MAAC SAAC Continues #A11MAACMinds Initiative at 2019 MAAC Basketball Championships
ALBANY, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Student Athlete Advisory Committee (MAAC SAAC) furthered its #A11MAACMinds campaign at the 2019 MAAC Basketball Championships in Albany, New York.
The initiative, #A11MAACMinds, represents the 11 institutions in the conference banding together to make the mind of a student-athlete a priority on campus. Since May of 2018, MAAC SAAC, along with each institutional SAAC branch, has brought the topic of mental health to the forefront of the conversation between student-athletes, athletic programs, and school administrations. The hashtag, #A11MAACMinds, coupled with the color lime green, has been circulated by MAAC institutions and teams throughout the 2018-19 academic year.
On Saturday, March 9, MAAC SAAC members set up a table on the concourse of the Times Union Center during the conference basketball championships to raise awareness on mental health issues faced by student-athletes. Representatives of all 11 MAAC schools provided informational pamphlets on the initiative, and interacted with fans attending the tournament games to begin the conversation on mental health.
“The #A11MAACMinds tabling event during the 2019 MAAC Basketball Championships was a success,” said MAAC SAAC Vice Chair and Saint Peter’s University Track & Field student-athlete, Douglas Nover. “Our goal as MAAC SAAC was to spread awareness on the importance of mental health to fans and students that attended the games. The representatives from each of our 11 MAAC schools were a great help, and we look forward to continuing our efforts at campus events and future conference championships as we continue to work towards breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.”
The tabling was done in conjunction with the MAAC SAAC in-person weekend meeting. SAAC members were split up into groups of 3-4 reps to oversee the tabling effort throughout the evening men’s session. Along with providing the brochures, SAAC members handed out green ribbons, which they assembled themselves, so that fans could show their support of mental health awareness.
Fans were also encouraged to sign their names on a poster board to show their support of mental health awareness, along with taking pictures in an #A11MAACMinds branded selfie cutout board. The board and cutout served to involve fans and spread awareness on the topic of mental health.
Additional photos from the event can be found in the following link:
#A11MAACMinds Tabling During 2019 MAAC Basketball Championships
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38
th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.