Expanding a program begun at Montgomery County Community College, student-athletes and coaches from across eastern Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware have found a safe and healthy way to engage and stay connected with one another while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sideline on-the-field competition.

Under the leadership of Montgomery County Community College Coordinator of Athletics Nyere Miller, the Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (EPAC) has developed a new online leadership series, which provides current student-athletes with a platform on various positive topics to discuss throughout the academic year. The new series gives an opportunity for EPAC student-athletes to come together and engage in meaningful conversation that will foster learning, growth and the next generation of leaders.

This is the time that emerging leaders navigate through rough waters." -Beth Ann Delaney

Athletics Director Kelly Dunbar said this series of discussions is a continuation of a leadership series started at MCCC, which Miller also spearheaded.

“I’m so proud that Nyere is leading this initiative for the student-athletes across Pennsylvania and Delaware,” she said. “This leadership series began as an in-house project and has now expanded to the community colleges across the EPAC conference. The idea behind this is to broaden the network for all of our student-athletes to engage and learn from others like themselves.”

The first session of the six-part virtual series took place Thursday, Sept. 10, with guest speaker Beth Ann Delaney, a licensed clinical social worker trained in leadership. Delaney led an hour-long discussion with 80 student-athletes and coaches called "What does leadership look like in this new climate of COVID-19?"

Delaney focused her discussion on ways student-athletes could still be leaders on their team even though they weren’t playing together.

This is a positive platform that fosters leadership and growth." -Nyere Miller

“Life is a continuous journey going forward,” she said. “You can use life as an excuse not to move forward. You can be sad, angry, stuck not moving forward. That’s not what leadership is. Leadership is how you serve. Leadership is not how you serve yourself, but how you serve others. You make decisions, communicate, strategize and problem solve.”

Delaney encouraged student-athletes to create a plan for themselves that will allow them to use their voice, serve others and stay positive.

“This is the time that emerging leaders navigate through rough waters,” she said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have paused on-the-field athletic competition, it offered an opportunity to help student-athletes face challenging times as well, by hearing from their peers who are facing similar circumstances, Miller said.

“We’re not competing this fall, but we’re still able to get everyone together to start a conversation,” said Miller. “This is a positive platform that fosters leadership and growth.”

Dunbar said the first session was a great kickoff to the series in terms of student-athlete turnout and engagement during the discussion. She looked forward to the next two sessions this fall and the following three sessions in the spring.

The remaining leadership series sessions will include the following topics:

Oct. 1, 2020: Race and inequality

• Deconstructing implicit biases, preconceived notions about race, and working to educate ourselves on relevant matters are steps that we can take towards being active advocates against racial injustice.

Nov. 5, 2020: Personal health and wellness

• Discussion on mental and physical health
• How to maintain emotional intelligence/mindfulness/balance

Feb. 4, 2021: Mentoring and networking

• The focus of this conversation is to provide information and advice on how networking can play a crucial role in your success. Through your network, you may learn about new professional opportunities, share best practices with peers, or identify a mentor who can provide advice about specific challenges.

March 4, 2021: EPAC alumni panel

• Invite former EPAC student-athletes back to discuss their personal journeys.
• How was the transition from junior college to a four year institution?
• How did junior college prepare you academically and athletically?
• What advice do you have for current EPAC student-athletes?

April 1, 2021: Making the transition to a four-year institution/workforce

• How do I market myself?
• How do my student-athlete skills transition into real life experience?