Winter 2009 - Mitchell College

American honors, and parcipaon in the
Student Athlec Advisory Commiee (SAAC).
“SAAC is a powerful group that influences
legislaon and rules,” White says, “and Division III
student athletes in parcular are empowered to
speak and influence, going back to the philosophy
that Division III athletes are students first.” For
example, last year Mitchell’s student athletes
decided that allowing coaches to use text messages
as a form of communicaon was invasive,
so they had the rules changed. “These kids actually
helped apply stricter drug and alcohol policies,”
White says. “They also influence uniform
design and the selecon of vendors and
manufacturers. We feel strongly that student
athletes are a part of the process.”
Although Mitchell was in a good posion to
achieve Division III status, there were many steps
to take in order to achieve 100 percent compliance
with the NCAA’s rules. White says a key step
was choosing a new identy. The NCAA Execuve
Commiee strongly suggests that instuons
follow the best pracces of instuons that do
not support the use of Nave American mascots
or imagery. Since its founding in 1938, Mitchell
College athletes had been known as the Pequots.
The NCAA implemented its restricons on Nave
connued on page 6
A Student Athlete’s
Perspective
By Heather-Renaé Powers ’10
Change is an event that occurs when
something passes from one phase to
another, (Merriam-Webster Diconary).
Recently Mitchell College went under
complete change very quickly and successfully.
As an athlec organizaon, we
moved from the New England Junior
Collegiate College Division to the NCAA
Division III bracket. With this change
occurring, Mitchell College has now opened several doors
for our athlec teams as a whole. We are now able to
compete and challenge at a higher level, allowing us to set
higher personal and academic standards, as well as working
harder as teams individually.
As a captain for the Mitchell College Volleyball team and the
President of the Student Athlec Advisory Commiee (SAAC),
moving to the NCAA Division III bracket has been one of the
best changes Mitchell College has ever seen. On a personal
level, I have created unforgeable memories and met
several student athletes from other colleges. This
experience, in my eyes, has assisted Mitchell College to
grow and expand in many ways and create more
opportunies to come in our future.
about the role of the student athlete. The essence of the
Division III experience is the collegiate model of athletics
in which students parcipate as an avocaon, not a
profession, balancing their academic, social and athlecs
experiences. This non-scholarship approach to collegiate
sport is fundamentally sound and focuses the proper
aenon on a student’s academic and social welfare. It
also insures the highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship
in fair compeon. It gives a structure to compe-
on, keeping the proper balance between the fields of
compeon and the academic classroom.
I have heard one President of a major university state
that he hoped to create a university of which its football
team could be proud. This clearly is a misplaced priority.
Mitchell College will produce fine student-athletes, with
the emphasis on student. This is a sound priority.
I feel confident that I can speak for all former student
athletes in that when we put on the colors of our team,
of our college, we took great pride in wearing what
represented to us our es to our community. The es
that bond alumni to their college community are indeed
strong. During my career, I found this to be true at all levels of
compeon.
During a career that spanned 12 years of collegiate coaching,
to 10 years serving as the Secretary General of US Soccer, I have
seen this pride carried over to all levels of compeon. Yes,
indeed, the athletes who represent the USA in the Olympic or
World Cup compeons love to put on the colors of our naon
and play with pride for what the jersey represents.
I am quite confident that Mitchell College’s future will be even
brighter than its past. The new Mitchell College Mariners will
represent our college and community with pride and dignity.
Hank Steinbrecher’69 has had a life long relaonship with
soccer and sport. As a youth player Hank was very acve in
his home of Queens, New York. Mr. Steinbrecher was recently
inducted into the Naonal Soccer Hall of Fame as a builder of
the game, received the Naonal Soccer Coaches Associaon’s
highest award, The NSCAA Honor Award and has been voted as
a Lifeme Member of US Soccer. He is also a member of the
Mitchell College Athlecs Hall of Fame.
MitchellTODAY 5