Blue Devils Participate in Section XI Leadership Conference

Olivia Polinsky, Hope Bilkey, David Dje Bi Baleborzan Simrell and Anthony Annunziata have all worn their Blue Devil uniforms with determination and pride. While each has played to win, they’ve displayed a noticeable degree of sportsmanship, too. The four sensational teenagers attended Section XI’s first student leadership conference last Friday at Center Moriches.

The conference drew more than 200 students representatives from 46 Suffolk high schools. The event was organized by Center Moriches athletic director Jeremy Thode, who opened the session with an inspirational address to participants, who sat at dozens of long tables arranged in the gymnasium. Students from each high school were spread among other participants to help facilitate ideas and encourage networking across districts.

Former Section XI star athletes, who have gone on to successful college and even professional careers served as facilitators at each of the tables.

“I thought that the inaugural Section XI student-athlete conference was a great experience,” Mr. Annunziata said. “Being able to learn, connect and communicate with other athletes throughout the county about different struggles associated with being a student athlete was very humbling. I am very grateful to get invited by the Huntington athletic department and I’m proud to say I was part of something new and for a great cause.”

An assortment of professionals made short presentations on leadership, sportsmanship, social media, psychology of sport and mental wellness. Some of the presentations were interactive in nature. The student-athletes collaborated at each table to express their opinions and make their voices heard on topics affecting their lives and the player experience in general.

The conference ran from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dozens of Suffolk athletic directors were in attendance along with Section XI Executive Director Thomas Combs and Center Moriches Superintendent Dr. Ronald M. Masera.

“Each person who presented had a unique experience to share and provided great insight regarding the different aspects of leadership,” Ms. Polinsky said. “The conference allowed me to collaborate with other student athletes and we came up with a variety of ideas. I’m hoping to be able to share this new information with the teams that I play on, as well as with any other Huntington High School teams who are interested.”

The four Huntington students weren’t bashful in sharing their views. “The student conference was a great experience,” Ms. Bilkey said. “I got to talk to other athletes from Suffolk and connect with them on leadership and teamwork. Everyone made it so fun and positive. It was definitely a privilege to be there.”