The Southeastern Conference has recognized the members of the Southeastern Conference Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force with the Michael L. Slive Distinguished Service Award.
Zoe Foster, M.D., program director for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine’s Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship is among those being honored, along with representatives from each of the conference’s member schools.
In announcing the award, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey noted the incredible amount of time that each member provided to the committee in meeting challenges to develop policies and protocols to support the return of athletes to competition during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Individually and collectively, the leaders serving on the Conference’s Medical Guidance Task Force are deserving of this recognition,” says Sankey. “Because of their efforts, thousands of SEC student-athletes have been able to participate in their chosen sports, compete for championships and create lifelong memories that otherwise may have never ben possible without the contributions of these talented individuals.
Foster was honored to serve on the committee along with her colleagues from the Southeastern Conference
“It was a huge commitment of time and there were periods of great uncertainty, but to actually see our teams practice and compete safely through their seasons was immensely gratifying,” Foster says. “Being able to watch, for example, our women's basketball team compete in the Final Four, when just the year before the tournament was called off due to the pandemic, was an amazing feeling.”
The Michael L. Slive Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of Mike Slive, former commissioner of the SEC, is presented on special occasions to former student-athletes, coaches, graduates or administrators of SEC institutions or the conference office who have maintained a lifetime of interest in college athletics and who, over a significant period of time, have exhibited superior leadership qualities and made a significant impact to the betterment of the mission of the Southeastern Conference.