Rivals on the field work together to become role models in the classroom

The Student ACES nonprofit organization recently had over 70 student-athletes from 13 high schools in Palm Beach County participate in its character education flagship program to inspire students to be champions and future leaders in life.

The flagship program features student-athletes in the junior class from public, private and charter high schools as they join for a series of workshops on four days throughout the 2023-24 school year at Clayton E. Hutchinson Agricultural Center in West Palm Beach. The administration from each respective school nominated three boys and three girls in the 11th grade to participate in the program.

The Palm Beach Gardens-based Student ACES (Athletics, Community and Education) organization was co-founded in 2013 by Buck Martinez and his daughter Krissy Webb. Martinez, who was a longtime executive at Florida Power & Light, is the Student ACES president of the board. He also has an active role as a dedicated class instructor during the flagship program. Webb serves as the Student ACES executive director.

Webb and her sisters grew up playing sports. She said they were supported by their parents, who provided guidance as role models as well as a loving environment and upbringing. Webb had a discussion with her father on whether student-athletes had that same experience and how high schools were preparing them to be leaders on and off the field. Webb and Martinez initiated the flagship program, which started with eight participating high schools and 32 student-athletes. The program currently has between 70 to 80 participants each year.

Webb said it was an opportunity for students to learn core values and receive the tools needed to become leaders and affect change at their schools.

“The idea is for juniors to go back into their senior year of high school as role models and they create that positive behavior change in the schools,” she said. “The flagship program is bringing students from the different schools to meet each other and that is what makes it great. They may be competitors on the athletic field. In our program, they are working together and doing case studies, team building and everything the program encompasses.”

The classes have different themes and students receive instruction on a variety of topics, including core values, leadership style, legacy, grit, will to win, competition and ethics. The program also features lectures, guest speakers and allows students to learn through the application of case studies and team-building exercises. The students have an opportunity to engage with each other in a social and interactive environment while developing life skills to excel.

The student-athletes, who may be rivals on the field, worked together in team building exercises. The activities had students facing the challenges of communication and trust with each other. In the frostbite arctic adventure exercise, the group leader’s lands were tied and the students had to build an igloo with a cardboard box and string while being blindfolded. They had to work through obstacles and withstand wind blowers from the arctic blast. In the fear of watermelon exercise, it tested the courage of students as two groups had to put rubber bands in the middle of the watermelon until it exploded.

“The students had a blast,” Webb said. “They do not know what to expect. They went out of their comfort zone to build trust and it opened them up and made them vulnerable. They were all engaged and willing to jump in and participate.”

The Student ACES organization, which has a center located in Belle Glade, has six full-time staff members and one part-time staff member. Webb said they work hard on their craft to prepare a curriculum for a series of workshops. They also have two senior high school students, who previously went through the program last year, to provide assistance and help with team-building exercises.

Linda Andrews, founder and CEO of Lila Life, served as the guest speaker at the first event on Sept. 28. She provides integrative consulting and coaching and wellness solutions to individuals and businesses. Andrews, who was on the swimming team at Rutgers University, provides mental toughness training to athletes. She also has experience speaking at conferences on health and wellness. She has been involved with the Student ACES organization since its inception.

The student-athletes who participate in the flagship program are competitive in several different sports, including football, basketball, softball, golf, swimming and diving. Webb said the students participate in athletics, but it does not define what you will do and who you are in life. The student-athletes are challenged during the course to answer questions of what their own legacy will look like in the future, make decisions based on their core values and step up to be a leader to change the world for the good.

The Student ACES program core values include command respect, earn the trust of others, bring a winning attitude, sacrifice for self and others, possess a work ethic second to none, do the right thing and aspire to greatness.

“We hope to prepare them for life and to think about those things as leaders to inspire other people,” Webb said.

Webb said they provide a pre and post survey to students as they rely on feedback from participants about their experiences to continue to improve the program. She added the program has produced students who have had success in the workforce and as leaders and volunteers in the community.

The student-athletes are recognized as champions at an awards banquet after they complete the four classes in the program.

Alexa Muller, who plays softball at Oxbridge Academy, participated in the flagship program last year and was a Champions of Character recipient. She provided assistance with the first class for the program this year.

“The champions embrace those core values and are giving back,” Webb said. “It’s a full circle moment and that is really cool.”

The final three days of the flagship program for the school year will be Nov. 9, Jan. 11 and Feb. 15.

Visit studentacesforleadership.com.