The Regina Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) (Established 2025-2026) is a student-led group that serves as a communication bridge between student-athletes, coaches, and athletic administrators. Its primary goal is to represent student-athletes’ perspectives, build a sense of community between all our teams, promote sportsmanship, and organize events that benefit both the athletic department and Regina community. It aims to promote leadership, sportsmanship and a positive experience for student-athletes, coaches, and fans. 

2025-2026 SAAC Members:

• Seniors:
  • Annamarie Artymovich
  • Grace Cooper
  • Kaylee Esch 
  • Bailie Jackowski 
  • Briela Kenney 
  • Avery Mason
  • Bailee Roths 
  • MaKenzie Ryska 
  • Laney Taylor 
  • Caroline Torey 
  • Lilly Zdankiewicz 
• Juniors:
  • Emilia Bas
  • Josie Evoy  
  • Maria Giulianelli
  • Lily Hansen
  • Mattie Houth 
  • Aliana Schoenherr
  • Cate Seip 
  • Marlee Wierszewski 
  • Gianna Yaldo
  • Madelyn Yezback 
• Sophomores
  • Catherine Ballor
  • Matisyn Bouhanna
  • Emerson Daniell
  • Arianna Haidar
  • Emersen Holder 
  • Jailyn Houth
  • Sarah Joseph 
  • Elyse Mlynarek 
  • Morgan Thimm 

Mission Statement: **the first committee will help draft a new mission statement based on our goals 

The SAAC represents the voice of student-athletes at Regina High School, focusing on promoting safety, leadership (in both academics and athletics), sportsmanship, and positive relationships with coaches, administrators, and peers.  Student-athletes are trained to act as servant leaders, shaping the team’s culture and guiding their peers  to create a supportive and respectful environment. It also advocates for student-athletes concerns and promotes their voice to higher organizations like the Catholic High School League and the Michigan High School Athletic Association. 

Key Functions: 

1. Representation: Acting as the voice of student-athletes, SAAC brings their ideas to coaches, administrators, and the athletic department. 
    
2. Leadership Development: A significant emphasis is placed on empowering leaders and encouraging them to become servant leaders. We want to train them to be effective leaders, both in and out of sports, so they can have a positive impact on team culture and success. Servant leaders foster positive team dynamics, maintain communication between players and coaches, and help their teams navigate challenges. Ultimately, they learn strong leadership skills to help lead a unified team. 
    
3. Facilitating Communication: Facilitates clear and open dialogue between athletes, coaches, and administrators ensuring concerns and feedback are communicated effectively.  
    
4. Event Organization: Organizes events that help support and promote student-athletes, the teams, and the overall Regina community.  Events ultimately fostering a sense of community. Examples include service projects, fundraisers, team bonding events, Future Saddlelite nights, etc. 
    
5. Promotion & Awareness: Raise awareness and promote all athletic programs and student-athletes to increase support and participation. On a larger scale, realizing the power of a female athlete’s voice and promoting the growth of female athletics.
    
6. Support & Resources: Provides student-athletes with guidance on academic, athletic, and personal matters. Educate leaders on a wide range of resources to help all student-athletes thrive academically, athletically, and socially: female equity in sports, mental health, recruiting services, academic support, etc. 
    

Membership Eligibility & Requirements:

1. Eligibility: Open to student-athletes in grades 10-12, with a minimum GPA of 2.7 Members should be a current member of a sports team and demonstrate leadership potential. Interested student-athletes must complete the application questionnaire. 
    
2. Commitment: Members must attend monthly meetings, act as liaisons between the committee and their teams, and serve a one-year term, with juniors having the option for a two-year term. 
    
3. Representation & Selection: Based on the application, feedback from coaches/administrators will be taken into consideration, along with the number of applicants from each sport. The goal is to have 1-2 student-athletes from each sport so all sports are represented. 
    
4. Community & Responsibility: Leaders should create a “community” of leaders among their peers, encouraging open communication and respect, while being positive ambassadors of their sports program and our school. 
    

Example Activities/Focus Areas:

• Service projects, team bonding activities, fundraising 
   
• Social media, student sections, Future Saddlelite Nights 
   
• Promoting Athlete/Teammate of the Week 
• Recruiting services and strategies 
• **Ultimately brainstorming ideas of what our teams & athletic department could be doing that unites us more as a Regina community.
   

In Summary:

“Captains” are viewed as more than just team leaders on the field - they are servant leaders who shape team culture, maintain communication between coaches and players, and help their teams overcome challenges. SAAC is designed to help student-athletes grow as leaders, brainstorm ideas to enhance the student-athlete experience at Regina, and positively impact their teams and school through community-building initiatives, leadership development, and open communication.