University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Athletics
DAWGS Life Skills
The DAWGS (Developing Athletes Through Wellness Growth & Service)Life Skills program provides educational opportunities and services to help student-athletes develop well-balanced lifestyles and prepare for life after college. The DAWGS program focuses on these areas:
Career Development
Providing resources specific to student-athletes to help create resumes, find internships, or find part-time and full-time jobs. DAWGS works closely with The Big W Club network of former student-athletes and Husky supporters.
Personal Development
Personal Development programs support the development of a well-balanced lifestyle for student-athletes, encouraging emotional well-being, leadership, personal growth, and decision-making skills.
Community Service
In an effort to create long-lasting relationships between community organizations and UW Athletics, the Purple Hearts program facilitates student-athlete volunteer efforts. Each team partners with an organization in the Seattle community to support throughout the year.
WSAAC
The Washington Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (WSAAC) is a student-athlete group representing all 21 teams competing for the University of Washington. Coaches and teammates choose their team's WSAAC representative at the beginning of the year. The mission of WSAAC is to enrich the total student-athlete experience by fostering a positive image of athletics, developing personal skills, promoting opportunities for success and advocating for student-athletes. It incorporates these ideals in the committee through:
• Enhancing community outreach programs
• Conducting personal improvement workshops
• Working with Student-Athlete Academic Services to meet academic needs
• Serving as a liaison between the student-athlete body and University administration
• Providing a forum for student-athletes to voice their concerns
• Enhancing the collegiate experience and quality of life for student-athletes
The Big W Club
The Big W Club was created to celebrate and engage Husky letter winners who understand the commitment and dedication it takes to wear purple and gold. It strives to provide letter winners with the opportunity to foster and maintain relationships across different sports, experiences and generations.
Lifetime membership in the Big W Club is granted to athletes immediately after receiving a varsity letter from the University of Washington. Events and Engagement The Big W Club sponsors events and engagement opportunities catered to letter winners and their desire to stay connected with Husky Athletics. These events include Husky Hall of Fame celebrations, Big W Club sponsored tailgates, Women of the Big W Club events, reunions and much more.
Networking and Outreach
The Big W Club is dedicated to facilitating career development and growth for current or newly graduated student-athletes. Some of our outreach services include informational interviews, career mentoring and network referrals.
To learn more about or contribute, please visit the Big W Club online.
