All nine AMCC members plus the conference SAAC have completed the NCAA Division III OneTeam program as part of the conference's diversity, equity and inclusion initiative.

The goal of achieving 100% conference participation was reached in January, but actually began in 2019-20 when Commissioner Donna Ledwin and Mount Aloysius College lacrosse coach/SWA Danielle O'Leary became certified as OneTeam facilitators.  Despite the disruption of the pandemic, the two have nevertheless teamed up to conduct trainings for 16 different institutions and SAACs across four conferences.

The program was the brainchild of the Division III LGBTQ Working Group of which Ledwin is a member.  The purpose of the program is to promote a culture of respect and inclusion of colleagues and teammates in the LGBTQ+ community through education.  The use of "real world" case studies as part of the training is a key component.

"You can't do your best work when you are not respected, and no team can reach its highest potential when all members are not included," explained Ledwin.  "This is not rocket science but because we who are straight and cisgender make a lot of assumptions about things like sexual orientation and gender identity, it is easy to diminish the talents and contributions and even the humanity of those in the LGBTQ+ community whom we work with every day because we are careless with our words or actions.  OneTeam has been a great opportunity to raise awareness about this."

In addition to conducting sessions for every athletic department, Ledwin and O'Leary have also trained specific groups such as senior woman administrators and athletic trainers.  "They are often the first line of eyes and ears when it comes to identifying LGBTQ-related issues," said Ledwin.  Student-athlete leaders are also important, she added, so even though OneTeam wasn't originally intended for student-athletes, Ledwin and O'Leary have adapted the program to connect with them.

Ledwin believes in OneTeam because it encourages ongoing conversation after the 90 minute training is finished, and provides many useful everyday strategies.  "I approach every session with that famous Maya Angelou quote in mind:  'We do the best we can until we know better; but once we know better, we must do better."