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Duanesburg student-athletes in seventh through
ninth grade are pictured on the SUNY Cobleskill
campus where they attended a leadership training
conference in early January. |
Jan. 22, 2008 – He or she is
"a born leader." That's a phase we've all heard or used at
one time or another.
But in reality, most leaders are not born into it.
Leadership is a quality that is nurtured over time through
education, role modeling, and often through athletics.
Learning this firsthand recently was about a dozen
Duanesburg student-athletes who were selected to attend the
Western Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Leadership Day
at SUNY Cobleskill in January. The one-day event was geared
for students in grades 7 through 9 as they prepare to move
onto the next level in their athletic careers - junior
varsity and varsity sports.
Duanesburg Athletic Director John Conway said he and
physical education teacher Sandra Carson selected in-season
athletes that have already exhibited leadership qualities to
attend the conference because "we thought they would be the
best people to hear this presentation at this critical time
in their lives.”
Seventh grade Duanesburg basketball player Stephanie Rice is
one of those students who is beginning to understand that
being a leader is something that evolves in a student's
athletic career.
For example, she said, girls on the modified basketball team
take turns being the team captain at each game. That usually
involves flipping a coin at the start of the game and making
sure all of the players’ jewelry is off. But as students
move on to junior varsity and varsity level sports, being a
leader bears an even greater responsibility — like
confronting peers with behaviors of concern.
“It makes some kids feel good to be a leader," said Rice.
However, there is so much
that students must learn before becoming one.
What did student athletes learn?
This year's Western Athletic Conference Student-Athlete
Leadership Day featured a presentation by American Athletic
Institute Vice President and former New York Jets football
player Dennis O'Sullivan.
In the first part of O'Sullivan’s presentation, he covered
the topic "The Life of An Athlete" and what it takes to be
successful in life. The primary focus of this session was to
teach the students what it means to be a leader and how to
handle the responsibility that comes with a position of
authority, influence, and importance. The leaders were
taught how to confront their peers with behaviors of concern
and when to take matters that merit immediate action to an
adult authority.
In part two of his presentation, O’Sullivan addressed the
topic of "Chemical Health," covering the negative physical,
psychological and physiological effects of drugs and alcohol
use on an athlete. Students viewed a presentation showing
scientific research, which helped them visualize the affects
of drugs on the mind and body.
He showed students the results of various brain scans and
tests. “Seeing it on screen made it more real," said Rice.
Some of the information students learned included:
- Drinking to
intoxication can negate as much as 14 days of training
effect
- Training hormones are
diminished for up to four days following alcohol
consumption
- Drinking alcohol after
training negates training effect
- Drinking alcohol after
competition hinders recovery, players that drink are
twice as likely to become injured
- Alcohol compromises an
athletes already vulnerable immune system
- The associated
residual effect of the alcoholic hangover has been shown
to reduce athletic performance by 11.4%
Following the presentation,
students broke up into small groups with league athletic
directors to discuss leadership topics and role play
different scenarios, including confronting teammates
drinking alcohol.
“I’m sure lots of kids didn’t know a lot of the things we
learned,” said Rice, who thought the presentation was both
interesting and worthwhile.
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