You might find them meeting in the Athletics Center, tucked away in a conference room previewing upcoming games. You might find them in McElwain studio, meeting with more than a dozen students across divisions. You might even find them on stage at Upper School Meetings, speaking to their peers about the importance (and the fun) of showing up to athletic events.
You can find Beaver’s Student Athlete Leadership Team everywhere—and that’s the point.
I think what’s really important about SALT is that we’re taking students from every grade and working as a collective. SALT treats athletics as a whole, having every voice be heard and making the celebration of athletics one big communal effort.
Koko Vandernoot ’27, SALT Leader
The Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) is a student-run organization at Beaver centered around uplifting and celebrating Beaver athletes. The group spans both divisions and represents a diverse range of athletic interests. When the group meets weekly, they strategize ways to build community around athletics through special events, marketing, and fan engagement.
For the student leaders of SALT, Beaver Athletics isn’t contained to a game or a match—it’s an everyday part of school life. “I see athletics as a second home at school,” SALT leader Koko Vandernoot ’27 shared. “You see your teammates in the hall, people you might not normally cross paths with.” Much of SALT’s work centers around extending this sense of community to all students, even those who aren’t directly involved with athletics. “If you are maybe not as passionate about sports, showing up for your classmates and peers means a lot to them,” said Allie Kahn ’28.
It’s really cool how there are people representing different grades and different sports all coming together in one group that really cares about athletics at Beaver.
Max Hogan ’28, SALT Leader
Each student leader behind SALT brings their own interests to the table, creating a diverse approach to community building. For Allie Kahn ’28, SALT is an opportunity to uplift girls in sports. “I wanted to join SALT to really show my enthusiasm for what sports means to me, specifically the girls’ sports programs,” she shared. For Max Hogan ’28, SALT is a celebration of what’s possible through Beaver athletics, including what happens when students try something new. “You don’t have to be amazing at a sport to at least try it,” he mentioned. “When I started golf as a freshman, I didn’t really play golf before that, but I liked the sport.”
The group also explores how athletics can be leveraged to create an impact. Students frequently discuss how to bring awareness to topics such as breast cancer and mental health through athletics, creating meaningful opportunities for Beaver athletes to serve as community leaders.
SALT kicked off the 2026-27 school year by focusing on the biggest athletic event of the season: Harvestfest. With a community gathering already in place, the team strategized on how best to maximize the impact of the event with a dedicated fan zone, halftime games and prizes, and a tailgate zone on the Bloomberg Plaza.
For leaders of SALT, the excitement doesn’t end when the lights go down on Harvestfest. Instead, the event represents what’s possible when students, families, alumni, and community members rally around student athletes. “Harvestfest, Dam Jam, and SpringFest are my favorite times of the whole school year,” said Koko. “I would cancel anything to be there, so I want to create more opportunities like that for the Beaver community.”
SALT is so important because it brings engagement to what students are passionate about. Coming out to a game or just saying good luck to a classmate— I think that’s a big part of SALT’s message. We’re trying to bring that support to everyone.
Allie Kahn ’28, SALT Leader
Over the next few weeks, the group is planning a Breast Cancer Awareness Week, more coverage of Athletics through social media and school meetings, and a “Play of the Week” series that will celebrate highlights from student athletes. Throughout the year, SALT will continue to strategize around ways to uplift student athletes at Beaver, emphasizing community and leadership in their approach.
In other words, the work of SALT is just getting started.