RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK-- The North Carolina High School Athletic Association held its spring 2008 Coach-Captain Retreat over the weekend of April 5-6, the 27th in a series of successful events.

                  The event, part of the Association’s Student Services program, was held at the Radisson Governors Inn 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 ‘95.

                  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

                  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, coach and athletic director at West Bladen High School; Faye Corbin, teacher and coach at Hope Mills South View High School;  Susan Cox, athletic director at Perquimans High School; and Coleman Bailey, a teacher and coach at Greenville D.H. Conley 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 are bulletin boards in the school, public service announcements for the school intercom, a community service project, a newsletter for student-athletes and other school/community ideas generated by the team itself.

In addition to the staff, there were 94 participants in the retreat, with a total of 67 student-athletes and 27 adults attending. The adult total included 20 coaches or administrators, representing a total of 15 different schools, and seven parents of athletes.

Teams at the retreat represented the following schools: 

                  Asheboro, Greenville D. H. Conley, East Carteret, Charlotte Independence, McDowell, Mayodan Dalton McMichael, Northampton-East, Northampton-West, Monroe Parkwood, Perquimans, South Johnston, Hope Mills South View, West Bladen, West Brunswick, Western Harnett.