On March 12, ten students from Walpole High School (WHS) attended the annual Bay State Sophomore Leadership Summit at Newton North High School. The event brought together student-athletes from across the Bay State Conference to develop leadership skills and prepare for future athletic opportunities.
The summit is designed for athletes who excel at their sport and aspire to compete at the collegiate level. A total of 100 students attended, with ten athletes representing each school in the conference.
“I learned a lot of information that will help me reach my goal of playing collegiate golf,” Walpole representative Deanna Nosal said.
The conference began with a keynote session by Lindsay Miller, a former Harvard basketball player, current Harvard women’s basketball assistant coach and Needham varsity girls basketball coach. Miller focused on the importance of mental health in athletics, emphasizing that it is the foundation of performance. She encouraged student athletes to recognize their shared experiences with stress and to develop strategies to take care of their well being.
“I wanted the athletes to leave understanding that mental health is something we all have and that it is the foundation of peak performance. I hoped the sophomores would recognize their shared humanity regarding stress and mental health challenges, leaving feeling empowered to care for their well being in a positive way,” Miller said.
In addition to her keynote, Miller led an additional session on goal setting. In this session, athletes learned how to create realistic and measurable goals to improve their performance and mindset. Miller guided athletes on setting goals and breaking them down into manageable steps to meet their deadlines.
Athletes also participated in a strength and training session led by Magnitude Power and Strength. The session focused on proper strength training technique, consistency and injury prevention. Co-owner and coach Ali Winslow explained how structured training plays a key role in long term success. By consistently training and fostering continuous development, athletes minimize their risk of injury over time. Winslow also expressed her ideas of strictly focusing on single leg strength straining.
“The majority of athletes spend most of their time on a single leg. It is important that we focus on training on a single leg and build strength in our ankle to support our body weight,” Winslow said.
Former football assistant coach and recruitment coordinator at Brown University Michael Donovan hosted a breakout session on the recruitment process. Athletes learned what college coaches look for and what makes an individual athlete stand out. Donovan also stressed the importance of social media presence, especially on platforms such as X. For many sports, social media is the primary recruiting network. Coaches look to athletes social media pages to see their highlights and athletic abilities. It is vital for athletes to have a strong social media presence to attract coaches.
The conference provided a valuable experience for student athletes to learn, connect and grow to be better leaders. For many, it served as motivation to keep working towards their goals and preparing for the next level.
