April 2025 - Athletics

Building School Community through Athletics

Richard Ricketts, Director of Athletics

Athletics play a key role in strengthening school community. There is no argument, school sports can connect the school community unlike anything else. From Friday night lights to loud boisterous gyms, school togetherness is enhanced through athletic competition. At Prince, we value the importance of building community through athletics. 

Participating on a team allows students to learn to work together to achieve common goals, build a sense of belonging, create bonds, learn to put others ahead themselves, and create a culture conducive to developing character. When it comes to building community, sports are often like a magnet that attract and tighten the entire community.

When individuals unite to practice, work-out, and train together for a common cause, they begin to realize they belong to something bigger than just themselves. The bonds created by struggling and pushing each other to the limit each day create a sense of togetherness that is necessary to create a team culture that leads to success on the fields and courts. Realizing that the teammates you are laboring with are relying on you to be totally committed and conversely that you are also relying on them creates a culture that puts team ahead of individuals.

Team culture is probably the most important ingredient in determining whether a team reaches its potential or not. When a group of individuals comes together to create a community that supports each other and genuinely cares for each other, potential levels of team success are raised, and individual performance is enhanced. A strong sense of community on a team will also lead to being an avenue for positive change in the larger school community. 

Never underestimate the importance of community at Prince. Community is not just important on our athletic teams; it is important in every area of our school. Prince is comprised of individuals from various backgrounds, socio-economic levels, ages, and talents. What makes Prince great is the fact that a community of like-minded believers work together as a team to achieve common goals and create an atmosphere of belonging to something much bigger and greater than could ever be created individually. 

As we finish the school year, be thankful to be a part of the Prince community. Also, let’s continue to individually determine to be a part of the Prince team that continually pushes each other to create the type of community that propels our school to become better than we could ever imagine. Remember, when you help your team succeed, you also succeed!