A great school is more than classrooms and buildings. It is a community, and athletics provides some of the best opportunities for that community to come together.
Schools can sometimes feel divided by grades, dorms, teams, activities, and interests. Students have different friend groups. Faculty work in different departments. Families have different schedules. Everyone has their own world.
But Friday night football under the lights has a way of bringing those worlds together.
The first football game of the season gives students from different backgrounds a common experience. It gives teachers an opportunity to see their students in a different environment. It gives alumni a reason to return and reconnect. It gives families a chance to share in the energy and traditions of the school. And it gives everyone an opportunity to be part of something larger than themselves.
For one night, the lights come on, the stands fill, the music plays, the cheerleaders cheer, and the team takes the field. Students, teachers, families, and alumni may arrive for different reasons, but for a few hours, they are all part of the same community.
That is one of the great things about high school athletics. The scoreboard will tell us who won the game, but some of what happens on a Friday night is more important than the final score.
We show up. We cheer together. We represent our school together.
And in doing so, we remind one another: You are part of this. You belong here.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
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