At Washington and Lee, where the sports teams go by the incredibly cool and incredibly appropriate nickname The Generals, Athletic Director Jan Hathorn (Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: “The Hath” as in “Don’t hassle the Hath””) announced the rededication of the school’s Student Athlete Mentor group as an organization known simply as “23”. No it doesn’t have anything to do with Discordianism or The Law Of Fives, the group is called 23 because that’s how many varsity sports the university sponsors. Their motto is “Many sports, one team.” The mission of W&L’s “23” is to create and promote a united community of student-athletes. Their goals are to develop and strengthen a sense of responsibility and wellness through risk reduction and bystander intervention.
Lacrosse player Lauren Acker, Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname, “L.A. Woman”, is the student chair of 23 and is outspoken about the group’s mission:
“Being a student-athlete at W&L is something that I am very proud of — it is a very important aspect of my identity on campus,” said Acker. “I am passionate about “23” and its mission because I believe it has the potential to greatly enhance a student-athlete’s experience at W&L. Our inspiration stemmed from the fact that we have 23 varsity sports on campus, yet there is little interaction and camaraderie amongst these sports. I feel that as student-athletes, we must all look out for each other, just as we would a teammate. It is important to transcend our teams’ boundaries to build an even larger support base as we pursue our athletic and academic goals at W&L.”
The idea for the rededication was born when Hathorn and Associate Athletic Director Shana Levine attended the APPLE Conference at the University of Virginia last January. The APPLE Conference offers teams of student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, administrators, and alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) prevention specialists an opportunity to evaluate the ATOD environment within their athletics departments, and to develop a specific action plan to enhance prevention efforts. After attending the conference, Hathorn and Levine began devising a way to re-energize the SAMS in order to achieve the mission for what has become “23”.
“At the Apple Conference last year, it became apparent that our student-athlete leaders have been seeking a new way to articulate their pride as an athlete, individually and collectively, on campus,” noted Hathorn. “Specifically, they wanted to become a more unified group, and they felt that focusing on bystander behavior would be a great stepping stone towards expressing their care, concert and support of one another. I am very pleased and proud of the efforts of ‘23’ and the work they have already accomplished. If the dedication and spirit that has been demonstrated so far continues, this organization is well on its way to creating a new spirit of unity among our student-athletes on campus.”
Already, “23” has organized the first-ever student-athlete picnic (Sept. 19) and they have printed T-Shirts intended to identify athletes as a group on campus. The group intends on continuing their mission throughout the school year in order to provide a sense of unity among the school’s teams and athletes.
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