Points
Davidson 19,722 48.11
Dayton 11,303 28.54
Saint Louis 7,817.5 23.91
George Washington 7,472.5 19.72
Saint Joseph's 5,266 11.81
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