MaeleeSmith

Leadership can make or break a team. Crusaders Elevating Others, better known as CEOs, is a group of student-athletes at Marian who work to improve their leadership skills on and off the field. 

      Started by Athletic Director Ms. Rochelle Rohlfs, the CEO group consists of athletes from each of the 11 NSAA varsity sports at Marian. They meet twice a month during lunch to discuss their leadership qualities and experiences. 

Rohlfs was inspired to start the CEO group after going to the National Athletic Director Convention in 2016.

“I heard a speaker talk about starting a student-athlete leadership group in her school. I just got really excited about it because I could imagine the benefits it would have for our student-athletes here at Marian,” Rohlfs said. 

The speaker had talked about the curriculum she used for her students and Rohlfs used that same structure during the first year of her own group. Rohlfs then developed a curriculum of her own. 

The CEO group studies leadership by reading and discussing books about becoming better athletes and leaders. This year, the book they are reading is called “The Unstoppable Athlete” by Andrew J. Simpson.

“We have a lesson each time. We go through the lesson. There is a lot of self-reflection time and then there is a lot of discussion time, so the athletes can learn from each other and have time to process other possibilities outside of what they have thought about for their sport,” Rohlfs said. 

Rohlfs encourages CEOs to share what they have learned during meetings with their teammates. 

“I hope they go out and define their leadership style from our group,” Rohlfs said. 

Sophomore Sanibel Miller is a CEO for the first time this year. She represents Marian’s Swim and Dive team. 

“I thought this would be a great way to lead our athletic community and learn more about what it means to be a student-athlete and improve myself in that aspect as well,” Miller said.

A focus of the CEO group is mental toughness. If a student does not have good mental health, it can affect their performance in academics and athletics.

“I really liked the lesson about improving our mental game because I really need to work on that,” Miller said.

Miller said she has learned a lot already about being a better leader for her team and hopes to continue learning and improving throughout the year. 

Senior Emily Berthelsen has been a CEO for the past two years for softball. She joined the CEO group because she felt that her team needed more leadership for her junior year season.  

“We had one senior and so we needed underclassman leadership. I wanted to be in a program that would teach me how to lead,” Berthelsen said. 

Berthelsen said she believes that the CEO program has made a difference for herself and her team. 

“I feel like I have learned ways to tap into being a leader, but also just how to communicate with my teammates better,” Berthelsen said. 

Rohlfs wants to help student-athletes be the best they can be in their sports and in their leadership and communication skills. 

“I’m just impressed with how our girls are willing to share, personally and athletically, their ideas and their experiences, because without that part of it, this group is just about a book. It’s much more than that,” Rohlfs said. 

Student leadership in sports is important for any team to succeed. By using the lessons learned during meetings, CEOs work to better themselves and their teammates. 

CEOs help to create a fun and welcoming sports community at Marian.