Student-athletes from all 25 high schools in Montgomery County met at the Bohrer Park activity center for the first ever MCPS Student-Athlete Leadership Conference on Mar. 11. Five Wootton students were selected to participate in the conference and represent the school.

The purpose of the conference was to provide student-athletes with tips and strategies to increase the safety, happiness and overall well-being of their athletic teams. The conference also offered valuable life lessons that can be applied outside of sports. “MCPS athletics believes participation in interscholastic athletics supports the overall mission of the school district to ensure that every student will have the academic, creative problem solving, and social-emotional skills to be successful in college and career. Involving student voices assists in building respectful relationships, connections and belonging,” MCPS Systemwide Athletics Specialist Kathy Green said.

The conference was organized by the MCPS Student-Athlete Leadership Council (SALC), which is composed of two student-athletes from every MCPS high school. The school’s two representatives, seniors Lizzie Nelson and Justin McGraw, worked alongside other SALC members since September to plan the conference. “(The conference) promotes leadership to kids who will set the standard for their teams,” McGraw said.

The topics discussed during the conference were mental health, time management, leadership and sportsmanship. Participants were split into four groups and led through four stations, each station covering a different topic, planned and led by SALC members. Athletic directors from around the county were also in attendance to oversee and keep the conference organized.

Conference participants were given snacks, a SALC T-shirt, a goodie bag and a folder of resources with strategies on how to be a better leader, teammate and student-athlete. Stations used the resources in the folders to lead productive conversations. Participants were encouraged to talk to students from different schools in order to meet new people and have engaging discussions. 

The SALC hopes to host a conference annually to continuously support student-athletes in MCPS as well as gauge opinions on various issues. Sophomore Naomi Esterowitz was one of the students who attended the conference and supports the idea of future conferences. “I think this conference was a great experience and an opportunity for students around Montgomery County to talk about issues we all face in sports today,” Esterowitz said.

Over the next 10 years, MCPS hopes to continue to grow and develop its athletics program. Eventually, MCPS plans to offer athletic internships, so that student voices can be even more involved in decision-making. “MCPS athletics will continue to grow an innovative education-based interscholastic athletics program that maximizes diverse participation through a commitment to equity and access. Student voice continues to be elevated in all aspects of programming and MCPS athletics,” Green said.