“All That We Can Be”…
Honoring the Game
The Journey to All That They Can Be
By Craig Learn
T
his year’s school-wide theme, “All That We Can Be,”
can take on several meanings in athletics. At Saint
David’s, our goal is to offer a variety of opportunities
which encourages each boy to discover the meaning that best
fits him as a student-athlete.
In Lower School athletics, the groundwork is laid for the
boys to begin their journeys to becoming all they can be.
In athletics, this can mean a number of things. In the pre-
primary sports program, the boys are introduced to a variety
of sports and their corresponding skills and concepts. This
instills in the boys the physical tools necessary to become a
well-rounded athlete in any sport in which they choose to
participate. In addition to the learned skills and concepts
of these sports, the pre-primary program focuses on giving
the boys the opportunity to learn and play in a setting that
emphasizes the joy sports can bring.
The Second Grade Turkey Run.
26 • Saint David’s Magazine
As the boys progress through the Lower School, the
meaning of “All That We Can Be” continues to evolve. The
program’s focus transitions towards team sports, where they
have the opportunity to apply their skills to a specific sport,
and more importantly, begin to develop an understanding of
the importance of teamwork and having a role on the team,
and how playing that role is as crucial to the team’s success
as physical talent. The importance of good sportsmanship
is magnified as the boys begin to participate on intramural
teams. They are put in competitive situations, and asked not
only to apply the skills they have learned, but to do so in a
manner consistent with the Saint David’s mission. Honoring
the game, having respect for themselves, their teammates,
officials, and their opponents are emphasized.
As the journey to be “All That We Can Be” enters the Upper
School, the expectation is that the boys take ownership of