King Athletics hosted its second annual Male Athlete Leadership Day on Saturday, February 4, at Chelsea Piers in Stamford. Male athletes from various King teams turned out for the four-hour program, which focused on mental health and movement. The event was a great success. Students participated in deep and inspiring conversations as well as in physically and mentally challenging activities. They also enjoyed a Mexican-inspired lunch buffet and refreshing smoothies.
A renowned speaker on mental health awareness, Hakeem Rahim, led the first portion of the day. During Rahim’s presentation, Viking student-athletes learned about the highs and lows of mental health and how to be intentional in their thoughts and actions. Participants discussed transforming the stigma around mental health, managing the pressures they face daily on teams, at school, and in life, and what we do well and can do better at King.
Some of the main takeaways revolved around the power of meditation and mindfulness, recognizing and changing the narrative of one's inner voice, understanding that mental issues do not define who we are, and finding balance on and off the fields, courts, and ice. The athletes in attendance showed bravery and trust as they shared their concerns and struggles. They all showed up for themselves and each other.
The day culminated with three rotations of movement activities, with our students bravely challenging themselves in the cardio dance room, the yoga studio, and the fencing center. Fencing won the day, with all athletes feeling accomplished and talking about our next installment of male athlete leadership programming.
Winter athlete Jonathan Niv '23 spoke about the day, saying, "I really enjoyed my time with my teammates at King while doing a lot of different activities, like yoga, fencing, and cardio dance. Mr. Rahim spoke to us, and we learned about the importance of mental health. I hope we can do this more often.”
Special thank you to Hakeem Rahim, the event staff at Chelsea Piers, and of course, all of our coaches and athletes who showed up ready to engage, learn, and grow together!