The great basketball coach John Wooden asked in his book, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court, the following questions:
1. Why is it so much easier to be negative than positive?
2. Why do we dread adversity when we know that facing it is the only way to become stronger, smarter, better?
Wooden calls these "puzzlers" and the format in which he presents them suggests these questions may never be answered to everyone's satisfaction. For many middle school aged children sports and other extra-curricular activities offer a concrete experience that begins their journey towards answers to these questions.
In sports, plenty of opportunities arise to be negative instead of positive as well as avoid adversity. What we hope at Calvert is the Honor Code (encompassed in Moral Courage, Selfless Service, and Commitment) provides a framework within which players and coaches can beginn to untangle the complexity of these questions.
Whether it be the selfless act of helping an opponent off the court after a charge, the courageous act of penalizing yourself a stroke in golf because of an infraction that noone saw but you, or the commitment of a player to constant practice, sports is often the clearest way for a student to see honor in action.
As the spring season gears up, and coaches begin to implement game plans and strategies, we believe the Honor Code will be an integral part of the team's season. Onlookers will see handshakes after games, a helping hand on the field, and smiles resulting from the expression of honor in one of its most visible ways: athletic endeavor.
Please come see our athletes this spring. Schedules can be found on the web at: http://www.calvertschool.org/athletics/spring-sports/
Please also check out the link to John Wooden's webpage on the left hand side of this blog.
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