Importance of Athletics
Athletics play a large role in the development of the whole child. Teamwork, respect, dedication, and leadership are learned on the field and show up in the classroom and at home.
Fun:
As kids, we did not begin to play sports because we envisioned getting a college scholarship or making millions of dollars turning professional. The core reason that we all began playing sports is because it brought us joy to be active and interact with our friends. One of the greatest gifts I received growing up is that I was surrounded by coaches that made sure I had fun participating in athletics. If coaches ensure that kids have a positive experience, these children will continue to want to participate and have the opportunity to see first hand all of the other life lessons that sports has to offer.
Perseverance:
In sports, like life, things are not always going to go the way you envision. For everyone that has participated in athletics, there will be numerous counts of obstacles. The question is, "How are you going to handle the adversity"? Athletes that will ultimately be successful are the ones that are able to be mentally tough enough to persevere through these difficult times and continue to strive towards success while refusing to give up.
Sportsmanship:
One of the most difficult lessons to understand in sports is sportsmanship. Most athletes are very competitive, and with this, at times it is difficult to display sportsmanship. Whether it be dealing with a tough loss or what one would view as a bad call, it is often that emotions can get the better of us. However, the one word that comes to mind in successfully dealing with sportsmanship, is respect. An athlete should respect himself/herself and the other team by giving their best effort within the rules of the game. Once the game is over, win or lose, each athlete should show respect to everyone involved and congratulate them on the contest regardless of result.
Confidence Over Fear:
Typically, athletes play in the game in one of two ways: with confidence, or with fear. When playing with fear, one is typically afraid to make a mistake and doesn't want to put his/her team at danger of losing or in a bad situation. Unfortunately, this mindset is rarely successful. As a player I was blessed to have coaches that built confidence and challenged us to think positively and try and "do something great". As a player and a coach, I can say confidently that the results of athletes that play without fear and try to "do something great" have much more success. One of our main goals is to speak in terms of challenging our players to do something special instead of worrying about making a mistake.
Teamwork:
The ability to work together in team sports is essential for success. The benefit of being a part of team sports teaches children the importance of being responsible and reliable team member. Participation in team sports allows kids to make lasting friendships, develop communication skills, feel a sense of community, and learn to respect their teammates and coaches.
Cole Hoppe, Cole Hoppe is the Athletic Director at Saint Mark’s. Before joining Saint Mark’s, Coach Hoppe worked at St. George’s Episcopal School in Tennessee where he served as the Sports Information Director and coached multiple sports. Coach Hoppe earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Memphis where he also played football.