PURCHASE, N.Y. I The Skyline Conference hosted its inaugural Student-Athlete Leadership Summit over the weekend at Purchase College, SUNY.
This year's first-ever event provided students with an opportunity to gain experience, learn leadership skills and grow as a person at the forum, says Skyline Commissioner Melissa Reilly, as it brought together members of the community from around the conference in a fun and educational environment.
"We had an exceptional group of student-athletes that attended our inaugural Leadership Summit," Reilly said. "The Skyline is dedicated to bringing these types of personal development opportunities to our student-athletes, coaches and staff.
"It is amazing to watch our conference, made up of diverse institutions and student-athletes, come together and engage, grow and connect. We are looking forward to future events."
Reilly added that she is excited to make this an annual event on the calendar and one of the highlights of the academic and athletic year.
"We provided meaningful tools for our student-athlete leaders and administrators, who will be able to take these conversations back to their teams, campuses and SAAC departments. It is always a special time to be able to bring everyone from all of our member institutions together for an unforgettable two-day event," Reilly said."
In addition to the presentations, the student-athletes participated in a series of table topics and "Minute-to-Win-it" challenges that enhanced team building, while also adding a competitive spirit to the weekend.
In all, 27 student-athletes from all 12 Skyline instiutions were in attendance, with a focus on personal development to enhance their growth and position themselves as leaders on campus. The attendees were broken into groups (pictured above and below) with student-athletes from different institutions to improve bonding across institutions.
The student-athletes checked into a nearby hotel Saturday night for the first session, which explored first impressions and networking. This opening-night presentation was led by former ECC Commissioner Bob Dranoff.
The following day, on Sunday at Purchase College, included a DiSC assessment breakdown, led by Ryan Reilly. That kicked off the day-long program and paved the way for two more notable speakers to close the weekend.
Later, two sessions led by Too Alive Tour founder Eli Johnson, focused on crafting your personal story and utilizing the values and skills you learn as an athlete into professional assets (watch IG video above) before the student-athletes rounded out the day with Alan O'Mara from Real Talks to discuss the pressures of being a student-athlete and its connection to positive mental health.
"This was an amazing experience," said Farmingdale State freshman Johnny Guillen of the men's soccer team. "I just want to say thank you again (to FSC and the Skyline) for allowing me to have this opportunity. I learned so much about leadership and things I can do to improve my leadership on and off the field. I met so many people and I learned things I will carry with me for the rest of my life."
ABOUT THE SKYLINE CONFERENCE
The Skyline Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference based in the New York City metro area that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The league was originally chartered on May 16, 1989, as a men's basketball conference and now sponsors 19 intercollegiate sports. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality, diverse institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes and member institutions is the hallmark of the Skyline.