COLCHESTER, Vt. - Five Saint Michael's College student-athletes and nine campus administrators attended three leadership conferences around the country during the first semester, all geared toward outfitting the attendees with new skills and ideas to help foster community on their respective campuses.
 
 
APPLE TRAINING INSTITUTE
On Sept. 19-21, six members of the Saint Michael's community were in Denver at an Athletic Prevention Programming and Leadership Education (APPLE) Training Institute geared specifically to NCAA Division II schools. Baseball junior Colin Kinsella (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop), men's ice hockey sophomore Cole Douglas (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), Bergeron Wellness Center Coordinator of Wellness Outreach and Education Bridgette Akins, Associate Director of Athletics Annie Martin '19, Athletic Trainer Aislinn O'Connor, and baseball assistant coach Matt Meunier all attended the workshop. Meunier is also a Champlain Valley School District Student Assistance Program counselor.
 
APPLE Training Institutes, developed and coordinated by the University of Virginia's Gordie Center and funded by the NCAA since 1991, are the leading national substance misuse prevention and health promotion conferences for student-athletes and athletic department administrators. APPLE Training Institute assists colleges in applying UVA's comprehensive APPLE substance misuse prevention model to their campus environment. Over the course of a weekend, student-athletes and administrators create an institution-specific action plan to prevent student-athlete substance misuse and promote health and wellness. Since 1992, more than 60% of all NCAA member institutions have attended one of the annual conferences.
 
NCAA IMPACT FORUM
Eight College representatives participated in the NCAA Impact Forum on Nov. 10-12 in Indianapolis, Ind., just down the road from the NCAA's national headquarters. The professional development experience offered educational and engaging sessions centered around creating cultures of belonging and well-being. This year's theme was Embracing Humanity, Building Community. Participants gained practical information and tools related to community-building and other learning strategies they took back to their campuses. Attendees also engaged in sessions and dialogue focused on enhancing efforts to support all student-athletes and their unique experiences on campus.
 
Through the Division II Enhanced Forum, Martin, women's lacrosse junior Julia Barbato (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial), men's lacrosse junior Liam Weagle (Hudson, Mass./Assabet Valley Regional Technical), Dean of Student Engagement Heidi St. Peter '96, Manager of Athletic Equipment and Game Operations Evelyn Miller, and men's lacrosse head coach Alex Smith participated in the workshop. Director of Athletic Internal Operations Shawn Bragg participated as a member of the NCAA Pathway Program, and Director of Athletic Communications Josh Kessler '04 was among three Athletic Communications professionals invited to serve on a panel regarding building athletic cultures through storytelling.
 
NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE LEADERSHIP FORUM
Bragg and women's cross country/outdoor track junior Meredith Reilly (Ashland, Mass./Ashland), also the Saint Michael's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president, attended the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Dallas on Nov. 20-23. Hosted by the NCAA leadership development staff, the event provided learners with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their core values, develop emotional intelligence, embrace vulnerability, grow their personal network, and develop leadership skills. The forum served 184 student-athletes from across the NCAA's three divisions.