UNCG’s Parker Truesdale Shares Experience from NCAA Division I SAAC Meetings
Redshirt senior Parker Truesdale of the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s golf team traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, the headquarters of the NCAA, during the weekend of September 30-October 1 to attend the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting. Truesdale is the president of the UNCG SAAC as well as a representative on The Southern Conference (SoCon) SAAC. Take a read below to read about his experiences over the weekend.
Parker Truesdale – SAAC
This past weekend, I had the unique opportunity to travel to Indianapolis to represent SoCon and UNCG at the NCAA Division I SAAC meeting. At first, it was a no-brainer: a free trip to the somewhat majestic Midwest region of the United States. However, as the meeting crept closer and closer, I started to feel nervous and cautious about what I was getting into. After all, I had no idea what I was doing, who would be there, or what they expected of me while I was representing our entire conference.
I spent most of my first day roaming about Indianapolis, checking out all the sites any sports fan would want to visit: Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the occasional coffee shop trip in between. It turns out that sports venues are incredibly underwhelming at noon on a weekday. The first day had almost come to a close, and I had still not met a single person from the meeting that I knew of. I spent the entire day staring down every semi-athletic person in a college t-shirt, debating whether I should walk up to them and ask if they wanted to be friends.
Parker Truesdale – SAAC
My worries quickly dissipated as one student asked in the chat if anyone wanted to grab dinner. After that initial invite, I realized all my worrying was for nothing. In the end, these twenty some-odd students were the representation of the NCAA and the change that is driving us as student-athletes. From then on, I engaged in as many conversations with as many student-athletes as possible; the perspectives they brought from their diverse athletic experiences fascinated me. Surrounding myself with like-minded, driven people always rejuvenates my motivation to make a difference and get involved. The conversations with student-athletes from different conferences and schools ignited my inspiration for ways to improve both our conference and institutional SAAC committee.
As student-athletes, we always strive for improvements in our individual experiences. The issue is that most student-athletes strive in silence as they feel their voice does not make a difference in the big picture. After attending the meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, this past weekend, I found the lack of voice among student-athletes is a confounding misconception.
In the ever-changing landscape of the NCAA, moving closer toward a holistic student-athlete model for all student-athletes is the priority. As President of our university SAAC, I should advocate for what would be best for our school and conference. This weekend, I finally had my seat at the table where my voice was heard, my opinions mattered, and I was making a difference not only for our institution but for all student-athletes.
Parker Truesdale – SAAC
Throughout the meeting, the throughline to every conversation or debate was what was best for the student-athletes. A significant push, backed by the NCAA, is to promote the Division I holistic student-athlete model. The newly adopted model supports expanding mental health, academic support, and career services to improve the overall experience as a Division I student-athlete. That said, the question remains: What does the support look like right now, and how can the NCAA help identify institutions that need further aid? The idea rolling at the moment is a student-athlete survey mandated either institutionally or by the NCAA to provide hard data highlighting the current state of each athletic department. Comparative data will be provided to the university to see what departmental areas need improvement according to their student-athletes. The idea and vision behind this survey is to give every institution direct feedback from their current student-athletes to then shift each department closer to the targeted, holistic student-athlete model.
In the meeting, we also discussed pending litigation relating to compensation for past student-athletes, effects of current student-athlete unions, and the potential classification of student-athletes as employees. In this conversation, we discussed ongoing government representatives speaking on behalf of student-athletes, many of whom have never experienced the life of a student-athlete or have never reached out to gain the perspective. Actions and decisions are being made with voices that are not our own, and the only way we can change that is to speak up for ourselves. In my time, sitting in a board room chatting with conference representatives, varying liaisons, and at one point, the NCAA president Charlie Baker, I realized that the voice of the student-athlete can hold as much value as the student wants. Every student-athlete can have an impact, either individually or through the voice of their university representative.
Parker Truesdale – SAAC
The NCAA SAAC is pushing all student-athletes to write a letter to members of Congress either on an individual, university, or conference level. By writing a letter to Congress, we can eliminate those speaking on our behalf and insert our authentic experience as student-athletes. The most effective letters relate to what being a student-athlete has meant to you and why you chose to become one in the first place. A letter to a member of Congress does not have to be a solo job; many have collaborated with their athletic departments and conferences to embody all their experiences into one piece. I now have an abundance of tools necessary to complete this process so I can spearhead any potential motivations for letters. The pending legislation puts the holistic model in a fragile position, so we cannot risk the absence of student-athlete voices when these decisions are being made.
At times, the NCAA carries a poor stigma for some decisions that have been magnified and spread nationwide, potentially deservingly so, that’s for you to decide. However, after sitting in the headquarters for a weekend, I found that employees are sitting in Indianapolis daily, actively trying to improve our experience as student-athletes. All of which are eager to hear our opinions and thoughts as student-athletes. This experience has instilled a particular passion in me to motivate not only UNCG but also the SoCon as a whole to get involved and share our experience for the betterment of future student-athletes.
Courtesy Emma White
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro