CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference welcomed student-athlete leaders from across the league to Cleveland on Monday, September 14, for the 11th annual Taking MACtion Summit.
Established in 2015, the Taking MACtion Summit began with a focus on mental health and has since grown to include topics surrounding inclusion and personal development. The annual event brings MAC student-athletes together for a day of discussion, learning and interaction away from competition.
This year's theme, “Below the Surface,” focused on who student-athletes are beyond the competitor. The day centered around three areas - embracing emotions, exploring identity and empowering community - with student-athletes taking part in interactive sessions and roundtable discussions with their peers from across the Conference.
Mental health counselor and mental performance coach Carlie Grandjean, owner of Master Your Mind, opened the Summit with “Embracing the Emotions.” A former collegiate lacrosse player and current collegiate coach, Grandjean works with athletes from the middle school through professional levels and shared tools to help student-athletes navigate the mental side of competition and everyday life.
Shoshanna Engel Lewis, owner of VH Consulting, followed with “Exploring Identity.” A former Academic All-American gymnast and captain at Yale, Engel Lewis has spent her career working throughout higher education and intercollegiate athletics, including leadership positions at Brown and Georgia Tech.
The final session, “Empowering Your Community,” was led by Dr. Jo Line, Program Director of Community-Engaged Research and Learning at Oberlin College. Line's work focuses on team building, collaboration and helping individuals and groups build stronger communities.
Throughout the three sessions, student-athletes worked in different roundtable groups - mixing sports, schools and campus groups - to discuss each topic and learn from one another. The Summit concluded with a call to action from University at Akron women's soccer student-athlete Sara Bower, President of the MAC Council of Student-Athletes (COSA).
The Taking MACtion Summit is one of the Conference's ongoing efforts to support the development and well-being of MAC student-athletes beyond their time in competition.
