BALTIMORE, Md. – In November 2018, senior
Samantha Kastner was nominated to represent student-athletes as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Management Council. This past month at the NCAA Convention in Orlando, Florida Kastner proudly represented Notre Dame of Maryland University, the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and Division III student-athletes across the nation.
Kastner's journey to the NCAA DIII Management Council started back in October 2017 when she was elected to be a member of the NCAA SAAC. Her appointment to the National SAAC was the third time Notre Dame of Maryland University has had a student-athlete representative at the national level in the CSAC-era. She currently serves as the President of Notre Dame's SAAC, a student-athlete group hosted by universities nationally.
Throughout her time on National SAAC, Kastner had several opportunities to serve on additional committees through the NCAA. In the past year, Kastner was elected to the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) and the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS).
"Following my appointments to the CWA, CSMAS, and Management Council, and learning more about those committees, and intercollegiate athletics; I have changed the course of my life," says Kastner. "I am now extremely dedicated to a future in collegiate athletics, and I want to make sure all of the student-athletes voices are being heard, and they are having successful college careers."
Her active participation on NCAA committees helped prepare her for the fast-paced agenda of the NCAA Management Council. The Management Council's general duties include: NCAA DIII policy review, resolve DIII issues, make recommendations to the presidents council, make rule interpretations, and much more.
Kastner is one of two student-athlete representation on the DIII Management Council which is made up of 19 members of various athletic administrators nationwide. Kastner's main duties are to speak on behalf of the student-athlete population, not only as a member of the National SAAC, but as a female student-athlete of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and NDMU.
Kastner's involvement in SAAC in the back half of her collegiate career has completely changed her future outlook. "Before being elected onto National SAAC, my major was elementary education, and I was determined to be a teacher following graduation," said Kastner. "Being elected to National SAAC completely changed things, and made me consider going into a career in collegiate athletics." Since joining SAAC at Notre Dame in 2017, Kastner has grown from a SAAC softball representative at NDMU to an ambassador to all student-athletes at the Division III level.
In speaking of her future, Kastner expressed her desire for continued education in athletics. "I am pursuing graduate school in the fall for sports management/sports administration and am looking forward to a lifetime of working in collegiate athletics, all thanks to SAAC for developing my passion," says Kastner.
Although Kastner was elected in November, her official term on the NCAA Management Council began at the conclusion of the NCAA Convention this past month. She will serve in her role through the NCAA Convention in Anaheim, California in January 2020.
Kastner is a senior member of the Notre Dame field hockey and softball teams. The NDMU softball season gets underway at the Virginia Beach Blast Tournament in Virginia Beach, Virginia on March 8, 2019. The will play four games in their two-day tournament.
Notre Dame's four spring sports (Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis, Outdoor Track) are currently in pre-season with each team starting competition in March.
