EUGENE – The Second annual Captains Camp concluded last Saturday at North Eugene High School, where team captains and aspiring captains from Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) member schools across the state gained insights and skill development on leadership through inspiring local role models, energizing break out sessions, and a revival of school spirit.
“We don’t think that there’s enough education around what it means to be a captain,” said Missy Smith, OSAA assistant executive director. “A lot of times we say to high school kids, ‘Okay, you’re a captain, go lead.’ Okay. Does that mean I get the water? Does that mean I boss people around? … Every kid is a leader. It doesn’t matter if you have a captain title. All these skills that we’re talking about make you a better leader and a better team.”
Sofia Bell, playing her junior year with the University of Oregon women’s basketball team, was the keynote speaker. She is also an exemplar off the court – she graduated with a business degree concentrating on finance in only two years at UO. She is now in Oregon’s MBA program.
“The most important (quality) is to be a servant leader first,” Bell told the student/athletes on Saturday. “Focus on serving others, serving your teammates, and leading by example. It’s hard to lead others if you’re not following your own leadership.”
Bell discussed a wide range of topics, from high school to collegiate sports, in front of an audience on Saturday. BOB WILLIAMS / THE CHRONICLE
Bell graduated from Jesuit High School, a private, Catholic, college-preparatory school in Beaverton. She emphasized a balance of academics, athletics, and leadership in one’s high school career. For example, she participated in leadership programs like Link Crew, Communicare, and Black Student Union – which she said helped ready her for the next level.
“A lot of the habits that I built in high school I was able to carry over into college,” she said. “So yeah, that’s one of the best tips of advice – just start building your habits now.”
Bell was joined by other local standouts and UO athletes Bella Gamache and Vincent Mestler. Gamache, from Class 2A Monroe, plays beach and indoor volleyball. Mestler, from Class 6A Sheldon, is a track and field athlete.
Gamache (in black) and Mestler ( in green) build upon Bell’s talking points with their own experiences. BOB WILLIAMS
“Everyone you interact with is where they are because of what they’ve experienced,” Mestler said. “You have to treat people with compassion, in a way that makes them feel comfortable to share their journey with you – when they’re ready.”
“Even just letting people know you have their back – even if it’s not sports-related – that’s leadership too,” Gamache said.
Breakout sessions
Following the presentation, the schools broke up into breakout rooms. In the auditorium, students learned “How to Connect with Anyone.” In the cafeteria, it was “Defining the Captain Role and Leadership Resume.” Lastly, the session in the gym was titled “Leadership: What It Is and What It Is Not.”
Creswell and Springfield high schools had students in attendance. Creswell’s Kylie Leonard, Elliette Kinney, Colden Clark, Cody Winn, Colton Hartman, Connor Nguyen, and Student Advisory Council member Maleki Stayton attended.
Springfield was represented by its swim team: Seven Bolejack, Karely Castellanos, and Aiden Clark.
Clark, team captain on the swim team, said the insight that resonated with him was about the importance of emotional leadership.
Creswell and Springfield student athletes found their breakout rooms very informative and eye-opening. BOB WILLIAMS / THE CHRONICLE PHOTO
“Optimism is what I learned today,” he said. “Even if you cannot be peaceful, even if you cannot be kind, still do it anyway. There’s no reason not to. Kindness costs nothing.”
Nguyen is the team captain for the boys sprint team at Creswell. He said he learned about striking that balance of authority and approachability.
“You can’t expect to be a leader if people don’t like and respect you,” he said.
Leonard, who is one of the team captains on the girls soccer team, learned the significance of empathy and dealing with different personalities.
“It’s important to know that different people are going to react differently to everything you say … you have to get on their level,” Leonard said.
The event closed off with a presentation from Major Chase Ronsman of the Oregon Air National Guard and then a school spirit session, where students created posters and school chants.
Smith said this annual event was created after she saw the need for intentional leadership.
“This is my third year in OSAA,” Smith said. ”Student leadership has always been a really important piece of what I’ve been doing in my leadership as an athletic director and coach. So when I came in, I was like, ‘Hey, can we please continue to grow intentional leadership?’”
Following Smith’s proposal, OSAA opened the first Captains Camp last year in the Portland area. They invited all schools in every classification. North Eugene High School hosted this year and the plan for the upcoming years is that it will rotate in all major geographic areas in Oregon to make it more accessible to all students.
Missy Smith greeting Bella Gamache upon her arrival early Saturday morning. BOB WILLIAMS / THE CHRONICLE
“We want to get in touch with a lot more kids – not just metro, but statewide,” Smith said. “Also, this gives kids a chance to build intentional leadership, the kind we often don’t have time for in the school day.”
The event also “gives a face” to the OSAA brand and helps foster community connections, she said.
“We don’t want to just be in our office pushing papers and answering phones,” Smith said. “We want to be with our community. This shows we’re committed to more than just state championships, we’re committed to growing better people and better leaders for our state. I mean, I didn’t know what OSAA did when I was in high school … maybe now, when we talk and share our stories, it puts a face to what we do.”
