For middle school students, some of the most important moments on a team have little to do with the final score. These moments happen in the car ride home from a game, during practice when teammates encourage each other through a tough drill, or even after a loss. They can happen when a new student finds a place to belong, when a player learns to trust their teammates, or when an athlete gets knocked down but gets up and tries again.
At The Franciscan School, athletics is an opportunity to build friendships, develop character, grow confidence, and learn responsibility, especially when others are counting on you. Coaches and teammates become an important part of a student’s experience during a highly developmental time of life.
5th grade teacher Conner Fodell has coached 14 different teams at TFS (soccer and basketball) over the last 8 years, and served as Athletic Director from 2020-2022. He’s probably seen it all! He shares, “Being part of the team helps students master skills, set goals, and overcome failures. All these things are beneficial to growing confidence levels, especially for teens and adolescents.” He adds that overcoming failures is probably one of the hardest but most important life skills student-athletes learn. “If they just always won every game, made every team they tried out for, and succeeded at every position, victory would lose its significance. Losing not only teaches us to grow so that we can perform better in the future, but it also helps us appreciate the victories even more.”
Lisa Ward, a 2nd grade teacher who coaches girls' basketball, adds that “Student-athletes are amazing because they not only manage the requirements of the classroom, but they also voluntarily take on the commitments of their athletic program. Through athletic programs, students are given the opportunity to learn about challenges, communication, leadership, success, failure, and determination. While these roles can still be developed in the classroom, you might see a student rise to the challenge and display more confidence in their sport as opposed to a moment you may see in the classroom.”
Student athletes at TFS have the opportunity to learn a variety of life skills, such as teamwork, discipline, time management, perseverance, accountability, communication, and more. Ms. Ward adds, “Students learn that hard work is required not only individually but collectively in order to achieve their goals. Through this, they rise to the challenge of adversity and learn how to support each other along the way.”
Student leadership is also an integral part of the athletics program at TFS and can’t be found only in the classroom. As team leaders, students learn to encourage others, lead by example, and help create a positive team culture. Mr. Fodell shares, “Not only is student leadership encouraged through roles like “captain” or awards like “Pride of the Pack”, but it is also necessary for a team’s success. In my experience, regardless of how talented a team is, if the right kids step up and encourage their teammates while acting as a positive example, the team will have success.”
Ms. Ward adds, “Middle school coaches entrust team captains with the highest level of leadership by example. They meet with referees, communicate expectations from coaches, and set a team’s tone for the season. However, each athlete has a chance to lead on and off the court by lifting up teammates in times of need and living out the pillars of our program in the hallways every day.”
Recently, TFS added the role of team manager, which allows students to not only learn the sport but also work directly with coaches to help the team be their best.
Athletics support the Franciscan values lived out through competition. Student-athletes are expected to model our Catholic faith with everyone they encounter, and sports provide an opportunity to live out humility, compassion, and respect.
From his perspective as Athletics Director, Jordan Kreeger, who also teaches 8th-grade Social Studies, reinforces this sentiment. “I think the biggest skill that student-athletes learn is that sometimes the cause is bigger than themselves, and it teaches them how important working with the people around you can help develop leadership, communication, discipline, and responsibility. Sports can teach everyone resilience, confidence, humility, and leadership that the classroom sometimes can't.”
We are proud of our student-athletes and the opportunities they have before them this year. Go T-Wolves!