The creation of the SALC was “record breaking,” Athletic Specialist for Montgomery County Kathy Green said.
SALC, the student leadership council is comprised of 54 individuals representing the 27 schools in Montgomery County. All 54 of these student-athletes are also representing almost 27,000 students: their needs and requests.
The goal of the council is to use the R.A.I.S.E initiatives to demonstrate that sportsmanship is important and to change the attitude around county wide sports. The Facebook and Twitter accounts of the SALC show the different ways students around the county have demonstrated excellence on one of these R.A.I.S.E values. This is important, because students should model themselves after these above-and-beyond student athletes. This would change the attitude around sports and make it more about sportsmanship rather than the actual score of the game.
Another important feature of the council is to spread awareness for different sports and to show that football is just as important as golf. The council shows support for all sports and values the voice of someone who plays a less popular sport just as much as someone who play under the lights on Friday. This is why the council is going to try to move football from Friday nights and do a rotation around which sports actually play under the lights. This could create a greater fan base for sports like soccer and field hockey. The BBQ Club would not only be about football, but would be about whatever sport is playing on Friday night. Instead of the school supporting a single team, students would support a variety of teams. “I would love to play then; we would get more fans than we ever have had,” senior varsity soccer player Andy Ram said.
The SALC also spreads county-wide sportsmanship and shows the importance of respecting yourself and most importantly your school. The representatives of the council discourage any acts of cursing, yelling at referees, or talking trash. They encourage a competitive game with little to no problems from the fans or from the players. “[We encourage] game with no trash-talking and instead just determination to win,” senior SALC member Miranda Wright said.
The SALC’s most important feature is the voice that it gives the students. Any issue or problem a student has with the county athletics, they can talk to their school representative and make a difference in their school and their community. “It is amazing being able to speak up for county athletics, and to share the requests of my fellow classmates,” said Richard Montgomery SALC representative Brian Rose said.
The next meeting for the SALC is Nov. 13, so talk to Wright or about any concerns or sugggestions.
