Ravens Insider: High school athletes embrace Ravens’ annual female empowerment conference

[ExtremeRavens]

Ravens assistant strength and conditioning coach Kaelyn Buskey beamed with excitement and energy entering the Under Armour Performance Center on Tuesday morning. She anxiously awaited this day for months.

The Ravens welcomed roughly 170 female high school athletes from throughout Maryland to their practice facility for the 10th annual L.I.F.T. (Leading and Inspiring Females to Thrive) Conference. Buskey has worked with the Ravens for four years and Tuesday marked her third time being an integral part of the day’s activities.

The event is designed to “empower the next generation of female student-athletes and develop their leadership skills, helping them succeed both on and off the playing field,” according to a news release. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors were selected with many receiving recommendations from coaches and athletic directors.

“Look around, there’s 140-plus girls here that get to experience what it’s like to be a Raven for a day,” Buskey said. “I’m very fortunate that I get to do it every day. So, to get to share that experience and even give them a chance to meet some of our players today … really expose them to all of those opportunities, not only in sport, but in football specifically it’s just a rewarding experience. I’m really grateful to be a part of it.”

Buskey organized an hour workout session with several drills in the team’s field house. The workout was designed to replicate what the Ravens will be working on when they return for minicamp in a few weeks.

She also received help from several players, including inside linebacker Trenton Simpson, safety Beau Brade, quarterback Devin Leary and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson. All the players led groups that practiced the requisite skills for their respective position group.

Simpson and Brade focused on the importance of speed and footwork, while Leary practiced dropbacks and throwing mechanics. Meanwhile, Robinson led the girls in pass rush drills alongside defensive assistant and assistant to the head coach Megan Rosburg.

The girls spent roughly five minutes at each station and learned what it felt like to train like a Raven. After the workout, Buskey and Rosburg explained more about their roles within the team and the unique relationship they’ve formed with players.

“I think strength and conditioning, especially for female athletes is a typically underserved demographic,” Buskey said. “So, I want girls to understand that participating in a strength and conditioning program is the key to a healthy and long career. I just want to give girls the opportunity to experience what that physical preparation to go play elite football on Sundays looks like.”

River Hill junior Alyssa Mattes first heard about the conference from her mom. She applied looking to develop new leadership skills and meet new people in the process. A distance runner, she tried several new exercises including the medicine ball slam and sled pushes and also rotated through Brade’s defensive back drill and said it was inspiring to learn from someone who also came from River Hill.

Several Ravens players and assistant strength and conditioning coach Kaelyn Buskey pose for a selfie with the more than 140 participants in the Ravens 10th annual LIFT Conference after their workout. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens assistant strength and conditioning coach Kaelyn Buskey leads and encourages girls in between drills at the Ravens 10th annual LIFT Conference. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens outside linebacker Taviius Robinson leads the students in defensive drills. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson and Megan Rosburg, defensive assistant and assistant to the head coach, break down their group after defensive line drills. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens coach John Harbaugh speaks with the students at the Ravens 10th Annual LIFT Conference. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens defensive back Beau Brade leads his group in defensive back drills during Tuesday’s Ravens 10th Annual LIFT Conference. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens quarterback Devin Leary leads a group of girls in quarterback drills during Tuesday’s 10th annual LIFT Conference. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Ravens inside linebacker Trenton Simpson leads a group in inside linebacker drills during the team’s 10th Annual LIFT Conference. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)



Several Ravens players, coaches and staff members pose with the more than 140 participants in the team’s 10th annual LIFT Conference. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)

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Several Ravens players and assistant strength and conditioning coach Kaelyn Buskey pose for a selfie with the more than 140 participants in the Ravens 10th annual LIFT Conference after their workout. (Jacob Steinberg/Staff)

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“I really liked the weight room session we did,” Mattes said. “It really takes us into what the football players here really do. I really like the different sessions, too, especially the one about nutrition. That was really helpful and I will definitely use the knowledge I gained to help me.”

It was a jam-packed day that began with a 45-minute session from Strive, which provides highly specialized leadership training. Coach John Harbaugh entered next as the girls filled the auditorium where team meetings are held. Harbaugh pointed out the typical seats of several Ravens standouts including Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith, which prompted especially large smiles from the girls in those seats.

Harbaugh espoused several of his valued leadership principles, emphasizing the importance of intentionality and care. He then fielded a variety of questions, which ranged from how it felt facing his brother Jim and the Los Angeles Chargers last season to how he uplifts players in difficult moments.

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“Working with purpose on purpose,” he said to the group. “You’ve got something to do here today, right? Are you going to work with purpose on purpose? Are you going to be intentional? What are you going to try and get out of this day?”

After Harbaugh’s question and answer session, the student-athletes listened to a panel of five women who work for the organization in a variety of roles. They learned about the responsibilities in those varying positions as each person shared their respective career paths and provided networking advice.

Following the group-wide workout and a lunch break, the girls returned to the auditorium. Director of Sports Nutrition Sarah Snyder led a detailed presentation, explaining the benefits of different foods and giving advice on beneficial pregame meals. She also answered questions and explained the intricacies of her job and players’ different dietary needs.

The girls returned back to the fieldhouse for one final, 30-minute team-building activity. That concluded an eventful six hours, filled with learning, laughter and a new perspective on what it’s like to be a Raven both on and off the field.

“I hope more girls get the opportunity to do this because this is really amazing,” Mattes said. “You get to meet people from different schools that you wouldn’t have met otherwise. I definitely would encourage girls to attend this program. You learn a lot. You take away a lot and it’s really fun. Give it a shot, you’ll learn new things.”

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.

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