The 10th annual MPSSAA Student‐Athlete Leadership Conference sponsored by the Allstate Foundation provided energy and enthusiasm for all who attended and created positive momentum for the upcoming 2019-20 school year.  Keynote speaker Craig Hillier returned again this year and kicked off the morning and afternoon sessions in high energy fashion as he delivered his message with the usual mix of humor, personal stories, and competitive activities.

     In the morning session, student-athletes participated in a variety of workshops addressing group dynamics, leadership skills, 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 in Maryland!

     The MPSSAA would like to thank Howard High School Principal Nick Novak for once again 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 from across the state on hand to lead and/or assist with the workshops throughout the day.  Thank you to all who had a hand in making the day "happen" and giving up your valuable time to enhance the growth and ability of the future leaders in our schools and interscholastic athletic program.  We cannot wait to see what grows from the seeds that were planted in these youngsters at the conference.  Looking forward to an even better conference next year!!