COLUMBUS, Ohio – Less than two miles away from the campus of Ohio Dominican University lies Mock Park and the Willis Athletic Complex that is part of the Columbus Parks & Recreation program.
To kick off the 2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Meeting on Friday afternoon, student-athletes from each member institution had a few hours of indoor fun with 80 youths from the community at that location.
The direct tie to the Great Midwest is with Columbus Parks & Recreation Manager Antonio Combs, whose leadership style and enthusiasm for mentoring young kids is simply infectious. He with various team leaders to help assemble a memorable day for all involved.
Combs (2004-07) is a former football player at Ohio Dominican and a graduate in Sport Management. His passion for serving the community runs deep having grown up in Akron and as a product of the Boys & Girls Club.
Combs even challenged the SAAC members to share one of their personal takeaways as the day came to an end.
“It is really exciting to see the kids out here having some athletic success and to see them grow,” said Combs. “The conference student-athletes that came today left a lasting impression from the smiles that you could see on some of the faces. I think it probably takes them back to when they were around that age and looking for influential people in their own lives.”
Student-athletes rotated through five different stations where they might have been a little out of their element from the sport(s) they are used to excelling in. There were activities for soccer, football, basketball, agility and speed and a game some probably weren’t familiar with called GaGa Ball.
The activities were strenuous and competitive and at times it felt like the NFL Scouting Combine. The SAAC members were certainly working up a sweat as if their preseason workouts were already underway.
To end the afternoon, a wild game of ‘Chaos’ (dodgeball with a few different wrinkles) ensued and if everyone wasn’t worn out already, the last activity probably did the trick. “Chaos” lived it up to its title and with no teams, people dropped like flies but the game didn’t really have an official end.
The Great Midwest SAAC is in Columbus for two days as part of their preparation for the new academic year. There will be additional activities and guest speakers lined up for their professional development and the business session will convene on Saturday.