Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 5 | May 2018

12 Inside Hokie Sports The Virginia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, more commonly known as “SAAC,” is comprised of two to three individuals from each team selected to represent their teammates and fellow student-athletes. They are the leaders of their teams, and the “voice” of the student-athletes. They hold the responsibilities for communicating with the administration on the campus, conference, and national levels. This group meets twice monthly to discuss a variety of topics related to the student-athlete experience. At each meeting, various athletics department staff members have the chance to attend and connect with the student-athletes. Some staff members simply introduce themselves and provide information about their role in athletics, while others provide insight on legislation, events and other items pertinent to the student-athletes. Each meeting allows the administration to communicate with the student-athletes and find ways to improve the overall student-athlete experience. SAAC at Virginia Tech is led by an executive team of four student- athletes whose responsibility is to plan and lead the meetings and facilitate discussion among their peers. This year, the executive team consists of M.J. Ulrich (president), a senior swimmer; Jaila Tolbert, a junior on the volleyball team; Mary Claire Byrne, a redshirt junior on the lacrosse team; and Harrison Pierce, a senior on the swim team. Ben Lundgaard, a men’s soccer student-athlete, also held a position on the executive team during the fall semester prior to his selection in the 2018 MLS Draft. This year, Virginia Tech SAAC, led by this team of four, has been involved in community outreach, mental health awareness, event planning, and various campus, conference and national legislation and initiatives. At the beginning of the 2017 fall semester, SAAC set out to organize and facilitate community outreach opportunities to participate in as a group. During the holiday season, the members participated in the Salvation Army “Adopt-A-Family” project. This partnership allowed them to raise money and purchase gifts for a local family in need. During the spring semester, the group created a project called “SAAC Gives Back,” where each week during the month of April, they held a “play day” in the athletics facilities for a local pre-school. The student- athletes organized games and activities to facilitate with the children for about an hour each week.    SAAC is involved not only on a campus level, but also plays a role in both conference and national initiatives. In the fall of 2017, two Virginia Tech SAAC representatives attended the Atlantic Coast Conference SAAC meeting. This allowed student-athletes from all 15-member institutions to interact and discuss various legislation affecting the student-athlete experience. In addition to the role played by SAAC on a conference level, Virginia Tech student-athletes’ voices are being heard nationally. Tolbert was selected to represent the ACC as a member of the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This role allows Tolbert to give input on national legislation and improve the student-athlete experience not only on her campus and in her conference, but also nationwide. Virginia Tech SAAC tackled various projects outside of outreach and legislation during the 2017-18 academic year, one of which focused on breaking the stigma of mental health and the importance of campus communities providing resources for student-athletes in need of support. The group created a short video highlighting the prevalence of mental health concerns for student-athletes and illustrated the work being done and resources provided by Virginia Tech to address mental health issues. SAAC’s final project of the year was the role they played in planning and facilitating theVirginiaTechathletics end-of-the-year awards show, “The Gobblers.” They worked with the student-athlete development staff to plan the “pre-show” portion of the evening, assisted in planning the entertainment and live performances that would take place, and served as the award presenters for the event. The role of SAAC as a means to serve the Virginia Tech student- athlete population and bridge the gap between the administration and student-athletes is integral to creating and maintaining a positive student-athlete experience. VIRGINIA TECH SAAC with a productive 2017-18 academic year by Natalie Forbes • Senior Director, Student-Athlete Development Members of Tech’s SAAC performed several community outreach projects over the past year, including a pre-school play day each week in April.