The athletic department has been working on a new student athlete leadership council since last year and is now putting that plan into action.

The council was formed to tie into the IHSAA’s Champions Together program, which helps students become leaders and work with students with and without special needs and helps change culture within schools.

But also, the council was created for SHS athletes.

“(It was created) partly for that and partly for us,” Assistant Athletic Director Tony Harris said. “You have stuff you want to reflect on how we get better, from concession stands, to teams, to events and … what do our student athletes want.”

The council, which was started by Harris and is being helped with by head boys basketball coach Ben Rhoades and head girls volleyball coach Chelsea Hoffman, is composed of four male and female seniors and four male and female juniors.

These athletes were chosen by their coaches and picked from a pool of other nominees by the athletic department earlier in the year.

All of these students are considered leaders for their respective teams, and a few of them say they are honored to be a part of the newest leadership group at SHS.

“I felt really, really good about it, really happy that they chose me for it,” senior Sydney Hartman said. “I feel like I’m involved in a lot of the sports here, and so it felt good to be recognized.”

Junior Tyler Pirle, another student in the group, says he is  ready to find out opinions of students on and off the council.

“I think it will be exciting to get information and advice from people who are into it and people who aren’t,” Pierle said.

He also says somebody who is into it will have different views and sides than someone who is not, so it’s cool to see the opinion of teachers and other students.

Harris plans for the council to help work with organizations like Toys For Tots, United Way and Special Olympics.

“Anything we can do to help and do positive for the community, that’s what we’re going to try to do,” Harris said.