Athletic Camaraderie Forged Competitive Spirit

By Kat Cokeley ’25 Sports Section Editor

It is the spring of 2022, and I am on Brooks Field. The sun is pouring down, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the overwhelming screaming from 300 teenage girls.

There is one chair left in Musical Chairs, the deciding factor of whether Minks or Squirrels will win that Spirit Day. I have never concentrated on a plastic chair that much. The music stops, and I sit down, winning the spirit day for the Minks. Whether it was positive or negative, the entire school erupted in screaming and cheering. That was the flame that set the fire inside of me for competitive school spirit and pride.

Within these four years, I have learned and participated in sports, finding my most competitive self on the erg and had those girls by my side the entire time. Whether we were cheering on a Morgan’s Message dedication game, scoring the last point in a five-set volleyball game, or going head-to-head against other Founder’s League boats at regattas, I have had the pleasure of having these girls by my side. Yes, some moments define what made me a competitive athlete or person, but more than those moments were the people who picked me up and helped me through, win or lose.

Flash forward to me now, the year of 2025, preparing for my final Spirit Assembly. From participating in one of the activities my freshman year to attempting to lead the Minks to another win, I can safely say that Miss Porter’s School has shaped me into the competitive spirit I am today.