The Central High School District hosted its fourth annual Unity Summit on Sept. 23, bringing together high school athletes and coaches from across Section VIII Athletics in Nassau County to promote sportsmanship, civility, and unity in educationally based athletics.

Eric Caballero, the district’s director of physical education, athletics, driver education, and health, co-chaired a committee of athletic administrators to facilitate the event.

“Athletics has never been just about the scoreboard. It’s about the people we influence, the culture we create, and the experiences we provide for our student-athletes,” stated Caballero about the summit. “Every day, we have an opportunity to make a difference and today was about making sure we continue to get better at doing just that. Our purpose was simple: to grow as leaders, strengthen our programs, and ultimately provide a better experience for every student-athlete we serve.”

Student-athlete volunteers from Sanford H. Calhoun High School were also on hand to welcome hundreds of attendees, direct them around the Brookside building, and facilitate icebreaker conversations.

Guest speakers included Lamar Lee, an athletic leadership trainer; Steve Hayn, assistant coach of the Rutgers University men’s basketball team; Dr. Nancy Kaplan, a leadership guest speaker, vice provost for Academic Engagement and Partnerships at St. John’s University, and a board trustee for the CHSD; and Leah Jantzen, a counselor at Ward Melville High School, as well as a self-help author, speaker, triathlete, and performance coach.

Dr. Kaplan spoke about how, in athletics and life, character is more important than talent.

“You are in the process of writing your own story,” she said. “Whether it’s going to be that you want to play a sport at a school or become a leader of an organization, when you go to college or you want to be the one that’s offered that job, what people are going to look at – is your character.”

Continuing the message about the importance of character, Lamar encouraged student-athletes to be mindful of their social media presence.

“Use your social media as if it’s the billboard for your future,” Lee said. “Colleges are looking at you like an investment. And they want to protect that investment. You have the opportunity to decide what they see and don’t see.”

Keynote presenter Andrew Moratta, a school district communications director and leader of the Surviving & Thriving movement, offered an animated opening speech followed by breakout sessions.

His program offered key learning points, goals and habits for interacting with others. He began by emphasizing how to command a presence and being relatable and memorable through storytelling.

Moratta discussed the importance of taking ownership of one’s actions, being apologetic when wrong, and being compassionate and mindful of how you talk and act after a big game.

“How you talk to the coach [at the game] is just as important as how you talk to the bus driver who drove you there,” he added.

He also emphasized the importance of student-athletes being prepared to “go to work” for the long haul.

“There is no such thing as an overnight sensation,” he noted.

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