Reinvigorated SAAC sponsors Kids Fun Day
By Laurie Stein

A parachute landed outside Phillips Gymnasium last Sunday, bringing about 20 children in grades K-5 along with it.
No need for alarm. This parachute, a staple of elementary school gyms across the country, largely remained grounded, with the children holding onto it and running around in circles. It was merely one of the activities that comprised Kids Fun Day, an event sponsored by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
In an effort to re-establish one of their original objectives — community service — SAAC held the event April 13 in honor of National Student-Athlete Day which happned the week prior. Around 30 student volunteers, athletes and non-athletes, joined them in the effort.
“This is the first time that SAAC has done anything like this,” junior SAAC member and event coordinator Mara Brecht said. “It was really a lot of fun.”
Approximately 20 kids attended. The event was publicized via fliers at all of Oberlin’s elementary schools.
“No matter how many kids were there, it was still a success,” Brecht said. “Right now we’re establishing something. We can’t expect 520 kids to show up.”
“It was just a success to know that so many students are interested in helping out and working with children,” SAAC member and coordinator senior Emily Enderle said. “This event will get the ball moving with regard to people thinking of student-athletes as community members and as people.”
Enderle was both surprised and encouraged by the large volunteer turnout.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had that many different athletes together in one place,” she said. “It was nice to know that we all can work together for a common goal.” With so many volunteers, the children present were able to receive the athletes’ focused attention.
“The kids actually got a chance to get one-on-one interactions with the athletes, which was good,” SAAC member and coordinator junior Meagan Dunphy-Daly said.
The event, which ran from 1:30-4:00 p.m., made use of several Oberlin athletic facilities and included a number of different activities.
In addition to the parachute, the children played volleyball and basketball in the gym, ran relay races on the track and participated in soccer games on the football field.
“At 2:15 p.m. the women’s basketball coach, Christa Champion, spoke to the kids,” Brecht said. “She gave a really nice talk about finding the magic in something you love, whether it be academics or athletics.”
Brecht, Enderle and Dunphy-Daly planned the event with the help of SAAC advisor Jane Wildman and Director of Recreational Sports Betsy Bruce.
“The three of us came together and pooled resources,” Enderle said. “We spoke with the necessary people and had to get the flier approved. Betsy Bruce was amazing — she gave us a bunch of ideas.”
“Since this was a first, we had to do everything,” Brecht added. “Nothing like this has been established before.”
The three, along with advisor Wildman, are in part responsible for the revitalization of SAAC, which has been a part of Oberlin athletics for five years now.
“It’s kind of been growing in the past two years,’ Dunphy-Daly said. “Before we only met once a semester. Lately we’ve met a lot more and we focus more now on community involvement and volunteering.”
NCAA bylaws mandate that all member institutions and conferences have a SAAC, which, according to the national mission statement, is intended to “enhance the total student athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image.”
At Oberlin, SAAC is composed of two representatives from each varsity sport, and includes two, Brecht and junior Quammie Semper, who attend NCAC meetings.
Brecht described Oberlin’s branch of SAAC as “sorely lacking” up until Kids Fun Day.
“At the big meeting, with all the NCAC schools, we go around and everyone says, ‘We do this and this and this,’” she said. “Then we get to Oberlin, which is supposed to be so socially aware, and we’ve done nothing.”
Now that the ball is rolling, however, Brecht, Enderle and Dunphy-Daly are all looking forward to opportunities for further involvement.
“Kids Fun Day was sort of a catalyst event,” Dunphy-Daly said. “We’ve been wanting to start a tutoring program and it will be a good kickoff for that since we’ve made contact with some of the kids. We want to keep doing stuff like this, to convey the importance of the combination of athletics and academics.”
The number of volunteers at Kids Fun Day made Dunphy-Daly optimistic about future events.
“I think the fact that so many student-athletes showed up was a success,” she said. “A lot of them thanked us for the opportunity to come out and do this.”

April 25
May 2

site designed by jon macdonald and ben alschuler ::: maintained by xander quine