Stevens Athletics Receives NADIIIAA Community Service Award
Jonathan McCue
HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 10, 2018) – The Stevens Institute of Technology department of athletics has been selected as the Honorable mention recipient of the NADIIIAA Community Service Award for its Top of the V Leadership Academy and Community Outreach program.
The awards program, established in 2001, is co-sponsored by the NADIIIAA and Jostens and is intended to recognize the many contributions Division III student-athletes regularly make to their campuses and local communities. Recognition is given for projects in three categories: One Time Projects, An Array of Projects, and Ongoing Projects. The awards will be presented during the NADIIIAA Awards Reception at the NCAA Convention held in Nashville, Tennessee on January 21.
In addition to the overall winners, three institutions received Award of Merit recognition within each category, along with nine institutions that earned honorable mention status.
At Stevens' Top of the V Leadership Academy, student leaders of all Stevens varsity sports teams returned to Castle Point before the summer ends for two days of discussion involving winning, anti-hazing, leadership, character and multiple community service opportunities as well.
Attendees traveled throughout Hoboken performing community service. Search #DucksRAK (random acts of kindness) on social media to see examples of good deeds performed by those in attendance. The student-athletes also attended the Escape Room Experience in Hoboken as part of a team-building exercise.
"The Top of the V was designed to give our team leaders a great kick off to the school year," said head women's basketball coach
Megan Haughey, who as instrumental in putting together the program. "This year's group was our largest to date, and I thought their engagement and participation made the event very special"
Lectures by head women's soccer coach
Jeff Parker (What Drives Winning?), Dr. Thea Zunick (Anti-Hazing), and Dr. Donald Lombardi (Keynote) highlighted day two's itinerary. The student-athletes were also divided into small discussion groups on topics such as drinking, homophobic language, recruit overnight visits, hazing, social media, work/life balance and academic integrity.
Top of the V is named after the formation that Ducks fly in. As leaders on their teams, the Academy's participants are expected to fly at the top of the V.
About NADIIIAA: NADIIIAA is an association comprised of athletics administrators from the nearly 450 institutions and 43 conferences competing at the NCAA Division III level. A primary purpose of NADIIIAA is to encourage the continued development of athletics programs focused on the student-athlete and based on sound educational philosophy.