DAC Empowering the Future through NJCAA

DALLAS -- The Dallas Athletic Conference, representing seven Dallas College campuses, joins the National Junior College Athletic Association in "Empowering the Future."

In its eighth year, the NJCAA highlights Thursday as #NJCAADay. Recognizing over 65,000 student-athletes at 500-plus member schools, the NJCAA provides the tools for academic success in the classroom and on the playing surface through athletics.

Dallas College offers athletics in men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball and eSports throughout its seven campuses: Dallas College Brookhaven, Dallas College Cedar Valley, Dallas College Eastfield, Dallas College El Centro (eSports), Dallas College Mountain View, Dallas College North Lake and Dallas College Richland.

Dallas College Executive Athletic Director Sadiaa Jones, a former NJCAA student-athlete and coach, credits the success of the seven-campus athletics program, what with multiple NJCAA All-Academic selections of student-athletes individually and the national championships the teams have captured over the years, to the support and resources provided by Dallas College and the NJCAA. She recognizes coaches and athletic directors across the DAC who were former junior college student-athletes, including Richland men's soccer coach Raul Herrera, who's won six NJCAA Division III National Championships as a coach and one as a player.

"We have so many coaches and ADs who were junior college athletes who are perfect examples of having successful careers," Jones said. "Coach Herrera, especially from his start, has the winningest men's soccer program in Juco history. He also creates incredible opportunities for his players to go on to NCAA Division I programs. He and our other coaches around the league bring in student-athletes who've earned several NJCAA All-Academic honors each year. We're proud to be an NJCAA member institution, and also to showcase that students can get a great education, which opens the door for a lot of opportunites beyond their academic years."