“ The entire grade began to clap and cheer on their classmate as he persevered through a difficult return to the track to cross the finish line .”
“ The entire grade began to clap and cheer on their classmate as he persevered through a difficult return to the track to cross the finish line .”
during a relay race , or as one of our Alpha boys shared , “ When one of my friends fell down during the game , I helped him up .” Perhaps my most memorable moment of authentic and genuine kindness from one student to another happened this year during our dress rehearsal for the Annual Second Grade Turkey Run . After our first official practice race , which saw him run the third fastest time in the grade , one of the stronger runners suffered a foot injury and had to miss significant time . He was able to return in time to participate in the final practice of the season . However , clearly still bothered by his foot injury and having not run in a number of weeks , this student was not able to keep up with his usual pace and was set to finish last on this day .
As the other students completed their run and gathered around the finish line , one student called out to the others , “ Let ’ s cheer him in !” The entire grade began to clap and cheer on their classmate as he persevered through a difficult return to the track to cross the finish line , where he was greeted by a thunderous roar from classmates who seemed more excited for his finish than they were their own . In all my years at Saint David ’ s , that moment will go down as one of my most proud . It is moments like these , that you realize the impact we as teachers and coaches have on these boys . There is no unit of instruction called “ Kindness Activities ,” and there is no game or drill that can teach empathy , sympathy , or compassion as a skill . However , as physical educators and coaches , teaching the importance of respect , teamwork , and sportsmanship are vital to developing a well-rounded athlete .
These “ athletic acts of kindness ” do not take any athletic ability or knowledge , and will not add any points to the scoreboard of a basketball game . However , they are the very foundation of everything we expect our Saint David ’ s boys to embody on and off the field in harmony with the Saint David ’ s Mission “… that they be good men .” •
Craig Learn is Lower School Athletics Coordinator and a Head Coach at Saint David ’ s School .
Winter 2024 • 19