With "Music City" as the backdrop, five AMCC student-athletes sang the praises of their time at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, TN.

Four of the student-athletes--Morgan Fussell of Penn State Altoona; Zoal Awad of Pitt-Bradford; Jackson Powers of Alfred State; and Maya Capozzoli of Mount Aloysius--were selected by their institutions to attend the annual event of NCAA members.  The fifth, Brooklyn Bellavia of Pitt-Bradford, was chosen as part of a special immersion program for ethnic minority and female student-athetes.

All had similar but slightly different reasons for wanting to attend this annual gathering of NCAA member administrators and presidents/chancellors.

"I was motivated to go because I wanted to meet fellow Division III athletes and to become involved in the important conversations pertaining to college athletics," explaiined Capozzoli.  "Being a leader on my team is important to me and I wanted to bring back information that could benefit Mount Aloysius College Athletics."

Fussell echoed a similar sentiment.  "My biggest motivation was, first and foremost, to represent my institution, Penn State Altoona," she said.  "Second, I wanted to see the behind-the-scenes of it all, learn from and connect with other student-athletes."

Powers had a career perspective in mind.  "My decision to attend the NCAA Convention was driven by a strong interest in understanding the inner workings of the NCAA and its decision-making processes," he explained.  "As someone exploring a potential career within the NCAA, I viewed this event as a valuable opportunity to deepen my knowledge of its structure and governance."

 All the students came away from the convention with some unexpected takeaways.

Said Powers, "One aspect of the convention that stood out to me was the Issues Forum. Despite my expectations, this session was not exclusively led by NCAA officials or representatives. Instead, it provided a platform for student-athletes from across the country to share their concerns and perspectives on a variety of topics, which were heard by the NCAA."

"It surprised me how much some other SAACs struggle with the same issues our conference SAACs struggle with," said Fussell.  "It opened my eyes. I took ideas from other SAACs on how to combat some of the issues back to my campus to hopefully help my SAAC thrive."

Capozzoli was struck by the amount of deliberation that took place.  "I was most surprised by the amount of thought and time that goes into discussing important issues and legislation regarding Division III athletics," she explained.  "All Division III conference commissioners and athletic directors are a part of these conversations and decisions."

Overall, the the students agreed that the visit to Nashville was time well spent.

"The most impactful lesson I took away from the convention was the critical importance of networking," Powers offered. "I had the privilege of connecting with a wide range of individuals, including student-athletes, Faculty Athletics Representatives, coaches, and Athletic Directors from various conferences. These interactions not only expanded my professional network, but also opened doors for future opportunities, solidifying my aspirations for a career in the NCAA landscape."

Bellavia, who attended the convention as part of the D3 Immersion program, agreed.  "I went into the program not knowing anyone and left knowing 35 plus people. I formed some solid friendships which I feel will carry far beyond the conference."

The immersion program provides more structured learning at the convention for student-athletes who envision a career in athletics.  Said Bellavia, "This was a great opportunity to help prep myself for the work industry with all the practice networking, professional development lessons, DiSC workshops and more. You must learn who you are before you can sell yourself to others."

So what message would they send to AMCC student-athletes who are offered this chance next year?

Fussell was reflective.  "Something I learned was that, as student-athletes, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and that every person in our conference has our best interests at heart," she said.  "I saw this come into play during our conference meeting with athletic staff from every institution in the AMCC and how issues arise. They will spend hours discussing the issue to make sure that the solution is in the best interest of all student-athletes."

Capolzzoli was emphatic:  "The voice of the student-athlete matters! No matter what the issues are or what the legislation is, it affects the athlete most of all. Therefore, student-athletes at all levels need to start those important conversations within their athletic department at their institution."