Dear Sarah:
Hi! This is Heather Johnson, the short, red-headed girl who went to your camp for many, many years. I am writing to you this holiday season to share my sincerest gratitude for the encouragement that you offered to me throughout the years. I am presently a senior (finally!!) at Bishop Feehan and I still remember the lessons of hustle and dedication from your camps. Driven by such lessons, I am captain of the team. I would like to thank you especially for stressing the importance of defense and hustle. It seems like too many coaches these days focus strictly on offense and points, but you helped me realize that my defensive and leadership role is also crucial to a team's success.
The reason that I am writing this letter now stems from a scholarship opportunity that I was recently presented with. Five students from my school were given a nomination form for the Principal's Leadership Award. In addition to the usual evaluation of grades and activities, we were asked to write an essay about a person in our life who exemplifies leadership. While I cannot remember the exact wording of the question, it basically asked us to describe someone who was an example of leadership in our lives. Well, I could not think of a better model of leadership than a person who invokes as much self-esteem and enthusiasm in young girls as you do. I am not a basketball star, but you instilled an early commitment to excellence and sportsmanship within me. I will bring such crucial lessons with me to college and throughout life. I just found out yesterday that I was the school's nominee, so I wanted to pass my essay along as a "thank you" for your example and your words of encouragement.
I wish you the best of luck in your season and have a happy and safe holiday season!
Merry Christmas!
Heather Johnson
Leadership Essay
The brochure for the 8th annual Sarah Behn Basketball Camp reads: "Our philosophy is to instill confidence in young girls by teaching basketball fundamentals, which in turn will raise their individual level of play and make the game more fun to play." Many basketball camps claim to integrate such a philosophy into their programs, where young girls work to improve their skills. The experience of aspiring hoop stars at this particular camp, however, is truly unusual.
The founder of the camp, Sarah Behn, becomes the inspiration of countless young girls after only a few days in her presence. She is a leader in all respects of the word, as she understands the implications of her actions and attitude in the lives of her young admirers. Her words of constant encouragement and enthusiasm resonate through the gym and establish a sense of self-esteem in each girl. Her goal to "instill confidence in young girls" becomes a reality as the campers leam life lessons that extend far beyond the boundaries of me basketball court.
A spirit of enthusiasm and passion surrounds the camp, and such emotions seem contagious. As Sarah stands before the crowd of attentive eyes, she preaches the importance of dedication and hard work. Her positive attitude and determination, however, transform her into a leader by example, which is the only way to truly inspire others. Campers are praised for hard work and improvement, which encourages each girl to achieve personal goals and to try their absolute hardest at all times. Week upon week, summer after summer, young girls at the Sarah Behn camp leave Friday afternoon with a new friend after whom they can model their lives. The philosophy of her camp is exemplified as she builds the generation of tomorrow: first by instilling confidence, then by having fun.
Heather Johnson, Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, MA