Athletes and Coaches Take Part in Leadership Summit
The Section 1 high school sports season won’t officially kick off until Monday, March 13, but Eastchester’s coaches and athletes were hard at work this week, preparing for the tests that lay ahead. But this training wasn’t taking place in the gyms or on the ballfields, and it didn’t involve watching game tape or hitting personal bests in the weight-room. The work done this week was centered around improving communication and leadership skills
On March 8 and 9, student-athletes and coaches took part in an Athletic Leadership Summit run by the Janssen Sports Leadership Center (JSLC). The goal of the symposium was to bring together a broad cross-section of those affiliated with Eastchester’s sports teams in order to define the leadership qualities that make individuals, teams, and athletic programs successful.
Brad Gitlin, the Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Health, said holding an event like this can help set the tone of the athletic culture in the school and put in place clear standards of leadership and accountability.
“We say that athletics provides X,Y,Z in terms of character traits, but we now know more about these characteristics; we know the science, theory and philosophy behind leadership,” he said. “So the question becomes, how do we take the time to be very intentional about that work?”
Over the course of two nights, students and coaches heard from a JSLC representative and also took part in a series of exercises that helped them to define that characteristics of programs that enjoy periods of sustained success marked by personal growth.
“I think it definitely opened my eyes as to what it entails to be a better leader,” said Fred DiCarlo, who has coached basketball and football at Eastchester for over 30 years.”I think we have a tendency to take things like leadership for granted, but now we’re able to focus on the steps we can take to build that.”
Junior Adriana Correa, a three-sport athlete, said the workshop helped her to examine her own leadership style and believes that some of the exercises will help her set a better example for her teammates both on and off the field.
“I think it definitely helped in terms of communication,” said Correa. “It showed that you don’t have to be the best player on the team to be a captain or a leader, you can still make a difference just in the way you talk to your teammates.”
Some coaches admitted that the summit also caused them to reassess what qualities of leadership are most important to building a successful program. Catherine Manning, the head coach of the varsity girls volleyball team, explained that being more cognizant of how leadership can shape a team will help her to become a more effective coach.
“It made me think about how I, as a coach, can have a more positive impact on the team,” she said. “I think everyone really bought in which is important.”
Gitlin said it was crucial for both students and coaches to take part in this training, as it will help build a more unified culture moving forward and give everyone the tools they will need to continue to strengthen Eastchester’s athletic program.
“One of the things we wanted to do was make sure we were doing this in parallel,” said Gitlin. “We wanted to make sure students and coaches were speaking the same language so we can all move in the same direction.”
Junior Aidan Schultz agreed with Gitlin’s assessment and believes that a continued focus on leadership will be beneficial to the school, both in the long and short term.
“I think if you look at Eastchester sports, they’re trending up right now,” said Schultz. “And I think we can take those expectations even higher.”