Saint David's Magazine Vol. 34 No 1 | Page 14

sports of choice in the Seventh and Eighth Grades, they are afforded the opportunity to try out for the respective sports teams. In taking on this challenge and continuing to practice leadership and respect, boys are taught the value of commitment and management of time between their studies and sports responsibilities. During these final two years at Saint David’s, the boys ascend to be the leaders and representatives of the school, both in and outside the walls of our campus. This practice extends beyond physical education and sports; it requires the integration and embodiment of leadership and respect. “That they be good men”… This is the ultimate goal of the school’s mission statement. With athletics as one of the four 14  •  Saint David’s Magazine pillars, the athletics department takes great pride in instilling the important values that will help our boys transition to high school and beyond. The two greatest testaments to our character education around respect are: 1) how other school administrators, coaches, and parents view our school as a model of how young men should conduct themselves, and 2) how alumni reflect upon and share with us that their formative years at Saint David’s provided them with a strong foundation of standards and values to apply to their everyday lives. M Will Arias is Upper School Sports Coordinator at Saint David’s School.