Lifelong lessons, empowerment, and student-athlete connections. These are three takeaway themes from the sixth Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Super Region Convention, held Nov. 17-19 in Atlanta.
More than 150 student-athletes and administrators attended the event, representing six conferences in the Southeast and South regions. During the three-day conference, participants interacted with experts in leadership, mental health, social justice and student-athlete voice.
“I would say it was really eye-opening,” said Dominic Byers, a baseball player at Wingate. “We heard a lot of different perspectives on a lot of important topics. We got to hear some really cool speakers about how we grow as people and leaders, so that was really, really good .”
“The most important thing is connections, connections, connections,” added Clark Atlanta football player Austin Euler. “Being able to have all these conversations, getting to know everyone, that’s the most important thing I’ve been able to do here. It was a fun experience.”
Each day included a project planning session on mental health or student-athlete voice, culminating with project presentations on the final day. Participants left with action plans to take back to their campuses.
“One of the things we talked about was creating a group or club for injured athletes so they can fully rehabilitate and not feel left out of the team,” Byers said of the one of the ideas from the team. project planning sessions. “We’ve also talked about a lot of other mental health initiatives, so I think getting those started and getting them going is something we’re going to do.”
A panel discussion kicked off the weekend dedicated to student-athlete voices. The discussion featured two former student-athletes who are now athletics administrators: Bubba Baroniel, former baseball player and current head of revenue generation, marketing and promotions at Nova Southeastern, and Ashley Beaton Simpson, former player volleyball player at Illinois Springfield and current assistant. Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Success at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“The convention highlighted the importance of student voice and having our voices heard, both to senior leaders at our school and to the conference as a whole,” said Cami Belin, a women’s soccer player at Lees-McRae.
Presenter Ivy Watts, a former Division II track and field student-athlete at New Haven and psychology major, focused her session on mental health. A former All-American who faced mental health issues as an athlete, she now promotes mental wellness and attempts to reduce the stigma around mental health by sharing her story through speaking engagements. public and on his blog, Beautifully simply you.
Diversity expert, inclusion equity coach, and author Curtis Hill spoke to attendees about social justice and its impact on mental health.
“One of the takeaways from the convention is the importance of social justice, being able to educate others about that and the mental health aspect that goes with it, as well as mental health in general ” said Belin. “We left realizing that we are not alone in our problems and that there are other people who will be behind you to guide you.”
Participants also discussed transitioning out of sport and how to better prepare student-athletes for it. Former Wisconsin star Jonathan Orr, who spent two seasons in the NFL before starting a company aimed at helping athletes leave sports, addressed attendees on the topic.
“What I learned from this conference that I can take back to my school is life after sports and the importance of transition,” said Katie Caras, a women’s lacrosse player at Palm Beach Atlantic. “Also, learning how to help my teammates with that. We can talk and collaborate on different ideas about where our heart is and where our head is and how we can create that for our future.”
Justin Patton, leadership coach, was the keynote speaker for the event. His speech, “It Starts with You,” focused on how student-athletes can become leaders, the importance of body language and first impressions, and the skills needed to become a better listener and leader .
Additionally, attendees learned more about Division II’s work with Make-A-Wish and Team IMPACT. They were joined by members of an IMPACT team family, who spoke about their experiences with the Wingate women’s soccer team. Student-athletes and administrators participated in a community engagement activity where they painted hearts for those experiencing grief, trauma and loss through the Hearts of Hope healing arts program . They also heard an update on the NCAA’s engagement efforts with Congress.
The next Super Regions Convention will take place in April 2025 for the Central and Midwest regions, followed by another in November 2025 for the South Central and West regions.
