Centennial Conference Hosts SAAC Leadership Retreat and Special Olympics Event

Centennial SAAC Representatives and Athletes from the Central Pennsylvania Special Olympics

Lancaster, Pa. - The Centennial Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) began the 2011-12 academic year with energy and excitement as representatives from all 11 institutions came together in Harrisburg, Pa. this past weekend for the annual Centennial Conference SAAC Leadership Retreat.

The retreat opened on Friday afternoon with special guest Keith Waldman from Optimal Performance Associates.  Waldman focused his presentation on targeting and achieving goals, enhancing mutual support and team trust, overcoming obstacles as a team and many other key leadership components. The hands-on workshop engaged students and was a key energizer for the weekend’s events.

Following the opening segment, our athletes took part in a professional development seminar where they had the chance to learn some tips on resume building, networking, and interviewing techniques.   The two-day retreat continued on Saturday morning with campus action plans and roundtable discussions.   Each SAAC representative had the opportunity to share insight on how his/her SAAC committee operates on each campus and how he or she handles community service activities and fundraisers, as well as, discuss important issues affecting their campus.

The meeting moved right along into a discussion of upcoming legislation for the 2012 NCAA Convention.  As part of a three-year rotation between the Centennial Conference and the Colonial States Athletic Conference, Ursinus sophomore Steve Berardi was selected as our NCAA SAAC Representative for 2011-13 this past summer.  Berardi led the legislative discussion among the group and highlighted some key talking points from the National SAAC committee, including the upcoming vote on the use of text messaging in the recruiting process.

The Centennial Conference SAAC welcomed the Central Pennsylvania branch of the Special Olympics to join us for lunch and close out the retreat with some friendly competition.  Global messenger Stacey Price spoke on behalf of the Special Olympics about her fortunate opportunities she has had with the organization.   All of the athletes wrapped up the day with a bocce ball tournament.

Overall, the weekend gave the Centennial Conference SAAC members an opportunity to learn new leadership techniques, voice their opinions on important NCAA legislation and participate in an exciting event with the Special Olympics of Central Pennsylvania.