Leadership book club open to volleyball program
More stories from Natalie Dupuis
MEETING ONE: Junior Grace Montgomery, freshman Izzy Whittaker, sophomore Kaitlyn Wilkie and sophomore Emma Arsnoe meet during B lunch on Feb. 18 in Smaka’s classroom to read passages about leadership to improve their leadership skills in volleyball. “I think leadership is something that is learned, it’s not something that is just naturally done,” Smaka said.
Volleyball coach Aaron Smaka has started a book club for the fourth time in his career for volleyball players interested in improving their leadership skills.
Meetings take place once a week for five weeks to read all 10 chapters about leadership. It’s open to those who were either part of the JV team last year or are returning varsity players.
In the past, the book club was more exclusive than it is this year, but due to COVID-19, it’s open to those that are interested in joining. It allows more people in the program to participate.
“I think part of our job as coaches is to develop leadership in our athletes,” Smaka said. “We wanted to make sure that we put ourselves in a position where our upcoming fall [players] have good leadership.”
Smaka says leadership is something that has to be continuously worked on to develop in athletes. The book club is being offered because he wants leaders to be developed for next year.
“We want them to become leaders on the courts, in the classroom, in our school and community,” Smaka said.
Senior Natalie Dupuis is going into her second and final year of the Bucs’ Blade as an Assigning Editor. She’s excited to see what this school year...