Good evening and congratulations for achieving a level of excellence in your sport.

Even if you just barely qualified for this meet, please don’t downplay the significance of your accomplishment.

Just ask all those swimmers back home who haven’t qualified, particularly those who just missed.

Now once you achieve a level of excellence in our society, you attain leadership status.

I know that you haven’t asked for it.

You may not particularly want it.

But you have it anyway.

All things in life have a price and your fee for having achieved excellence is leadership and responsibility that goes with it.

Part of that responsibility is to consider

Your Team

Your YMCA

And Your Community

Before you consider yourself.

Our society likes and in some cases is downright infatuated with winners so those of you who have won events be particularly vigilant.

Everyone will be watching you now.

Younger swimmers will emulate you now. They will start to walk like you, and talk like you and most importantly act like you.

Parents will make special note of what you say.

Your peers will listen to you more.

Your teammates will listen to you to the extent that your example in training will do more to determine your team’s destiny next year than all your coaches’ poolside speeches.

Please don’t fear this responsibility.

Embrace it and take full advantage of it.

Model your best behavior at all times.

Think before you act.

And most importantly, take the time to share kind words with a teammate.

Please bow your heads in a word of prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father please guide these young people in their new role as leader.

Help them care for others as you have cared for them

We ask this in your name.

Amen.

Jim Ryan, Executive Director, Upper Mainline YMCA, PA