Excelling in athletics is about much more than winning. That’s a message that was reinforced for MCS juniors who had the opportunity to learn about athletic leadership, nutrition, and more at the Athletic Leadership Conference held at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown on March 6. Students, athletic directors, and coaches from more than 60 Central New York schools came together for the event centered around the theme “RESPECT: It Goes Both Ways.”
MCS Athletic Director Gregg Johns said the conference is a great opportunity for student-athletes from Sections 2, 3 and 4 to get together and learn how to build stronger leadership skills. “We are hopeful that our student-athletes who attended can bring what they learned to their teams in a positive and constructive way,” he said
Attending was a valuable experience, according to the students.
“It was very helpful to learn the little aspects that go along with being an athlete for instance: nutrition, leadership, and even learning from real-life referees while also sharing their life around it,” said junior Brooke D. “The Clark Sport Center in Cooperstown was a really good experience to engage in activities as well as to learn more in-depth about respect and how to apply that within your sports team.”
The day was filled with multiple conferences such as “You are Powerful. Now, Go and Use Your Power for Good,” “Sports Performance for the iPhone Generation,” and “Nutrition for Optimal Performance.” Former Celtics player Chris Herren was the keynote speaker. He discussed his work as founder of the Herren Project, which provides addiction support services.
“I thought the guest speakers both did really well explaining the responsibility of being an athlete and how decisions can influence your future,” said student Joseph N. “The day taught me different perspectives on how leaders lead, as well as how to be assertive while remaining respectful to teammates, coaches, and officials.”
Helping student-athletes grow into leaders is the goal of the conference, according to conference advisor Monica Wolfe: “The leadership conference exists to foster a positive atmosphere and serve as a platform for student-athletes to recognize how leadership application in athletics affects their daily lives. In turn, that creates a ripple effect to be applied through the student-athlete’s life and shared with their teams/teammates, their schools and their community.”
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