About 100 student-athletes spent part of their day Thursday engaged in thoughtful discussions and entertainingly raucous, purpose-driven team-building activities as the effort toward fortifying the culture and camaraderie within Killeen ISD athletics continued with the now-annual Student Leadership Summit.
Twenty athletes –– 10 boys and 10 girls –– from Chaparral, Ellison, Harker Heights, Killeen and Shoemaker chosen to represent their programs gathered inside the CHS gym for a 4-hour workshop hosted by 360Athletics’ Josh Perez, Jonathan Medina and Ghiniva Phillips.
The event is part of the Student Athlete Leadership Team initiative, which is in Year 2 in KISD. The group has met once a month on Zoom and Thursday marked the first in-person installment.
Whether it was through the compelling life stories shared by the three keynote speakers or the interactive challenges such as building a human pyramid, slipping through Hula Hoops and stacking seven large moving boxes before they tipped over, lessons of proper mindset, Choosing right over wrong, overcoming adversity and modeling the characteristics of an influential leader were paramount.
“We were heavily inspired by the people who talked to us today,” Shoemaker freshman Shermiya Overton said. “I think the most important things, to me, about today were the personal connections I felt. When I heard their stories, I was motivated and I was connecting it to things in my life, and seeing how I can apply what I learned today to how I play volleyball to how I act in the class room to how I lead.”
Another activity required the athletes to trace with markers either a coach in attendance or one of their peers then list all of the leadership qualities those individuals have. When Perez said go, the teams of athletes worked hard together to come up with the poster that garnered the top prize.
The brainstorming and teamwork were noticeable. The laughter audible. To a burst of cheers, Overton and her squad outlasted the rest after the top five was whittled down to one.
“It meant so much to me to be chosen to be here today,” Overton added.
Ellison junior football player Rodrecus Johnson III volunteered for a lead role in a number of the activities and said leadership is a trait his father has spoken to him about from a young age.
“To me, leadership is bringing the energy to your team. Sometimes you have things going on within yourself or with the team, and you have to be that uplifting person for your team,” Johnson said. “I see myself leading my team and being a good representative in the class as well.”
Perez and Medina are brothers whose difficult childhood, they shared, served not as a hinderance but as a stepping stone to who they became as adults. They spoke candidly about the importance of being a positive light and gave tips on how to consistently elevate others.
Phillips message hit close to home as a 2014 Killeen High graduate who played basketball for current KISD executive director for athletics Latisha Williams and was on the track and field team. She confided in the group her struggles growing up and encouraged the athletes to keep their sights set on their goals and make sure to grow their mindset using “big dreams, big thoughts and big effort.”
As part of his final message, Medina had the athletes put one finger in the air and repeat “I am a champion,” while Perez implored the students to take back to campus what they learned and pass it on so that leadership and all of its facets become second nature.
“Today’s seminar with 360Athletics delivered valuable leadership tools and hands-on training designed to help build strong leaders across the five high school campuses. Athletes were challenged both physically and mentally, and encouraged to support one another and strengthen relationships while fostering teamwork,” KISD executive director for athletics Matt Carroll said. “I am confident this trained leadership group will return to their individual campuses and teams and positively influence those around them by applying the tools and strategies they learned.”
Moe photos can be viewed on KISD's Flickr page here.