Student athletes learn to be leaders

For Miranda Ervin, being a leader means being dependable. Ervin, a senior at Newton High School, was one of several student athletes at Newton that took part in a leadership retreat yesterday at the high school. The program, in it’s 6th year, is designed to help students gain a better understanding of what it means to be a leader, and how to lead their teams on and off the field.

“I want the whole team to know that I’m there for them,” Ervin said.

As a senior, and a team captain on the school’s swim team Ervin said it’s important to help her younger teammates understand their roles and responsibilities on the team. Ervin’s coach, Sarah Patterson, said the leadership retreat was an important tool in helping her team prepare for the upcoming season.

“I’ve been coaching for 27 years, I wanted every one of my seniors to be here, I expect leadership from every single one,” Patterson said.

Good leaders can make a break a team, according to Patterson. She wants the swimmers on her team to understand what it means to be a team captain, and to find ways to create leadership that is purposeful and developed. While she sets the expectations for the team, Patterson said her captains are the engine that drives the group.

“If you have great leadership, you’ll have a great season,” Patterson said.

The guest speaker for this year’s leadership seminar was Craig Hillier, a motivational speaker and former professional hockey player. Hillier gave each student a copy of his book and urged them to think carefully about what they expected from themselves, as well as what their coach’s expectations were.

Scott Garvis, the activities director for the Newton Community School District, said he’s seen amazing results from hosting the leadership seminar every year. Every year, the school brings in a different guest speaker, but the message is always the same; leadership matters.

“We don’t always do enough to teach our kids how to be leaders,” Garvis said. “This gives them an opportunity to learn to be better leaders.”

Becoming a team captain is a huge responsibility, and Garvis said the school wants to make sure they provide student athletes with the tools to be successful, on the field, in the classroom, and in life.

Ervin understands the role that she’s taken on this fall as a senior and a captain on the swim team, and she’s embraced her new role. All of the senior captains this year had met over the summer and decided that they’d work together as a team, making decisions that they all agreed on. She’s committed herself to making the extra effort to make sure that everyone succeeds on the team. Ervin isn’t afraid to put the team’s goals ahead of her personal goals.

“Even if someone on the team has the same time as me, or if they’re better than me, I want to help them,” Ervin said. “If they can get faster, that’s a place up, and it’ll bring the whole team up.

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com