Daniel Fascione had heard it from his teammates when he was a young member of the Gryphon Football program – the time will go quickly. The fifth-year defensive lineman from Hamilton, ON gets it now. The years have gone by in what seems like the blink of an eye. And as the 2019 regular schedule came to a close, Fascione internalized the words from his head coach Ryan Sheahan, who said that once the post season arrives, you’re promised nothing more than the one game ahead of you. The idea is to appreciate and cherish the experience.

But when Fascione looks back on his university career, it’s about more than memories on the field. As a participant in Guelph’s Student-Athlete Mentorship program, he reminisces about all the people he has helped guide the past couple years. Fascione runs through all of their faces in his mind and he’s left with a feeling of fulfillment for impacting the lives of his fellow Gryphons.

“Having the opportunity to hear some of their stories and help them in any way possible, it’s really a privilege,” the veteran says of his past two years as a SAM mentor.

Fascione actually used the program when he was a first-year student-athlete. And one particular mentor stood out. As a Psychology/Philosophy major, he was paired with an upperclassmen, who was also in Philosophy.

“What really grabbed my attention was that one day, we sat down and he told me if I had a paper, I could bring it to him,” says Fascione. “We went through one and he showed me a few things on how to edit a paper. I realized that if I’m making a mistake in one place, I’m probably making it in everywhere.

“He did so much for me in ways that he would never know. I thought that I could connect with people and mentoring was something I wanted to do.”

He would get that opportunity in 2018, thanks in part to the success of a fellow teammate. Fascione had applied to be a SAM mentor last season but wasn’t initially selected. When star offensive lineman Andrew Pickett (who Fascione calls a “big teddy bear” off the field and a technically-sound beast on it) didn’t return for his fifth year because the Canadian Football League was calling, there was a void.

“I was fortunate enough to take that spot,” says Fascione.

The SAM program was created to help student-athletes by offering resources and assistance that is tailored to their needs, with guidance coming from upper-year peers, who have demonstrated the ability to succeed academically. Approximately 15-17 mentors, represented across various varsity sports, train with the program coordinator Jason Dodd.

Each mentor works two, two-hours shifts per week in the library mentoring young students, in addition to attending a weekly meeting when they all gather for an essential state of the union. Mentees typically choose their mentors based on similar fields of study, though that’s not always the case. The training is critical but it’s ultimately the face-to-face interaction that helps mentors learn their role.

Fascione says that one of the initial objectives is forming the relationship – and it doesn’t always happen immediately.

“Sometimes it takes about five meetings before they really start to open up to you,” he says. “Being attentive and polite isn’t the hard part – it’s doing everything right in order to break down that little bit of a barrier to get to some of the deeper stuff.

“When we talk about SAM, it’s pretty much up to us in terms of what we want to do with it. I usually go school, sports, life. We start by talking about academics or how their season is going.

“Creating a relationship with some of the tougher mentees, for me that can be a challenge. But the gratification is when you give a piece of advice to somebody and you can see their eyes widen. That’s when you know it’s really sinking in.”

Fascione recalls one specific student who approached him with a personal problem. They went to another room in the library and had a talk, which left the mentee feeling better about his situation. Fascione notes that it’s hard for young student-athletes to reach out, especially to a coach.

“We’re a good middle ground,” he says of his SAM colleagues. “If they’re willing to talk to me, I want to take full advantage of it and if I can help them get anything out of it, that’s my biggest gratification.”

Fascione believes that his experience as a SAM mentor has probably been more beneficial for him than it is for the mentees. He has gotten to learn about other Gryphons and their sports, like last year when a member of the curling team gave him a primer on what they do. But he has also brought his social skills to a new level, gaining a better understanding of how to engage in a conversation or move one forward. It’s helped Fascione with his own confidence.

The university days have indeed passed by quickly. But Fascione is thankful for his SAM experience, on either side of the library table. He also appreciates that a resource like this, and the many other like it, exists. Fascione suggests that student stress isn’t about one big thing – it’s something that accumulates with the ongoing pressures of academics, work, family, and all that being a varsity athlete entails.

The word is getting out that there is help for those who need it, either through SAM or with resources like the Student Support Network, which now has an arm devoted specifically to athletes.

“There’s an immense amount of support that exists,” says Fascione. “And it’s growing.”