FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Written by GNAC Specialist Ken Francis
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
members unite to develop leadership skills
WINTHROP, Mass. – This past Sunday, October 18, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) held its 2015 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Leadership Forum at Mount Ida College in Newton, Mass. The SAAC event aimed to provide student-athletes with the skills needed to succeed as a leader.
Donald Brooks, Assistant Athletics Director for Peak Performance at Dartmouth College, spoke to GNAC student-athletes about what makes a good leader. Brooks facilitated discussions focused on the DiSC assessment – a tool that helps individuals understand and identify their leadership strengths – that the SAAC members took before the event. Participants were linked to one of four leadership styles: dominance, influence, steadiness or conscientiousness.
“Student-athletes are in a position where we are asking them to lead, but they are not always provided with the right resources,” said Brooks, the forum facilitator. “It is great when we are able to give them the tools they need to not only excel and succeed in leadership, but also cultivate future leaders who are coming up behind them.”
SAAC members had the opportunity to think critically about their leadership and learning styles, while also learning to identify those styles in others. They worked on applying their understanding to increase success as leaders, not only in their athletic careers but professionally as well.
“This is something that is realistic and needed, not just for now but for the future,” said Suffolk University men’s soccer junior Alex Ypsilantis. “We are here learning how to become leaders, understanding others and how they work, so that we can be more effective in our decision-making as captains.”
Others learned a great deal and were also excited to use their new skills.
“We learned that direction, vision, and motivation help leaders in keeping everyone on the same page and working towards one common goal, “ said second-year Mount Ida women’s basketball captain and Mustangs SAAC president Katlyn Jesse.
“Students are learning how understanding and possessing different leadership skills can be helpful in rallying teammates and coaches,” said University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Associate Athletic Director Jackie Piscitelli.
Organizing the event was Mount Ida Assistant Athletic Director and women’s basketball coach Katie Greene, who serves as chair of the GNAC SAAC, along with GNAC Assistant to the Commissioner Jhonerris Mendez.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement.
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