A Year in Review…. CACE turns one

Our first year of CACE has been a truly educational experience– from applying for 501c(3) status and hosting our first board meeting, to creating our company’s own pitchdeck, it's safe to say that Conor and I have been venturing into uncharted “business world” territory given both of our political science backgrounds. 

That being said, we both feel right at home in the sports world. On a personal note, giving back to a community that I was once a part of has been extremely rewarding. 

So far, CACE has managed to aid over 75 student-athletes with compliance questions, the majority of which are transfer-related.

 As the collegiate sports industry (and the NCAA) grew to become a multi BILLION dollar industry, it seems the concern for the wellbeing of the student-athletes got lost. Despite the shiny narrative we are fed, most student-athletes' college experiences are far from perfect. According to the NCAA’s own statistics, 45% of student-athletes report their experience and role within the team is not what they expected.

 The average D1 athlete puts in more than 40 hours a week at their sport in addition to being a full-time student and a 20-something college kid who is probably living on their own for the first time in their life.

Now imagine a student-athlete doesn’t get along with their coach, or maybe they don’t gel with the team, or their school isn’t a good fit academically. In all this confusion, where do they go? The school administration which may be the root of this problem? The coach who controls their scholarship and playing time? 

These shouldn’t be their only options. 

At CACE we strive to be an all-encompassing resource so student-athletes can make the decisions that are right for THEM. Not their school, not their coach, THEM. 

Oftentimes, even as an athlete, you don’t fully realize the extent to which you can control your experience. You are told that unhappiness is normal and that if something doesn’t work out, it’s simply the “reality” of college athletics. 

That is categorically FALSE. There are concrete changes that you can make to better your career and overall college experience. 

If you’re struggling, you should have resources. That's why we created CACE. 

We are a free counseling service for student-athletes and we plan to expand our services. We’ve begun partnering with like-minded organizations and eventually, we hope to become the go-to “hub” for independent student-athlete resources. As the college athletic landscape evolves, so will we. No matter how the needs change, we will be here and continue to put the athlete first, always.

-Maggie