Dean College will be hosting their first annual Coaching Symposium event in December.
(Photo Courtesy: Evan Sapienza)
Dean College will host their first annual COACHCONNECT: Best Practices Coaching Symposium on Friday, December 8, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Paula M. Rooney Student Center. Leaders from the MIAA and high schools across Massachusetts will discuss current topics in high school sports, Name Image and Likeness (NIL), Developing Program Culture and Athletes’ Mental Health are just some of the topics that will be talked about. Lunch will also be served, and a raffle will take place at the event.
Dean College has also been receiving a lot of support for this event around the town of Franklin through the hard work of Dean student Natalie Falconer. “What I enjoy most about putting this event together is getting donations and raffle prizes from local businesses. It makes me glad to know that the Franklin community wants to support us,” Falconer explained.
The students have been learning a lot during this process in the class that they can take into their future careers. “As someone who wants to potentially pursue event planning after college, putting this Coaching Symposium together is beneficial for myself as I am learning more about how events come together and the work it takes for events to run as smoothly as they do,” Falconer talked about.
Dean College student Evan Sapienza has also played a big role in building a logo for this upcoming event and has learned a lot so far.
“Considering I want to be part of event management, this experience has been, and will be a huge key to success in the future. The facets of an event are not what meets the eye. There’s so much more to it. Understanding how to run an event with no blueprint is amazing if you can pull it off. I believe we have the tools to do that,” Sapienza mentioned.
Professor Patrick Leary, overseeing the class, values trial and error learning and saw a great opportunity for Dean students. “I have seen the tremendous growth that students experience as a direct result of participating in experiential learning opportunities and working on client-based projects. As an educator and coach, I saw a marketplace need for a space where athletic administrators and coaches could gather to network and share best practices based on today's current landscape,” Leary explained. “I am most excited for the students being able to see the fruits of their labor. This event provides a unique opportunity for Dean College to showcase the tremendous work of our students,” Leary continued.
Dean College is currently in need of volunteers to help at this event. This is a great way to network and meet many accomplished individuals in the sports industry.
Please sign up to volunteer here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCXfHngV8b7nM4C6ZedmVRMNOfdLuO1w7or1b-4V7QvgTuIg/viewform?usp=sf_link
If you are interested in attending the event, please register here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/deancoachingsymposium