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Student-Athlete Mentors
The SAM Program at Washington College
The Athletics Department at Washington College recognizes that in
addition to the physical and academic demands placed on collegiate
student-athletes, there may be social, emotional, and psychological
pressures. In 1993 Washington College implemented a program of peer
support for student-athletes, named the Student-Athlete-Mentor
(SAM) Program.
SAM Program Goal
The goal of the SAM program is "to create a safer and more positive
environment that reduces social hazards for student athletes." To
achieve this goal and to help educate their teammates, the SAMs at
Washington College have organized a number of guest speakers on
topics such as substance abuse, motivation, nutrition, date rape,
and eating disorders. SAMs select topics based on the concerns of
their individual teams and address issues that can affect the
entire campus community.
Who are the SAMs?
SAMs are student-athletes elected by their teammates. Team members
are encouraged to choose a SAM who can be helpful in a wide variety
of situations and exemplifies some of the following
characteristics: confidentiality, open-mindedness, and
resourcefullness. SAMs are available to their teammates both on and
off the playing venue, and they have resources and referral
information at their disposal.
SAM Training
There are several SAM training sessions throughout the school year.
This training includes seminars by experts in the areas of
substance abuse, battering and partner abuse, health issues,
nutrition and weight concerns, sexual assault, and emotional
problems. There are also training sessions and clinics by college
staff in a wide variety of other areas. In the past several years,
topics for SAM training have included: supporting a victim of date
rape, alcoholism in college students, sexual orientation, and
sexually transmitted diseases.
