It is hard to believe we are here already! The time for another athletic season is upon us! I hope everyone had a restful and productive summer break. As you prepare to step on the field or the court in the next week or two, I want to encourage each one of you to be involved. Whether that is to engage yourself in the arts (band, choir, etc.), clubs (FCCLA, FCA, etc.) or athletics, those students who participate in co-curricular and extra curricular activities, create within themselves and their school a sense of pride, belonging and community while building positive habits, morals and values. These characteristics will be with each one of you long after you leave Spokane.
I want us all (coaches, students and parents) to be reminded of who we are, who we represent and what we want to achieve. While our ultimate goal as a team is to win as many games and championships as we can, be reminded of our purpose and what we leave on the playing field or court. It was the late Billy Graham who said, "The greatest thing we can pass on is a legacy of character and faith". Our character will not be remembered by who we were but by how well we represented what matters. We aspire to leave a legacy of something greater than just ourselves. Spokane is proud of her many traditions, but none greater than building her legacy one student at a time.
As stated earlier this summer, dead week is July 30th thru Aug. 6th. The first day of HS practice is August 7th while the MS is the 14th. Below, you will find the first couple of week's practice schedules for all sports offered in the fall. You will also find the complete game schedules for each one at the end of this newsletter. We will also have pocket schedules available soon in the HS office.
Finally...
There is a Latin saying Audentes Fortuna Iuvat. It means "Fortune favors the bold". While it has many modern takes, such as the unit motto for 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, stationed out of Marine Corps Camp Lejeune, NC, it can trace its origins back to the first century. In fact, the first President to lead our great country, George Washington lived by the motto of "Fortune favors the bold, the patient and the well prepared". Many of Washington's memoirs speak of his strategies as a General during the Revolutionary War before he became President. One instance is when Washington and his army were defending the city of New York in 1776. The British had just invaded and won the area of Manhattan. Washington took use of the Highland of Upper New Jersey and Southern New York to keep his enemies pinned in. Washington was always looking for a plan of attack to take back NYC. It wasn't until October of 1781, almost six years later, General Cornwallis led his British army to the Virginia Coast to await a supply of tea. Favoring lucky timing and logistics, two French fleets, including two American Armies, converged on the British Army and defeated them to retake New York City. The fortune of the American Army favored the bold, the patient (6 years), and well prepared. In athletics, we do the same, we prepare for weeks, months and years to achieve our goals as both teams and individuals. We might not always understand the path and might not always enjoy the hard work, but being bold, patient and well prepared will gain us our prize.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email or phone call at school or stop by. I will be in the office full time beginning August 1st.
#AudentesFortunaIuvat
Dr. Joel Carey
