Hendrick Hudson Contingent Learns Leadership Lessons at MetLife Stadium

Athletic director Tom Baker, Hendrick Hudson coaches Megan Boyle and Craig Solomon, and three student-athletes were among the more than 220 participants Wednesday at MetLife Stadium for InSideOut’s Student Leadership Conference.

The Sailor contingent visited the home of the Giants and Jets for training from the InSideOut Initiative, which seeks to empower and equip school administrators, coaches and student-athletes with skills that help them foster purpose-based athletics in their districts. InSideOut connects student-athletes and transformational coaches, providing a culture of belonging that helps harbor social-emotional character development.

The conference, which included a keynote address from Giants legend Carl Banks, featured several exercises that allowed the student-athletes to discuss leadership, character, empathy and more and why those traits are important to a team overall, as well as its individual members.

Hendrick Hudson students Billy Magliano, Justin Parkes and Kate Stratton participated in the leadership-building exercises.

The conference marked the launch of the third year of a partnership with Section One Athletics, the InSideOut Initiative, the New York Giants, and the NFL Foundation. Hendrick Hudson was one of 40 Section One member schools in attendance from Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Dutchess counties.

“The work I have done with the group has been extremely helpful in accentuating the purpose of interscholastic athletics,” said Baker, who has participated in previous InSideOut training sessions. “I am really looking forward to the continued work with this organization. This recent conference was the first time that student-athletes across the section were a part of the training. It was truly rewarding to have not only Hen Hud student-athletes but many others from the region work on some leadership skills with InSideOut.”