Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education hosted the 4th annual Fit to Lead: Student-Athlete Leadership Conference to bring student-athletes and sports leaders together to address contemporary issues that impact role models on and off the playing field. Over 200 high school and college student-athletes traveled to Neumann University in Aston, PA to hear from engaging leaders in the sports industry and network with their peers.
The day began with a keynote speech by NHL Hall of Famer Chris Pronger. The former Philadelphia Flyers captain shared insights on achieving excellence on and off the ice through teamwork, unrelenting preparation, and perseverance.
After the morning keynote, students divided into two groups for the morning breakout sessions. Kat Wakefield, Senior Coordinator, Life Skills at Snider, led the students in an activity designed to push students to work together to solve a common problem, with two students taking on leadership roles in each group. Meanwhile, the Flyers’ Mental Performance Coach, Jeremy Rahn, explained how athletes competing at the highest levels maintain positive mental health and offered stress reduction strategies for improved performance.
During the lunch, four outstanding panelists discussed the state of women’s sports during the “Women Empower Hour.” Moderated by Hannah Abrams, Manager, Girls Programs at Snider, this panel featured Lakisha Harvey, Regional Vice President at Enterprise Mobility; Tina Tharp, Men’s and Women’s Head Tennis Coach at West Chester University; Claire Smith, Assistant Professor of Practice at Temple’s Klein College of Media and Communication; and Cindy Stutman, Executive Director, Flyers Charities. A small group of student-athletes shared in a discussion about the obstacles the panelists have overcome in their career, and the resources that are available to young women in sports.
After lunch, attendees moved to the Mirenda Gym to hear from Tyrik Jackson, the “Educators Educator.” Participating in his second straight Fit to Lead, Tyrik guided the student-athletes through a team-building activity about eliminating distractions.
To close out the productive and engaging day, students gathered once again the Fred P. Meagher Theatre for the closing keynote. Eagles inside Dave Spadaro introduced an Eagles legend, the recently-retired Brandon Graham, who shared his story of persevering through injuries early on in his career. After discussing his mindset during recent career highlights, including his return from injury to compete in the Super Bowl LIX victory, Brandon took questions from the student-athletes in the audience.
The Fit to Lead Conference was a massive success, providing student-athletes with valuable insights and inspiration from industry leaders, as well as a chance to connect with their peers and build their networks. We are grateful to our speakers, panelists, and everyone else who made this conference possible. Special thank you to moderator Everett Jackson! We look forward to continuing to offer this conference in the future and helping to shape the next generation of leaders in the sports industry and beyond.
View the recap video below:
