ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE Matt Glendinning, Head of School SOCCER HAS ALWAYS been my passion. I
Brown ten years ago was the smart, multi-talented,
started playing at age six, found that I loved the
and well-rounded student body. At MB, students
game, and to my delight began developing skills
are involved in an enormous range of activities,
earlier than my peers. Fast forward a few years,
from athletics to the performing arts, clubs, service
however, and I’d become a bit of a showoff, and my
projects, and more. There is a vibrant student
coach and parents had to speak with me about the
culture, a healthy balance between curricular and
importance of sportsmanship and teamwork. It was
co-curricular priorities, and a strong sense of pride
a lesson I’ve never forgotten, one of the many that
at being a part of the MB community.
athletics have provided me throughout my life. Why are sports such an integral, lasting part of life for so many people? Athletics, from the Greek athlon (prize or contest), are about competition, whether group or individual, against others or oneself. The ancient Greeks seem to have tapped into something fundamentally human when they founded the Olympic Games in 776 BC—a desire to strive for physical excellence and endurance and to pit one’s raw talents against others.
MB’s interscholastic athletic program is clearly an important factor. More than 80% of middle and upper school students compete in at least one of 61 teams across 16 different sports. It’s been inspiring to watch these athletes carry on our school’s proud tradition in recent years. Last year, in fact, was the most successful in recent memory: 22 of 25 upper school teams qualified for post-season play, eight made it to the final game and five won championships, and one student earned an individual New England Championship. As gratifying, MB students are
In 2010, in commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Greeks’ legendary victory over the Persians at Marathon, Matt and six other runners from the MB community competed in the Athens Marathon; together they raised $50,000 for scholarships. on an in-depth conversation about the sustained excellence of MB athletics. We have held strategic discussions with coaches,
Athletics and fitness have been a central part
widely known for representing our school’s values in
parents,
of my life since childhood. I played soccer at
competition, with 22 teams having been recognized
examined best practices at peer schools and soon
Dartmouth and today am a proud member of the
by their peers with state sportsmanship awards over
we’ll be sending an extensive survey to student-
Mansfield Men’s Over 50 soccer team and an avid
the past five years.
athletes and parents to complete our exploration.
triathlete. I have always felt that playing sports can be transformational—fostering strength, coordination and stamina; demanding commitment, patience, and resilience; and teaching teamwork, sportsmanship, and the ability to win or lose with grace. One of the things that attracted me to Moses
We have a great deal to be proud of with our athletic program. At the same time, the landscape of high school sports is shifting in an era of professionalized youth sports, increasing levels of sports specialization, and the rise of year-round club teams. This year, these factors led us to embark
students,
and
administrators.
We’ve
As we look ahead to next year, we’ll be synthesizing all this feedback into some strategic action steps designed to sustain our excellent athletic program and provide a positive, broad-based, competitive experience for generations of students to come. Just as the ancient Greeks imagined!