LEXINGTON, Ky. — About 250 coaches and athletic directors from Fayette County Public Schools middle and high schools gathered on June 23 for the district's inaugural Athletic Summit at Tates Creek High School, with a focus on unifying the athletics vision across the region.

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who served as the event's keynote speaker, urged coaches to recognize the potential in their student-athletes. Coleman, a former classroom teacher and girls basketball coach, shared her personal story of adopting Emma Coleman-O'Bryan, a student who came to her without reading proficiency but went on to graduate with honors and serve in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps after playing Division I basketball at Texas A&M.

"For the first time in her life, she had people who believed in her," Coleman told the auditorium crowd. She encouraged coaches and athletic administrators to understand that recognizing student worth and potential can be transformative. "The next generation is always looking to us for help, for support, and for someone to believe in them," Coleman said.

Acting Superintendent Bill Bradford echoed the importance of individual attention in athletics. "You have a lot of student-athletes looking to you, and there's power in your words," Bradford said. "Sometimes we don't know our potential until someone tells us." Bradford recounted how a diving coach at Transylvania University mentored him in his own athletic career.

The all-day conference featured breakout sessions covering Injury Prevention and Nutrition for Student-Athletes, Building the Modern Student-Athlete, and Mental Health: Building Cultures and Environments Where Student-Athletes Thrive. Additional offerings included CPR and First Aid Training and a review of Title IX requirements. Veteran educator Roger Cleveland spoke in the afternoon on Purpose, Perspective and Perception: A Viable Approach to a Winning Program.

District Athletic Director Jackie Gordon Duvall spearheaded the event, which provided professional learning and networking opportunities. Board of Education members Amy Green and Amanda Ferguson attended, with Ferguson noting the value of coaches and administrators connecting across the district. "In sports, students are connected in small groups, and the more coaches and administrators are connected, the stronger their support system," Ferguson said.

Gordon Duvall urged participants to "take advantage of this chance to build community with their districtwide rivals." The summit's theme — "Set the Standard / Unify / Succeed: Aligning Our Athletic Vision" — reflected the district's commitment to both academic and athletic excellence for its student-athletes.