The 9th annual Student-Athlete Leadership Conference, sponsored by the Allstate Foundation, was hosted by Howard High School on Saturday, 6/9 and all who attended left with newly developed leadership skills ready to be put into action, setting a positive tone for the upcoming 2018-19 school year.  Author Craig Hillier kicked off the morning and afternoon sessions in high energy fashion as he delivered his message with a mix of humor, personal stories, and competitive activities.

     In the morning session, student-athletes participated in a variety of workshops addressing group dynamics, hazing and bullying, navigating social media, and creating team culture.  After lunch, students participated in team building activities in the gymnasiums and the Allstate Community School Supply drive.  Teams of students had to solve riddles before looking for and collecting the designated school supplies.  Students hustled through the hallways racing against one another to finish.  By the end of the day, over 1,000 sets of school supplies were packaged for delivery to nine Title I elementary schools.

     The MPSSAA would like to thank Howard High School Principal Nick Novak for hosting our conference at his school facilities.  It goes without saying that the work of our Student Leadership Committee, lead by Howard’s Michael Duffy, was crucial to the successful planning and execution of the conference.  In addition to the committee members, there were numerous athletic directors, coaches, district level athletic administrators, and a principal from across the state on hand to lead and/or assist with the workshops throughout the day.  Thanks to each of them for donating their valuable time to help shape the future of high school sports in such a positive fashion!  The future certainly looks hopeful and bright as we launch a new school year in a couple of months with all of these budding student leaders at the forefront of our interscholastic athletic programs.