Student Athlete Association (SAA) is a newly formed club with the intention of “giving recognition to students in the game and in class.” Juniors Giada Porven and Isabella Abohasen wanted to find a way to express their frustration on not receiving the credit they deserved, so they decided to bring back SAA.
Since a student athletes’ well being gets heavily impacted regularly, it is important for them to be surrounded by an understanding, yet positive environment. Being apart of SAA ensures that “Every sport is seen and every athlete is heard,” Co-President Porven describes. Both Porven and Abohasen have mentioned their personal experiences with not having a voice to many student athletes even before the club began.
They hope that from their experiences, this allows more students to want to bring awareness to their school-sport struggles and to make it known that they are not alone. However, if athletes focus on creating a new mindset, that will not only better themselves but also can guarantee a successful attitude within their respective sports.
Going beyond the swim caps, track spikes, or even martial arts, Student Athlete Association fosters “A community of people who can relate to the game.” Volleyball Athlete, Alexandra Nicole Costa even expresses, “I am excited to be recognized and to see others and how hard they have worked to be in the position they are in.”
The benefits of this club do not strictly come from the social motive of expanding athletic connections, but rather to develop knowledge and opportunities. Throughout the progression of the year, events will be held at organizations like nutrition clinics, recruitment clinics, and CPR Certification. These will allow Charter athletes to fully develop the necessary hidden knowledge of being an athlete while gaining the support through these specialized events.
Becoming a great athlete solely stems from the help you additionally provide off the field or on the court. With this initiative, SAA will not only support other athletes in need but they will also host sports equipment drives to achieve this goal.
On top of all the events planned throughout the year, SAA plans on adding a tournament to their schedule for everyone to come watch and cheer on their favorite teams. Although the club has many dreams, SAA hopes to create a comfortable environment for all their members.
