Jake Cala, President of SAAC and a member of the lacrosse and wrestling teams, speaks on how athletics shaped him into the leader he is today.
SAAC stands for Student Athletic Advisory Committee which is an organization that revolves around student athletes giving back to the community. Jake Cala, 20, of New Haven, Connecticut says that's SAAC's "best aspect." Cala has been playing sports since he was five years old. It wasn't until seventh grade when Cala started taking athletics seriously.
"It made me feel good and happy and all my brothers were playing," he told Kayla Juarbe, CMSV Sports Information intern.
Being on the high school lacrosse and wrestling team with his brothers helped keep Cala disciplined throughout his adolescent years. Cala explains, "If I was out of line I had to see not only my brothers but also had to see other members of my team who were like my brothers… it affected me to grow up and be like this is the standard I have to be at... And helped me push forward."
Having self discipline from sports has not only prepared Cala for his leadership position in SAAC but in other aspects of his life as well.
"A lot of patience has occurred from not only sports but from college as well, college has disciplined me in many ways, for patience... because not everything is going to go the way you want it which led me into going into my major [be]cause I want to go into Special Education," says the Psychology major.
SAAC's most fulfilling moments was a back to school drive at St. Margaret of Cortona Elementary School "the look on all those kids faces was priceless, we've had bins filled with binders, papers, and pens and anything… erasers with monsters on them… everything."
The other fulfilling moment is an annual Special Olympics volleyball. "It's a qualifier which means everyone is in their zone but it's just the best thing to feel, to give back to someone who suffers from mental illnesses or even physical illnesses... It's a great feeling."
The student athlete explains the goal for SAAC this year is to give back to others not just CMSV athletes but to those who surround us and bring more of a community between the organization and the students. "The goal is to show not just the baseball team, the wrestling team, the soccer team, but that we are all like a family… I want to make this whole year a family year."
Cala further explains that being President of SAAC is "is overwhelming at times because I've never done it, but then I realized I've been captain before for wrestling and I've also been a leader... but for me it's not about the power that I look at, I feel more as what we do is the focus. What we want to do. Who we want to plan for. Our committee."
Anyone who wants to become a part of SAAC can start going to biweekly meeting on Mondays in the back room of Hudson Heights and talk to the board of SAAC. Cala also mentions that even though SAAC is mainly focused on student athletes the organization is open to all.
Kayla Juarbe is a feature writer intern for CMSVAthletics.com
