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Four MFS female student-athletes joined over 150 peers from over 50 PA/NJ high schools at the first annual Live Like Blaine Foundation Leadership Conference on January 18 at William Penn Charter School (pictured from left): Elizabeth Mayer ’18 (field hockey, basketball, lacrosse), Chloe Jones ’18 (soccer, fencing), Alexis Watson ’18 (soccer, basketball, lacrosse), and Alyssa Runyan ’18 (soccer, basketball).

Live Like Blaine honors Penn Charter and Dartmouth alumna Blaine Steinberg, an accomplished athlete, student, and leader who passed away suddenly in March 2014, just two weeks before her 21st birthday. The mission of the Live Like Blaine Foundation is to empower and inspire young women to become leaders through fitness and athletics. In preparation for the conference, all students were encouraged to conduct a collection drive of gently used athletic equipment and gear. The MFS students were excited to provide a large contribution of donated items to the effort.

The students participated in a variety of team-building activities and discussions. Motivational remarks were also provided by Courtney Banghart, the Princeton University Women’s Basketball Head Coach, 2015 Naismith Coach of the Year Winner, and one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Greatest Leaders, and Grace Calhoun, Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Coach Banghart was very impressive,” said Alexis. ” She encouraged us to stop focus on ‘becoming’ and to focus on ‘doing’ – take care of yourself and the people around you.”

The conference also provided the girls with the opportunity to reflect on their own teams. “Relationships are everything,” said Alyssa. “They are the foundation of the team. I value the relationships we have within our teams, JV and Varsity, here at MFS.”