Steady On

By Rita Davis

Ephesians 2:8-10

By grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Of all the accolades in this life, all the awards that Dr. Fred Brooks received and good work he accomplished, hearing the Master say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” was the one thing he desired most. Being saved by grace informed everything about his life. His personal relationship with Christ informed how he experienced and engaged with everyone.

Fred’s gratitude to and faith in the One who knew him shaped his work, his scholarly endeavors and research, how he received earthly rewards, his capacity to lead with grace and humility, his family life, and how he built relationships with everyone he encountered, regardless of station in life.

GALATIONS 5:13

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Fred served with a spirit of freedom. Work was not an obligation. From his postgraduate work with IBM, beginning in 1956, through to his work at UNC, beginning in 1964, where he founded the computer science department, chaired it for 20 years, and continued to be involved until 2022, Fred took joy in every endeavor. He served on several US national boards and committees and won many awards and honors (from 1964 to the latest in 2010), all while serving on boards in churches and helping solidify Trinity’s mission from 1995 through to 2022.

Fred and his wife Nancy were instrumental in the founding of Trinity—although Fred would be quick to say that Nancy was at the helm, and she would say he was her greatest support. His counsel for Trinity’s leaders was to pursue the depth, richness, and unhurriedness that Trinity longs for its curriculum to embody.

JAMES 1:19

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

An active listener, Fred listened to know, to understand. His responses were thoughtful and measured, inclusive and kind. A master of Robert’s Rules, Fred led meetings efficiently, wisely, and with a spirit of vision and forward thinking. Ever patient, he could reframe, redirect, and refocus without offense. Not easily ruffled, he could steady the course. He was not averse to interrupting a difficult discussion with a call to prayer.

2 TIMOTHY 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Fred’s Bible was in a 3-ring binder. Notes were neatly written in every available column and space—notes from other studies, and from his extensive study of resources and references.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-14

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Dr. Fred Brooks was, to all who knew him, a man of great counsel, a man of humility and wisdom and love. He modeled for the world a life lived for Christ.

RITA DAVIS was the first teacher hired at Trinity School in 1995. She taught fourth grade at Trinity for 18 years and served as Lead Teacher until the first Director of Lower School was hired. Rita also taught in the elementary and middle grades in public schools for 15 years. She is currently the content coordinator and writer for Stroll Hope Valley magazine.

The Bouncing Bulldogs program is a competitive jump rope team based in the Triangle area. The program’s senior captains for the 2022–2023 season were Holly Copeland and I, Ariana Mason. The program was founded with the goal of promoting “jumping rope for fun and fitness, and to help all children grow physically, emotionally, socially, and academically.” Along with these founding ideals, the team also has ten core values. Through the years Holly and I have learned so much from practicing these values. We learned from others, and now we have the privilege to pass on all we have learned to the next generation of jumpers.

1 | Discipline.

Fourteen and twelve, respectively—those are the years that Holly Copeland and I have been jump roping with the Bouncing Bulldogs. Throughout those time periods, we’ve had practices six days out of the week on a regular basis, and seven days during competition season, even waking up for morning practices at 6 a.m. I would definitely consider myself a morning person now! I enjoy completing work before the day starts, and I honestly think a large part of that is due to jump rope. Members of the international jump rope team as young as second grade can start traveling for competitions. Everyone travels with and stays with the team, so we were taught to keep up with our belongings at a young age.

2 | Teamwork.

Jump rope is a sport that is easy to do individually, but the majority of events are group and team-based events. Groups are set at the start of each competition season and rearranged when necessary. Holly and I have been jumping together since we were in fourth grade. At first we were only in main group events together, but over the years we became Chinese Wheel partners (a style of jump rope involving two ropes moved at alternating times). One of my favorite jump rope memories is when we competed in Norway in 2019. Holly and I hit a clean routine and the judges smiled at us when we finished. It was definitely a highlight for me.

Teammates in action

Celebrating success at the World Championships

3 | Respect.

The Bouncing Bulldogs program is a peer-led and peerrun organization. Because of this, high levels of respect run between all team members. As a younger jumper, you’re taught to listen to and respect your older teammates, especially when traveling. It can be scary to travel on your own, away from your parents for the first time, but listening to and respecting the older kids helps make it easier. They’ve been through it before, and they know what to expect and how to ease the tension. Reflecting back, Holly says, “At my second-ever competition, I roomed with Kenzie, and she taught me a bunch of card games that she would always do with her roommate. I started collecting cards from the places I’ve been and then teach the little kids I room with the same card games, especially when they’re feeling homesick.”

