This past week I was at my daughter’s middle-school sports banquet. The athletic director shared some thoughts about the value of athletics. I would like to share them with you.

We often think of a team and their winning or losing, but let’s think about the other values of having a team, besides just having a winning record. Participating in sports is beneficial for the student athlete, because it gives the student a chance to develop sportsmanship, leadership and perseverance. In this past cross-country season at Grace, I was very impressed with the athletes growth and character in these areas.

To determine if a program is successful, we can ask ourselves some questions. Did the athletes learn and improve in both their sport and their life? Was the experience a good and memorable one? Did the team represent the school in an exemplary manner? I believe this year’s team did these things, and hence, we had a successful year.

Sports, and especially cross-country offer a great opportunity for the student athlete to grow and improve in physical, mental and spiritual ways. These give the program its value.