NCHSAA Coach-Captain Retreat Attracts Students From Across State

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK– The North Carolina High School Athletic Association held its fall 2009 Coach-Captain Retreat over the weekend, the 29th in the history of this program.

The event, part of the Association’s Student Services program, was held at the Radisson RTP and attracted students from all over North Carolina.

Retreat teams include student-athletes who will be captains or leaders of their athletic squads in the coming year, a coach from the school and a parent representative. They are designed to promote the concept of “teamwork.” Issues such as leadership development, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, violence prevention strategies and academic success are addressed at these retreats, the first of which was held in the spring of 1995.

The retreats are designed to help student-athletes define leadership qualities, identify key issues that affect them, learn to communicate effectively with other students and adults about these issues, and then to understand what captains can do to use their influence to prevent problems and promote healthy lifestyles.

Coach-Captain retreats are organized and administered by NCHSAA assistant executive director Mark Dreibelbis and student services assistant Chiquana Dancy.

“Student Services is the ‘value-added’ division of the NCHSAA,” said Dreibelbis. “The Coach/Captain Retreat emphasizes the responsibility of student-athletes to take their leadership skills and implement programs promoting positive life skills and total development through athletics to both their school and community. Having the opportunity to develop these initiatives and assist in their implementation is what Student Services is all about. Our programs make a difference and create winners for life.”

Facilitators included the following NCHSAA Student Services Trainers: Mike Brown, retired athletic director from the New Hanover County schools and president of B&M Associates; P.J. Taylor, retired teacher/coach at Williamston High and former safe and drug free schools coordinator for the Martin County Schools; Teresa Coleman, former coach and athletic director at West Bladen High School; Faye Corbin, teacher and coach at Hope Mills South View High School; and Susan Cox, former athletic director at Perquimans High School.

Teams always conclude their retreat experience by developing an action plan, something that can be taken back and executed in their local school. Among the components of the action plan could be bulletin boards in the school, public service announcements for the school intercom, a community service project, a special newsletter for student-athletes or other school/community ideas generated by the team itself.

In addition to the staff, there were 108 participants in the retreat, with a total of 78 student-athletes and 30 adults attending. The adult total included 18 coaches or administrators, representing a total of 16 different schools, and 12 parents of athletes.

Teams at the retreat represented the following schools:

Alexander Central, Matthews David Butler, Fayetteville Douglas Byrd, Carrboro, Greenville D.H. Conley, Charlotte Independence, Jordan-Matthews, Kings Mountain, Northwest Guilford, Jamestown Ragsdale, Pfafftown Ronald Reagan, South Brunswick, Hope Mills South View, Southeast Halifax, Tarboro and Weldon.