Building Community Pride through Athletics

Athletics at Dana Hall offer us an excellent opportunity for community building and bonding. For students, faculty, families and alumnae, sharing the experience of participating in, or witnessing, the collective efforts of our students and classmates adds to our collective sense of communal pride. 
 
It is well known that sport offers a myriad of educational benefits. Teamwork, collaboration and resilience are lessons frequently touted as being the cornerstones of scholastic athletics. When teams shift with the change of seasons, those lessons are revisited anew with fresh opportunities based on changing demographics of team members. New rosters bring new prospects for connection and shared experiences. When we look at this dynamic from a higher vantage point, the shifting and changing pieces of individual teams begin to form something much larger—a sense of community.
 
Athletics bring us together to socialize, compete, support and celebrate with each other. When we proudly display our school’s name on our uniforms or our fan gear, we collectively express emotion, and we feel a sense of inclusion and belonging. 
 
While it may seem that the foremost goal of athletics is to win contests, the true measure of success in any scholastic athletic program is its ability to foster pride in the community it helps to create.

With that in mind, I hope to see you on our sidelines and in our bleachers!