Last week Mark Dreibelbis, Assistant Commissioner of Student Services for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, held a day-long training session with East Bladen High School’s D.R.E.A.M. Team.

DREAM Team stands for “Daring to Role Model Excellence as Athletic Mentors” and consists of selected student-athletes who promote positive leadership skills and healthy lifestyles to elementary and middle school students.

Dreibelbis brainstormed with the Eagle DREAM Team students on ways they could be good role models to younger students, and he also helped them explore ways to make wise choices (like saying “NO” to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) and how to strive for excellence while practicing a safe, legal, and healthy lifestyle.

A part of the training session helped the high schoolers see how they can serve as athletic mentors and display a positive attitude, good sportsmanship, leadership abilities, communication skills, and high academic standards.

The hands-on activities that Dreibelbis conducted with the DREAM Team were both exciting and empowering, according to participants.

East Bladen’s team has been working with the second grade at Elizabethtown Primary and will be continuing their Read First program with other grades at the school. They will also be a part of “Read Across America” and will continue to work with the ETP’s field day activities.

Other projects for the East Bladen DREAM team include: promoting sportsmanship at spring sports games, Special Olympics, middle school presentations, and other community projects. The group’s goal this year is to help improve the literacy rate in Bladen County by beginning with the lower grades.

The members of East Bladen’s DREAM team are Aleigh Bridgers, Iesha Swindell, Sharmayne Campbell, Wesley Cross, Cameron West, Hayley Horton, Caisson Smith, Emily Meggs, Abby Norris, Leighanne Kelly, Kaycie Skipper, Sharon Gonzales, Brianna Graham, Tori Chestnutt.

The group’s leader is Coach Patty Evers.