NEW YORK -- The BIG EAST Conference hosted men’s and women’s basketball events this weekend with programs aimed at helping student-athletes succeed on and off the court and after their college careers are over.
For men’s basketball, Freshmen Fundamentals assists first-year student-athletes with the transition from high school to college and the elite level of BIG EAST basketball. All 36 freshman on league rosters participated. Transition Game aims at upperclassmen, helping assist women’s players in the shift from college to being a professional.
“We’re so glad all of you are part of the BIG EAST family,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. “This is a tough league, a proud league. We want to make it a great experience for you and we want you, in four years, to leave with your degree. You are all going to get an incredible education.”
“You’re entering a new chapter in your life as a student-athlete,” said Stu Jackson, BIG EAST Executive Senior Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball, in his remarks at Freshmen Fundamentals. “We’re here to assist you and help face your concerns and issues to help you achieve your goals.”
The virtual format allowed both groups to hear from some of the same speakers in individual sessions. Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble, mental health expert, renowned researcher, consultant and author, used the hashtag #youreneveralone to show that there are always people who care and emphasized that student-athletes should seek support when needed and added thoughts how they can help others. Dr. Alfiee, as she is known, offered one practical suggestion to reduce stress – reduce time on social media.
The Freshmen Fundamentals former player panel, hosted again by St. John’s Tarik Turner, included Connecticut’s Caron Butler, Marquette’s Markus Howard and Villanova’s Josh Hart. Turner, who has enjoyed a successful career in the financial investment field and is a broadcaster for FOX Sports, and the panelists urged the freshmen to take advantage of networking opportunities during their college careers.
Butler, who played 14 years in the NBA, fondly remembered playing at Madison Square Garden. “You go play at MSG under the big lights and in the legacy of the giants. You can create your own niche in history.”
Howard added, “I’ve seen a lot of great basketball around the country and nothing compares to the BIG EAST. Being in the BIG EAST brings out the best in you as a player. I thought I played my best against great competition. To be able to play at an arena like MSG, you can’t put a price on that.”
Hart implored the student-athletes to be active civically. “You have a voice in voting,” he said. “People want leaders and you can be one. Your vote matters. Everything you do matters. Educate yourself. Be informed. Use your voice and influence other people who don’t have the platform that you have. Being silent isn’t an option anymore.”
Kalimah Johnson hosted a segment for Freshmen Fundamentals on relation management and safety. Johnson has been a regular FF contributor. She is the executive director of Sexual Assault Services for Holistic Healing and Awareness (SASHA), which was formed to eradicate intimate partner violence in our society. Johnson addressed how the freshmen can navigate the college space with respect to personal relationships.
Tracy Ellis-Ward, BIG EAST Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball helped coordinate the Transition Game program. “We did our best to try to bring the student-athletes the highlights of the Transition Game program and brought them what was most important and relevant to the times we’re living in,” said Ellis-Ward. “Everything from the former player panelists to Strength Finders to learning more about civic engagement, and ‘minding your own mental health’, are all very important to hold close to their hearts as they navigate this academic year and this basketball season.”
Transition Game participants heard from Connecticut graduate and WNBA standout Renee Montgomery, along with Dr. Andrew Mac Intosh and Scott Koenning from Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) regarding the importance of civic engagement and social activism. Student-athletes were put into small groups for genuine discussions on what they can do to address inequalities and direct social change. Montgomery shared her journey regarding the decision to forego the 2020 WNBA season and commit fully to activism.
“Knowing what’s happening in this world – everything is bigger than basketball right now,” said Providence student-athlete Kyra Spiwak. “Using our platforms and seeing how the panelists, like Renee Montgomery, is using her platform to spread awareness and empowering others to use their voices. Being in the BIG EAST Conference and participating in Transition Game is empowering all of us to use our voices and platforms.”
RISE’s Mac Intosh and Koenning also spoke to the Freshmen Fundamentals group.
Sharod Tomlinson addressed Transition Game with a Strength Finders exercise. Tomlinson, a personal development and community outreach expert, works with organizations to help employees, managers and teams attain peak performance. Tomlinson is the Director of the RISE Network at St. John’s.
The Transition Game former player panel focused on how the skills they developed as a student-athletes can translate into a successful career path.
The former player panel included Creighton’s Sara Roberge, Georgetown’s Monica McNutt, Marquette’s Kareeda Chones Aguam and Villanova’s Briana Weiss. Roberge is a pediatric nurse and Heart Transplant Coordinator in Omaha, Neb. McNutt is a broadcaster for several television outlets, including FOX Sports, ESPN/ACC Network and MSG Network. Chones-Aguam is V.P. of Partner Strategy and Management of the Milwaukee Bucks. Weiss is the assistant director of the USA National Women’s Basketball Team for USA Basketball.
“You have to be your own self-advocate,” said Weiss (Villanova, ’09). “It’s daunting entering the workforce, and as a student-athlete I was very afraid because I did feel so behind – I didn’t have internships, I felt like my network was just my coaching staff, just the athletic department, but you have to find confidence. I was able to become a Division I athlete, which is hard enough to do. So take that confidence and hard work, diligence, perseverance into the next phase, it’s going to serve you well in that next step.”
“I hope that people aren’t afraid to take a leap. Pursue stuff that you’re interested in, said Roberge, (Creighton ’08). “Basketball was all of our passions – we lived it, we breathed it for 21-22 years. It was not in the cards for me to play professionally. Find out what you like, what your interests are, research and investigate and then go at it with all of your heart. Use the characteristics that made you successful on the court, in the workforce and they’ll be just fine.
“I love this program, said McNutt (Georgetown, ’11). “I think it’s so important that we have some of these conversations. The panelists are all terrific. We don’t necessarily have all the right answers but we can share our experiences and I think that there’s power in that.”