Student-Athlete Advisory Committee visits Children's of Alabama
Birmingham, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference and its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) kicked off their annual meetings on Wednesday, highlighted by a visit to Children's of Alabama on Thursday.
The conference hosted the 20+ SAAC members representing all of its schools, spanning over five different states, from Wednesday, July 30, to Friday, Aug. 1. The student-athletes gained valuable experience in leadership, community service, social media strategies and networking.
The meetings kicked off with an orientation at the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park Hotel on Wednesday and capped off with a visit to Regions Park to watch the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, that night.
The following day, the SAAC, along with representatives from the GSC, attended a community service engagement in which Children's hosted a Transformers-themed party for the patients.
The group split off into two groups, one took a tour of the impressive facility, while the other visited with the children. The two groups then switched. For West Florida soccer player Stuart McCrory, the visit was well worth it.
"This means a lot to me because my brother was treated at this hospital 10 years ago," McCrory said. "It is a great feeling for me to be able to give back to them because they have done so much for my family."
Christian Brothers volleyball player and long-time SAAC representative Alison Welch was humbled by the experience and is appreciative of what SAAC offers at not only the conference level, but the national level as well.
"Our SAAC program is a vital part of NCAA Division II," Welch said. "What we are doing for community service is great. Today, in going to the Children's Hospital, it was fun to work with the kids and show them a good time. We learned a lot on the tour of the hospital and it is amazing what they have done and continue to do for the patients."
The SAAC meetings continued after lunch on Thursday and featured various presentations. Jim Doggett of the Fireseeds group, who met with the student-athletes to offer career advice and discuss preparations in obtaining one's first job, while Daniel Walters, of Iron Tribe Fitness, also spoke with the group regarding the importance of social media in today's work force and sports.
The SAAC meetings will conclude with discussions and break-out meetings on Friday, Aug. 1.
Children's of Alabama Boilerplate
Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children across the state and throughout the southeastern U.S. Children’s is ranked among the best children’s hospital programs in the nation by US News & World Report. Last year, patients made more than 670,000 outpatient visits and experienced nearly 14,000 inpatient days at Children’s, coming from every county in Alabama and from 45 other states and four foreign countries. With more than 2 million square feet, it is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. Children’s offers inpatient and outpatient services across its Russell Campus on Birmingham’s historic Southside with additional specialty services provided at Children’s South, Children’s on 3
rd and in Huntsville and Montgomery. Primary care is provided at more than a dozen medical offices in communities across central Alabama. Children’s of Alabama is the only medical center in Alabama dedicated solely to the care and treatment of children. It is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the primary site of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research and residency programs. In 2012, Children’s moved much of its inpatient services into a new facility named The Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children.
More information is available at
www.childrensal.org