Resilience through football

Each Sunday I look in the paper to see how our various sports teams did in their competitions over the weekend.  In August and September I inevitably find that several of our schools’ football games were lopsided affairs with one of our teams either winning or losing by a sizeable margin.  On the assumption that to lose by 40 points is demoralizing, there is a part of me that wonders how a team maintains its spirit after suffering such a loss.  But after watching the Skyview Homer game yesterday, this speculation was dismissed.  Last week Homer lost by 72, this week Skyview lost by 30, yet the enthusiasm that the players showed until the final whistle belied what happened last week or what was happening yesterday. 

There are plenty of studies that show that students who participate in sports do better in school than those students who do not.  I know that some point to sports as being positive for the school culture and that a positive school culture will lead to a higher rate of student success.   Although the outcome of yesterday’s game was determined early, both the crowd and the coaching staffs never stopped encouraging their teams.  I was impressed by the players during the last minutes; both sides played as though the score was tied.  As we teach our students to be successful in a dynamic world, it appears that the Skyview and Homer players were demonstrating the needed trait of resilience.  I know that some feel that the resources that we dedicate to student activities could be better used elsewhere.  And while there is always room for debate on this issue, it is clear to me that our sports program has a place in our system and that because of this, our students are better for it