Sports help SJCC's Militello learn to communicate, mediate

Maddie Militello can't help it.

The St. Joseph Central Catholic senior heads directly from the softball diamond to run her 400-meter relay leg when she'd rather be doing almost anything else. That's leadership.

"I'm a puker," she said. "At the end of the race I collapse and I feel like I'm going to throw up. You have to sprint the whole time. After softball, right after a game, so that's nice. But I still do it. For my team. I'm a rookie. I lead by example.

"Many times I'm exhausted but I have another team relying on me and I can't quit."

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Militello is a multiyear captain in multiple sports. She spent three years in the role for basketball, two for softball and one season for volleyball.

It was a team vote every time except for a coach's appointment for sophomore basketball. She was captain on the freshman and junior varsity volleyball teams her first two years.

She'll finish with 11 letters; four for basketball, four for softball, two for volleyball and one for track.

"I understood teams are unique to different needs," she said. "For basketball three years, I was more comfortable being that leader. You have your coach, but you're out there on the court and coach can't yell at you all the time.

"Basketball is fast-paced, you need to be making decisions."

She might have already been a basketball captain as a sophomore, but she still looked up to the seniors for guidance.

"I developed as a leader as I matured," she said. "I definitely make mistakes, all leaders make mistakes. As I got older, I realized I was the person who had to always be on point and do everything right. I'm not perfect, but being on point is where I understood the pressure on a leader.

"I have to perform to the best of my ability and focus on the other girls to get the best out of themselves and make sure the effort is there. I understood that more."

Militello identifies vocal, physical and motivational leadership. She knows when to talk — which includes when not to talk — and what to say.

"I want to give confidence to girls," she said. "Bring out their confidence and seeing girls branch out in personality and grow in the game is cool to see. That's what I like."

Goal setting and motivation is similar for a leader in any sport. Militello expanded the role to occasionally organize and lead meetings on scouting reports.

"When you get close to a goal, you're still improving," Militello said. "For basketball as a senior, we struggled, but all of us were there for each other. We didn't do well, but it's not always performance. I love to see the little improvements."

Softball won one game when Militello was a freshman and only a handful more the next season. Supporting teammates for softball differs from her other sports because there is so much failure.

"I never expected to be voted a captain, ever," she said. "I see good in so many people, they'd be a good leader. I never got used to that, expected to be a leader. I was just being myself. I like making people comfortable.

"I like being that fun person, but still serious."

Junior Emma Kelbley played basketball, softball and volleyball with Militello.

"She is super sweet and easy to talk to and is a great role model for all the underclassmen," Kelbley said. "Maddie is a great teammate and leader because she knows what she's talking about with whatever sport and she cares about the team and always is putting 110% into whatever we are doing."

Militello knows she's headed to Cincinnati to be a nurse. She's going to miss sports, even track events she didn't have time for while managing her studies.

"High school sports is the most competitive thing you'll get, I don't know if that's true, but it's sad I'm moving on from that," she said. "I'm excited for that leadership role within college and the hospital. Sports taught me the importance of being there for one another.

"Building relationships. There are always goals in life; I like challenges. Sports have shown me who I am and who I can be. I'm great at being part of a team and communicating. I learned that in sports."

It's also a product of her family dynamic. Being a leader didn't come naturally for Militello.

"When I was younger, I was shy and timid," she said. "I'm the youngest in my family and extended family. I'm the little kid and they're talking about big kids' stuff. I'm the only kid. I went for student council in the fifth grade.

"I stepped out of my comfort zone and learned to lead. It didn't come natural, but I was always the listener. That's why I'm a mediator. I was a listener for most of my childhood."

When Militello was in the sixth grade, she was aware of bees making a home in a basketball hoop at Sacred Heart and posing a threat to fellow students. She went to the school board and the basket was replaced.

She didn't always use her voice and she knows what it feels like to transform. She doesn't want to see anybody left out.

"I was one of them," she said. "I know how it feels to be nervous to speak out; I had to voice my opinion. On a team, everybody is important and they have great ideas as well. You should make a point everybody voices their opinion.

"All these experiences are going to help me. When I'm part of a team at the hospital, I'll have to talk to someone as a positive person, maybe on the worst days of their life. I'll have to be encouraging and motivating."

As one of the smallest enrollment schools in Ohio, Militello's leadership might have been accentuated. She doesn't take that for granted.

"At St. Joe, it's such a tight-knit group, you know everybody," she said. "You're supported by love. I have a soft spot for St. Joe; we're small but mighty. I brought that into the team (aspect)."

She wanted to empower others.

"Anyone can be a leader," she said. "Big school or small school. Academically. Your (job). Your friend group. There's always a chance for somebody to be a leader and it's always important. Somebody is always watching you, little kids.

"It's always important. You look for those opportunities, grabbing them. People are good at different things. I can't play the piano, others are great. You have to recognize what you're good at and be confident in yourself and lead that way.

"I found myself in sports. It could be cooking. It could be an instrument. Anybody can be a leader, you have to find out what makes you, 'you.'"

mhorn@gannett.com

419-307-4892

X: @MatthewHornNH

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Sports help SJCC's Militello learn to communicate, mediate