There’s always time to help others.
That’s the clock management philosophy of Plattsburgh lacrosse student-athlete Tucker Glass.
Glass, who graduated in three and a half years with his bachelor’s degree in history, is currently working on his master’s degree in adolescent education. As a member of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, he is one of 24 student-athletes offering input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes.
So Glass understands the constraints of a busy schedule as well as anyone.
Tucker Glass
“Once you nail down the academic and athletic side of it, you still have time to do things rather than just sitting around like a normal student or letting life pass you by,” said Glass, a redshirt junior in terms of his athletic eligibility. “It’s really important to get out and have an impact on the community, because they give back to you when you’re out there playing the games cheering you on or giving back to you showing up for events for the Plattsburgh State SAAC or fundraising efforts that our teams have in terms of sponsorships or moral support in general.”
The school’s SAAC collaborates with teams already involved in initiatives, Glass said, listing the involvement of the women’s basketball team with breast cancer awareness, the men’s ice hockey team’s work with the North Country Down Syndrome Association and the softball team’s relationship with Special Olympics athletes. (NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions have SAACs on their respective campuses.)
The men’s lacrosse team supports fundraisers for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a children’s cancer research organization. The Cardinals’ efforts are spearheaded by lacrosse assistant coach Ryan Cavanagh. The trademark event held in conjunction with the Plattsburgh SAAC is called ‘Cardinals Clip Cancer,’ as heads are shaved as a sign of solidarity to the children who lose their hair due to cancer treatments. The disease has impacted the lives of several lacrosse team members, Glass said, including a teammate whose younger cousin passed away from a rare form of cancer.
“Hearing those stories and sharing really gets you out there wanting to support these causes,” Glass said. “Community service is a vital part to the core values of athletics.”
The Cardinals were recently featured in the NCAA Division III Monthly Newsletter. In addition, each team member is required to spend six hours of community service, which Glass has spent at the Salvation Army soup kitchen and cleaning up the area around the facility.
“It’s a requirement because our coach, as well as us, feel we need to give back,” Glass said. “It’s about character, classroom, community. You can find six hours in a semester.”
Reaching out to the community is crucial not only to the institution, but to the regional population, Glass said.
“It creates a harmonious environment between campus and community and that’s vital to Division III athletics as well as any institution,” he said.
The DIII SAAC has initiated a partnership with Special Olympics in a coordinated community-outreach effort. Glass attended the NCAA Convention earlier this month, when the partnership was announced at the DIII business session.
