This fall, some of Barrington High School’s top student-athletes took part in a leadership program hosted through the collaborative efforts of Dena Davis, the Bayside YMCA and Andrew DiOrio, of East Bay Strength & Conditioning. BHS junior Andrew Conaty was the intern for the program.

 “I had the idea for the program over a year ago. I had been working with university students and business professionals and had noticed a need for direction when it came to speaking and articulating personal mission and values," said Ms. Davis, who founded Arts Alive! Barrington. 

"In fact, communication skills are seen as the most important quality which companies are looking for in employees. One of the tools I use as leadership consultant is an online learning platform through The Sports Mind Institute, and I thought that a lot of the material (normally aimed at corporate professionals) might be helpful for young people. 

"I also wanted to see if I could translate some of the speaking skills I normally teach to kids in theatre, and offer techniques to a different set of kids. These athletes are top 'performers' on the field or court — what if we help them 'perform' with the same level of intensity and dedication as they segue into college and the professional world? High level communication skills and personal development are just not taught in school.”

 Over the course of six weeks, the students — they were nominated by their coaches and BHS athletic director, George Finn — attended personal development workshops covering everything from the top 10 qualities of leadership to self-awareness, integrity, resiliency, accountability and leading with values. 

Each week the program had a guest speaker from pro sports to share their stories and challenge the kids to begin crafting their own stories. 

Guests included: World record BMX biker Kevin Robinson; NY Mets scouting director Tommy Tanous; former pro basketball player / BHS basketball coach Greg Graham; and gold-medalist speed skater, Maura Zimmer.

What’s next for these kids? 

They will be presenting their personal stories to a public audience in December, and as a group they decided to put together a presentation for younger students all about following their dreams and what it means to lead.