MANATEE — Basketball referee and local resident Bob Delaney visited Bayshore Elementary School on Friday to help introduce the newest group of fifth-graders to the importance of developing strong leadership skills.
Delaney, who just returned from visiting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, congratulated the group of 110 students after they were inducted into his Leadership Academy in its fourth year at the school on 26th Street West in Bradenton.
“There are leaders, there are followers and there is leadership. Leadership is teamwork,” Delaney, 58, told students as about 100 parents snapped pictures of the ceremony and Delaney, who lives in Lakewood Ranch and has been an official in the NBA for 24 years.
The academy’s goal is to foster leadership qualities in fifth-graders before they move to middle school. Throughout the year students will learn about leadership, including integrity, accountability, civility, boundaries, problem solving and enforcing rules, said Bayshore Principal Annette Cordelia.
Teachers and staff at the school will also teach and reinforce leadership concepts, positive character traits and goal-setting skills throughout the school year, according to information from the Manatee County School District. “You are now ready to become leaders of our school,” Cordelia told the class of inductees.
The fifth grade BDLA has an international theme, and teachers plan to incorporate Delaney’s experiences in Iraq into their geography and social studies lessons. This year’s theme is “Racing to Success.”
Delaney said as he travels the world this school year, he’ll send students postcards from each city he visits.
He told the group that while he was in Iraq, he spent time with soldiers thanking them for their efforts. He also discussed post-traumatic stress disorder with the soldiers.
This year, he said, students will become pen pals with soldiers. Friday’s ceremony concluded with a question and answer session with students.
“How many places have you been?” asked Autumn Hennesey. “How was Iraq?” her classmate Ashley Crissen asked.
The final question of the day came from Alexia Deitermeyer. “How much longer will you do this?”
“We’ll take it year by year,” he said, then smiled. “My commitment to the program is ongoing.”
