Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2014
Julia Winer
Assistant Director of Communications
(860) 509-3666
jwiner@crec.org
CREC Athletics Captains Learn Lessons in Leadership
(Hartford, CT) In late December, soon after the start of the winter athletics season, 37 student-athletes from five
CREC high schools participated in a special leadership event to help them prepare to be captains of their junior
varsity teams. The conference was coordinated by Thomas Brodnitzki, CREC’s Social Studies Curriculum
Coordinator, in collaboration with Jonathan Winer, CREC’s Athletic Director, and Paul Brenton, Principal of CREC’s
Academy of Aerospace and Engineering and President of the Capitol Region Athletic League (CRAL).
The athletic program at CREC’s five high schools was expanded just this year to include junior varsity. The program
was carefully designed to be an extension of the district’s academic programming, including using athletics as an
avenue to get CREC students more involved in the community. Being leaders in service, academics, and in
sportsmanship are expectations of all team captains. “Your teammates will look to you for guidance,” said Winer.
“Your coaches need you to set an example for your peers, to show them how a student-athlete should act on and off
the court.”
Brodnitzki facilitated the event with seven high school juniors and seniors from the CRILA (Capitol Region
Interdistrict Leadership Academy) program, an Interdistrict Grant program operated by CREC. CRILA students
have spent the year studying leadership, including engaging in a week-long trip to Outward Bound Colorado,
during which they practiced communication, collaboration, and leadership. Meghan Weeks of Portland, Corrine
Williams of Bloomfield, Zoe VanKirk of Canton, Bryant St. Jean of Avon, Brendan Hickey of Wethersfield, Carolynn
Keal of Southington, and Kelly Walsh of New Hartford selected activities that they felt would help the studentathletes from CREC prepare to lead their teams.
The afternoon included facilitated dialogue, team building initiatives, and group brainstorming. The captains
developed a leadership mission and vision statement, wrote personal goals for the year, and discussed ways to
motivate their teammates. “Players from multiple schools worked side-by-side through physical and mental
challenges to build camaraderie and sportsmanship,” explained Brodnitzki. “Ultimately, the student-athletes
reflected on their own leadership and the role they will play in the successful development of CREC’s athletic
program.”
The event was the first of its kind for CREC, but its success will inform future activities as the athletic program
grows and develops. Student comments confirmed the impact of the day. “Although we are athletes, we are all
students first,” said Paris Pruitt of Hartford, a senior at the CREC Medical Professions and Teacher Preparation
Academy in Windsor. “If we can inspire our teammates to excel in the classroom, they will also excel on the court.”
CREC Schools are currently accepting applications for the 2014-15 school year. For more information or to apply to
any of CREC’s 19 magnet schools, visit www.crecschools.org. The CRILA program is currently accepting
applications from high school sophomores and juniors for the cohort beginning in May of 2014. For more
information and to download the application, visit www.creccrila.com.
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Capitol Region Education Council
www.crec.org
The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has
developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and
adults in the region. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than
150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 19 interdistrict magnet
schools. More information about CREC or CREC’s award-winning magnet schools is available at www.crec.org
Athletics captains from CREC high schools came together with CRILA students to discuss the role and traits of
leaders.
Capitol Region Education Council
www.crec.org