The life of a student athlete is a tremendously busy one at Whitman. Regardless of their sport, varsity athletes have constant commitments to their team on top of the same school work and other obligations non-athletes have. With practice and homework every day for most athletes, as well as the continuous commitment that comes with being on a team, maintaining a presence in the Whitman community as a whole can be a challenge.

Enter The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC). SAAC is an organization at Whitman run by student athletes, for student athletes. Their overall goal is to enhance athletes’ experiences at Whitman through a sense of community and service.
One way they are trying to achieve that is by starting programs, like Athletes Supporting Athletes. In this initiative, each varsity team’s SAAC representative organizes for their team to cheer on fellow varsity teams in their competitions.
“We want to make a point of supporting our fellow athletes at their events,” sophomore swimmer Jonah Rodewald said.

Rodelwald serves on the Executive Committee of SAAC. With the undeniably busy schedule of a student athlete, he is aware that constant support for other athletes is easier said than done.
“Getting individuals on teams involved in events like this can be challenging, but it’s a challenge we are taking head on.”

With events like Powerade Pong and the SAAC Olympics, SAAC has also put together events that all varsity athletes can take part in to build a stronger athletic community as a whole.
For SAAC to make the collective athletic community they are aiming for, they need to get all athletes from all teams involved. Each varsity team has a SAAC representative that is an advocate for their sport within SAAC. These representatives meet once per week to discuss how SAAC can improve the experience of its athletes from all sports, a process that allows SAAC to be a crucial liaison between the team and Whitman’s Athletic Department.
One key part of SAAC’s agenda is to have a positive influence in every community athletes interact with.

“We strive to create leadership opportunities in the community for athletes, and get every athlete involved within the athletics and/or Walla Walla community,” said Allie Wallin, a senior tennis player and Co-President of SAAC.
“We are trying to create a space for student athletes by creating communities within athletics and Whitman, but also by giving back to the Walla Walla community through service,” Josie Furbershaw, a junior swimmer and secretary on the Executive Committee of SAAC, added.
Through SQORD, a fitness tracking program for kids, SAAC has partnered with Providence St. Mary Medical Center to have varsity teams put on activities for local elementary school kids here on the Whitman campus.

“They [St. Mary] are really trying to encourage these kids to go out and be active, so once a month we have different varsity teams hosting games and activities here on campus for the kids to do just that,” continued Furbershaw.
For those who aren’t in varsity athletics, SAAC might not seem as important as it is. While they might not be well known to everyone, the student athletes on SAAC are working for a communal good. By improving the experiences of their teammates and the communities their sports constantly interact with, they are showing athletes and non-athletes alike what their organization can do to enhance the Whitman and Walla Walla community we all reside in.

Croton-Harmon High School’s basketball teams, along with the community, paid tribute to the men and women who serve in the military during the Hoops for Heroes: Saluting Our Men and Women of the Armed Forces event on Jan. 28.
“Our third annual event was a huge success,” said boys varsity basketball coach Ben Martucci. “It was an important league win, but more importantly, we were able to raise money and honor all of our men and women of the armed forces.”
Both the girls and boys basketball teams earned wins that day – the boys defeated Westlake, 54-36, and the girls came out on top versus Palisades Prep, 56-14. In the other boys games, Bronxville defeated Haldane and Yorktown beat Hendrick Hudson.
“Our team was led by the defensive performance of senior captain Rory Parker, and the scoring of freshman Sean Macarchuk and senior captain Charlie Goldberg,” said Martucci. “Sean broke the all-time school record with eight 3-point field goals made in a single game.”
The tribute was made possible through the support of the Booster Club and Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School teacher Patricia Lynch, who volunteered her time during the event.
The day’s proceeds were donated to two non-profit organizations – The Barry Fixler Foundation and Hope for Warriors.
“It was a special night,” said Martucci.

Photo Caption:

CH Hoops for Heroes Boys: Croton-Harmon High School’s boys basketball team defeated Westlake during the school’s third annual Hoops for Heroes: Saluting Our Men and Women of the Armed Forces event on Jan. 28.

Photos courtesy of Croton-Harmon Schools

The Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School Physical Education department recently hosted their sixth annual fifth-grade Charity Volleyball Tournament to raise money for two families in the community. With more than 190 fifth-grade participants, the school raised close to $6,500.

All proceeds from the event went to the Renz and Schmidt Families. The Renz family recently lost their beloved father and husband, while the Schmidt family is currently caring for their daughter, a Harborfields High School student battling cancer.

Students paid a registration fee to play in the tournament and a concession stand was run in the cafeteria to help raise money. A raffle drawing also took place which allowed the entire school to contribute to the cause. Prizes included sport equipment packages, I-Tunes gift cards, Game Stop gift cards and free weeks at the Harborfields Alumni and Community Educational Foundation (HACEF), Booster Club and Mecurio summer camps. The big items from the evening were a GoPro Camera and Beats by Dre Headphones.

“We would like to thank TJL PTA president Kimberly Arias and the PTA for all of their help and support leading up to the tournament and the day of the tournament,” said physical education teacher Michele Turchiano. “We would also like to thank the TJL faculty and staff for their donations and Assistant Principal Mary Williams and Principal Marguerite Greene for allowing us to continue to run our tournament year in and year out.”

“We truly appreciate the entire TJL family for coming together to help us make this year’s tournament a memorable one,” she added.

Stacey Renz visited the school at the end of January to meet some of the students who participated in the tournament and thanked them personally for a job well done.

Photo Caption: Harborfields fifth-grade volleyball participants, Principal Marguerite Greene, Assistant Principal Mary Williams and the Thomas J. Lahey Physical Education Department was thanked by Stacey Renz, for helping her family.

Photo courtesy of the Harborfields Central School District

Hamilton College student-athletes took a break from the busy winter sports season to volunteer at the Rescue Mission of Utica on Jan. 15.

A total of 22 student-athletes from eight winter sport teams organized and assembled nearly 200 birthday and Valentine’s Day gift bags for Rescue Mission residents.

The student-athletes also helped replenish the Rescue Mission’s post-holiday food pantry by donating and sorting 200 non-perishable food items.

Source: http://athletics.hamilton.edu/general/2016-17/releases/20170201o8762k