Cooperstown Central School Hosting Leadership Training Program for Area High School Athletes

Students from 30 School Districts to Participate in One-Day Seminar March 1 at Otesaga Resort Hotel

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Leadership skills on and off the diamond are celebrated every day in Cooperstown.

On March 1, future leaders and legends will get a taste of those Hall of Fame qualities at Cooperstown Central School’s Second Annual Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.

The Cooperstown Central School Leadership Training for Athletes Program will welcome approximately 150 student athletes along with their Athletic Directors representing nearly 30 school districts around Central New York at the day-long conference, entitled “Positive Leadership is Powerful Leadership” and to be held at Cooperstown’s Otesaga Resort Hotel. Hosted by the Cooperstown CSD’s Leadership Training for Athletes Program, the program for high school juniors will feature several workshops as well as speakers such as Ken Slentz, Superintendent of the Skaneateles Central School District; Guy Waltman of Family First Fitness; Little Falls Central School teacher and coach Monica Tooley; and Stephanie Hazzard, the Hall of Fame’s Director of Education.

“We are excited to announce our keynote presenters: Ken Slentz, Skaneateles CSD Superintendent presenting ‘Leading from Where You Are – Personalizing Leadership for Greater Impact’ and Guy Waltman, Family First Fitness and former SU lacrosse player on ‘The Power of Why,’” said Monica Wolfe, Cooperstown CSD Leadership Training for Athletes Advisor. “The leadership conference exists to foster a positive atmosphere and serve as a platform for student-athletes to recognize how leadership application in athletics affects in their daily lives. In turn, that creates a ripple effect to be applied through the student-athlete’s life and shared with their teams/teammates, their schools and their community.”

Participating high schools include Camden, Central Valley, Cherry Valley-Springfield, Clinton, Cooperstown, Edmeston, Frankfort-Schuyler, Hamilton, Herkimer, Holland Patent, Little Falls, Marathon, Morrisville-Eaton, Mount Markham, Utica Notre Dame, Oneida, Remsen, Richfield Springs, Sauquoit Valley, Sherburne-Earlville, Skaneateles, Southern Cayuga, Unadilla Valley, Unatego, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, Waterville, West Canada Valley, Whitney Point and Worcester.

The program is sponsored by the Center State Conference, Stadium System, Athmedics, Leatherstocking Credit Union, Bank of Cooperstown and the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Support and donations were also provided by the Clark Sports Center and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Also on March 1, athletic directors and teachers from the participating schools will take part in professional development seminars at the Hall of Fame, experiencing the Museum’s award-winning curriculum.

For more information on the Museum’s leadership programs and funding available to bring student groups to the Hall of Fame, please contact the Hall of Fame’s Education Department at www.baseballhall.org/learn.