Now that winter sports are in the books, it’s a good time to reflect on what was truly a successful season. But before we do that, it’s worth asking an important question: what does success really mean?
Is success a season like our varsity basketball team had—winning the league championship, making it to the final game of districts, and celebrating Coach DelCampo’s 300th career victory along the way?
Or was the success in watching that team come together and find its identity as the season progressed? Early in the year, they struggled against tough non-league opponents from stronger conferences. Some people will say that team could have done more. Others will say they overachieved. So who’s right?
Was success our bowling team, which found much more success than in recent years? A scrappy group that upset several teams in league play before eventually bowing out in regionals?
Was it our cheer team, which has grown tremendously since last year, filling the gym with energy and helping create an exciting atmosphere at basketball games all season long?
What about our junior high boys and girls basketball teams? None finished with a winning record, but every one of them completed a full season and kept competing. Was that successful?
I would argue that all of these teams had successful seasons.
Our student-athletes—at every level and in every sport—worked incredibly hard and proudly represented our school night after night. While fans and parents sometimes focus on wins, losses, or the calls made by referees, our young men and women put in the work every day.
And sometimes—especially during the winter—that work means late nights during the week, treacherous drives to away games, and competing with little fanfare or crowd support. (How many of you have been to a bowling match?)
Those efforts deserve recognition.
Sometimes success means simply earning time in a game. Sometimes it’s upsetting a stronger opponent. Sometimes it’s making a play that once seemed impossible but eventually becomes routine through hard work and practice.
We all love championships and banners, and those moments are special. But athletics at this level are about far more than that. If you look closely, you can find success every single night—in practices, in games, and in the growth of our student-athletes.
As we turn the page and begin spring sports this week, I encourage everyone—parents, players, and fans—to think about how you define success in athletics.
Because I promise you, it’s there every night.
