Student Athlete Leadership Group
Crofton Middle School
Saturday - November 5, 2016
HOME of the Eagles! Where Students are Organized and take Actions to Reach their Goals - S.O.A.R.
Working in collaboration with students , parents, staff and community, CMS will develop productive citizens by challenging and inspiring students to become lifelong learners within a safe and structured environment.
"It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help one another without helping himself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The visit to the University of Maryland last week was fabulous. I think the highlight of the day for the group was all you can eat at South Campus Dining Hall. We didn't eat until 11:30 so of course some of the boys were famished because they had either skipped breakfast or didn't eat enough protein that morning. They heard from a strength coach, who talked about nutrition and the importance of fueling your body and why strength training is one of the differentiators in athletics.
A consistent theme throughout the day was the importance of academics and why a college degree is so important. Former stand out basketball player John Gilchrist shared his story and why he returned to campus to complete his college degree. Despite having travelled the world, Gilchrist realized that not having completed his college degree hindered in his career after athletics.
Malina Howard shared her story about how she graduated with her undergraduate degree in three years while playing women's basketball. She talked the number of resources on campus and what it takes to be successful in the class room. Malina plans to attend medical school next fall.
One of my former teammates Kevin Glover( 15 year NFL player veteran) shared a story about courage and leadership (please ask your boys to share it with you). Also, we visited the art gallery on campus, McKeldin library, the business school and crossed paths with star point guard Melo Trimble who posed for a group picture.
I hope that the visit prompted a lot of conversation about college and chatter about their futures.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Aziz
p.s. Please continue to encourage your son to be a good teammate on and off the field and how looking out for a mate is not snitching.
pps. Here is a link to an article - ( How to make your kids smarter) - http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/03/how-to-make-your-kids-smarter/
p.s. Aziz's Corner - (random info that maybe of interest)
On Thursday, we wrote thank you notes to the individuals we visited on campus. I am old school and believe in following up with a thank you note in lieu of an email.
Please share WHY its important to acknowledge others and show gratitude.