Contact: Susan Burk – sburk@stanford.edu or Cara Hanelin – chanelin@stanford.edu

Cardinal Council is the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the Stanford Athletic Department, and also serves as a student group whose goal is to improve the quality of your experience as a Stanford student-athlete. It is comprised of a team-elected representative from each varsity team, and any other athletes who choose to participate on a regular basis. Representatives make at least a one-year long commitment to serve and represent their team at the monthly meetings. The Council has an executive board that oversees three committees: Community Service, Social, and Student-Athlete Welfare. These committees meet in conjunction with the official Council meetings, but may also meet outside of the Council meetings.

Each committee works within the objectives of the Council to plan events, meetings, and conferences that will benefit all teams.

Mission & Objectives
Cardinal Council’s mission is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image, while maintaining the tenets of the NCAA Division I philosophy.

Goals and Commitments of Cardinal Council are to help student-athletes:

1. Achieve elite-level athletic performance
2. Achieve academic excellence
3. Participate in community service
4. Develop leadership skills

Furthermore, Cardinal Council hopes to:

1. Address issues that concern the balance between athletics and academics;
2. Promote camaraderie and enthusiasm for Stanford Athletics;
3. Participate in events that serve the greater community; and
4. Encourage student-athletes to take responsibility for their actions on and off the field.

Some of the events Cardinal Council looks forward to planning are:

• Youth Olympics - Approximately 150 students from East Palo Alto elementary schools are bussed to campus on a Saturday in May for a mini all-sports camp with volunteer student-athletes from all teams. The East Palo Alto students are exposed to several different sports and have lunch with their student-athlete “coaches.”
• Cardinal Council Fall Clothing/Food Drive - Representatives plan a fall quarter clothing and food drive open to the entire Stanford community and beyond, usually in conjunction with a varsity sporting event.
• Athlete Date Auction - Student-athletes from all teams participate in this annual fundraiser. Representatives from each team perform skits for the student body and are then “auctioned” off to raise money for a local charity. Charities that have been supported in the past have included Face Aids and Camp Kesem.
• Athlete Formal - The Cardinal Council organizes 1-2 Athlete Formals each year. It is one of the most anticipated events of the year for both student- athletes and non-athletes. It is an opportunity for all of the student-athletes to get together and celebrate their hard work and success each year.

If you are interested in joining Cardinal Council, or have any questions, feel free to contact one of the student-athlete representatives listed below.

Awards
The Cardinal Council nominates student-athletes for the following awards:

The Pac-10 Sportsmanship Award
The Sportsmanship Award is selected by members of the Pac-10 Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and is based on good sportsmanship and ethical behavior in participation of intercollegiate athletics, as well as a demonstration of good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Conference award winners are then nominated for the NCAA Division I Sportsmanship Award.

World Financial Group/Pac-10 Leadership Award
Pac-10 corporate sponsor, in conjunction with the Pac-10 Conference, established the World Financial/Pac-10 Leadership award in 2002. Awarded to one male and one female student-athlete each year, these scholarships for post-graduate study are designed to recognize student-athletes who have served on their institutional Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and demonstrated leadership.

The Annual Bill Walsh Leadership Award
The Bill Walsh Leadership Award was established in honor of legendary Stanford football coach and administrator Bill Walsh. The Bill Walsh Leadership Award will be presented annually to the Stanford student-athlete who most effectively inspires his/her team and the Stanford campus and community through exemplary commitment, service, composure, and integrity. All Stanford student-athletes are eligible to be nominated for this award.