STANDISH, Maine – The 2023 Lead 'Em Up Green 13 Awards have been released and Saint Joseph's College women's basketball junior guard Hailey Anderson (Beverly, Mass.) is one of just 13 aspiring leaders from around the nation to earn the highly coveted honor. The annual awards were announced on Thursday, May 11th.
Surrounded by her teammates and coaches as well athletics staff in the Alfond Center classroom, Anderson was delivered the news via video conference call orchestrated by Lead 'Em Up founder Adam Bradley. Several of her family members also joined the video call.
Anderson did not know what was coming.
"Coach Woodside let me know a couple of weeks ago that he nominated me (for the Green 13 Award), and that alone was an honor that I was very appreciative of," says Anderson. "I had no idea what was going on when I went into the classroom, even when I saw my family on the call. Once they announced my name and everyone started cheering, I sat there shocked. I'm so grateful to receive this honor and to have my team, coaches, trainers, and other staff members with me made it even more special."
"When Lead 'Em Up came to our college over the winter, I immediately loved what they stood for and the program they designed," Anderson continues. "For any team I've been on, I've never seen my teammates so engaged and taking the skills we learned with us into practices, games, and the locker room. We used phrases from our session for the rest of the season and I think it played a big part in our success."
The Monks enjoyed a fantastic season with a 23-6 overall record, including a 15-2 mark in conference play, en route to winning the GNAC Championship and earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
"Hailey is a terrific leader and student-athlete and is very deserving of this honor," says Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83. "I'm so proud of her, to be recognized as one of 13 individuals – out of thousands and thousands of candidates across the country – is truly amazing. We're really lucky to have her as part of our team."
Anderson averaged 7.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39.2% (78-199) from the floor, 34.6% (37-107) from three-point range, and 90.9% (30-33) from the free throw line while appearing in all 29 of the Monks' games as a junior guard.
"I can't think of a more deserving person to receive this award than Hailey," adds Assistant Coach Chris Woodside. She truly embodies green leadership on and off the court. She is a remarkable student-athlete."
Anderson began the season as a starter, having worked hard in the off-season to secure the position. However, in December, just before conference play began, the coaching staff made a lineup change. she was replaced as a starter with a freshman.
Despite being upset and feeling "demoted," Anderson never let her personal disappointment affect the team. She remained the most supportive member of the bench. Anderson went out of her way to provide support to her teammates and prepare for her new role. Her grace and selflessness in handling the demotion impressed her coach.
"In 10 years of coaching, he had never seen a player handle a situation with more grace and leadership," added Woodside.
Anderson's teammates and coaching staff recognize her as the best leader on the team. This is due to her unwavering support and willingness to do whatever it takes to win. She maintains a near-perfect academic record. She serves as a student tutor and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team. Anderson was also named to the Delta Epsilon Sigma National Honor Society. Hailey's exemplary leadership on and off the court makes her a deserving winner of the Green 13 Award.
FROM THE LEAD 'EM UP WEBSITE:
Every year we celebrate the extraordinary efforts of young leaders. These individuals have shown exceptional leadership and character both on and off the field. Within Lead 'Em Up, "Green," is synonymous with being special.
During this past year, close to 40,000 students and athletes experienced the power of Lead 'Em Up. With a Lead 'Em Up membership, coaches and teachers are eligible to nominate their top leaders for our annual Green 13 Award.
We received the most 'Green 13' nominations ever this year. Coaches and teachers from around the country sent in nominations for deserving students and athletes. After careful consideration, we identified 13 outstanding individuals who stood out as being 100% Green. These individuals stood out, not just during the season, but throughout the year.
As part of the Green 13, each winner will receive a Lead 'Em Up swag pack with a special Green Team verification check-mark, and an incredible prize of FREE CHICK-FIL-A FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, courtesy of our friends at Chick-Fil-A. This is the fourth year of the Green 13 Awards, and we are proud to say that this year's winners are among the most deserving yet, making this award all the more prestigious.
2023 LEAD 'EM UP GREEN 13 RECIPIENTS
ABOUT LEAD 'EM UP:
Lead 'Em Up is a dynamic and engaging leadership program used by youth, high school, and college sports teams all over the country.
We provide coaches with a full library of leadership and communication exercises online that they can use to develop their players into the leaders needed to win.
Here are 8 thoughts the Lead 'Em Up team believes in:
- When the leader improves, everybody wins.
- Leadership is a skill and like any skill, it needs practice in order to improve.
- Great leaders can make the "uncool" into the new "cool"
- Leadership isn't sometimes, it's all the time.
- Better people make better athletes
- Leading by example is not enough; there needs to be more.
- The more you pour into your players, the more they have to give.
- We want players as excited about leadership development as they are about skill development.
In addition to our full online library of exercises via our Coaches Membership, we also provide spirited live team workshops, and coaching workshops and have an online store filled with empowering gear and accessories perfect for your team.
