The members of SAMs are committed to displaying a positive image to fellow students by providing help and support through education, awareness, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

General Purpose
The purpose of this group is to allow each intercollegiate team to have representatives that will be trained and able to serve as a role model and resource to his or her teammates and other students on campus. The group will deal with a variety of issues, including but not limited to: Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Nutrition and Eating Disorders, Basic Counseling and Referral Skills, Safety, Stress, Sexual Harassment and Misconduct, and several others.

By having student-athletes involved in these efforts, we hope to develop and support healthier athletes, and non-athletes which means healthier teams and students which leads to a healthier campus.


Education
The members of SAMs will educate their teammates and other students about these issues by doing the following things.

- Sponsor educational speakers and workshops for teams, the department, and other members of the College community.  This includes working with freshman seminar groups in the Fall Semester.

- Post and distribute flyers, pamphlets, and brochures to students and members of the athletic department.

- Develop recruiting standards and guidelines to ensure that we recruit new athletes in an appropriate manner, while maintaining a positive and attractive image.  This addresses the whole recruiting process and the dangers of “showing someone a good time.”

- Continue ongoing training and personal growth in order to be more prepared and provide the best possible resources and support for students.

- Get involved in current campus campaigns such as Alcohol Awareness Week, Sexual Health Awareness Week, the Wellness Fair, and other events related to the College.

Awareness of the Group
In addition to wanting student-athletes to be aware of these issues, the members of SAMs want to be recognized as a valuable resource. The following marketing strategies will help to achieve this goal:

- Maintaining and promoting a website with information about SAMs, including history of the group, its purpose and goals, how to get involved, and other relevant information

- Take an active role in orientation meetings to introduce the group and its objectives

- Asking coaches to take an active role in making their team's representative a recognized resource, or utilizing other SAMs members if their team does not have a representative

- Wear t-shirts and other promotional items around campus

- Sponsor events to help demonstrate and reinforce the group's goals and messages

- Support teams at games and other events


Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles
One of the most important goals of this group is the general promotion of healthy lifestyle choices. The group is committed to being role models with their own healthy lifestyle, and they will encourage other student-athletes to do the same by:

- Encouraging and sponsoring substance-free social events

- Taking an active role in Awareness Week programs

- Educating their teammates about the negative consequences that may result from unhealthy decisions and behaviors, while allowing people to make their own choices.

- Distributing information on health and wellness issues, and collecting pledge cards, asking students to make healthy choices and decisions.

-SAMs do not tell people what they should or shouldn't do regarding drinking and other social norms, they simply advise students of the risks associated with certain behaviors and the inform them about the perceptions that they have regarding social norms.