4 | Leadership.

Because the Bouncing Bulldogs is a peer-led organization, there are ample opportunities to lead. Holly and I have had the opportunity to be on the Journalism Committee (responsible for publishing every quarter) since middle school. At first, we learned under the guidance of Trinity alum Ragan Copeland ’20, but now we’re co-editors and are able to teach the next generation how to format a newsletter, choose topics, and interview subjects.

5 | Attitude.

Spending time in the gym and around the younger kids, I’ve learned how to have and strive for a positive attitude in all situations. I remember when I was first learning how to teach, one of the older kids said to me, “Always push yourself to have a positive attitude. You might have had a bad day at school, but the kids don’t know that. You have an impact on their day and their self-confidence, so push yourself to be positive and set a good example.” Those words hit home with me. Every now and then, whenever I’ve had a bad day and struggle to find the energy to think positively, I think back on those words.

6 | Perseverance.

Jumpers that are part of the Bouncing Bulldogs competitive team can spend anywhere from three to seven days per week in the gym. As routines are prepared before the competition date, a lot of time goes into their creation— which often means lots of time spent at practice, repping and perfecting them. Reflecting on her years of jumping,

Holly says, “It is not uncommon for me to spend more time at the jump rope gym than I do at my own home, especially during competition season. Many people ask me why I do what I do, and to the extent that I do it. The best answer I can give is that I was raised to finish what I started, and I can’t imagine what my life would look like without this sport and my jump rope family.”

7 | Trust.

Trust between teammates is essential. There are some individual events in jump rope, but the majority are group events. Holly notes, “One of the best feelings I get at jump rope competitions is the trust I have in my teammates. Even though I know the number of hours we worked to prepare for a certain event, it takes mental fortitude to walk on any stage and know that your teammates will always have your back.” Jumping together requires trust, not only in ability, but also in communicating when the group should practice and whether skills in a routine should be changed.

8 | Time Management.

Members of the team are jumpers, but they’re also students. They’re employees and they have social lives and lots going on. They learn how to manage their time well in order to excel not only at the sport, but also in their studies, and in all areas of life. We have morning and evening practices, sometimes both in the same day, so for me it was essential to learn how to budget my time. I couldn’t afford to be disorganized, and I like the structure jump rope has brought to my life.

9 | Growth.

From day one, jump rope at the Bouncing Bulldogs Community Center is all about personal improvement. The message is never to compare yourself to someone else, but instead to recognize that we’re all different and grow at different rates, which is perfectly okay. Holly remembers her first competition in second grade: “I was the youngest team member competing that year, and the only one to not receive an award. I also remember one of the older kids giving me a pep talk when she saw that I was upset, reminding me that if I continued to work hard and not compare myself to the other jumpers who had earned their awards, I too would have stacks of medals hanging around my neck one day. The most important lesson I learned, though, was not about how to win more awards, but the patience and persistence to grow into the jumper I knew I could be.”

10 | Communication.

There’s always something going on with the Bouncing Bulldogs. Whether it’s an international competition in Portugal or a halftime show for UNC, something is always happening, and as captains Holly and I need to lead them. It’s imperative that we stay in communication with each other to make sure we’re on the same page. Whenever one of us has to miss a practice, or needs to work on something, we always make sure to tell each other, so we’re able to lead as a team.

In conclusion, I can say that Holly and I have been deeply shaped by and have learned so much from our time with the Bouncing Bulldogs. None of it would be possible without our coach, Ray N. Fredrick, Jr. Coach Fredrick also appreciates us: “Holly and Ari are hard workers, organized, amazing communicators, and they both are able to deal with stressful situations consistently while staying true to the mission statement and the core values of the program, and also to themselves.” We are forever grateful to our coach and team, and we look forward to seeing where our jumping will lead us as we head off to college next fall.

ARIANA MASON is a senior at Trinity. She enjoys participating in the arts and serving as a co-editor of the yearbook. Outside of school, Ariana loves jumping rope with the Bouncing Bulldogs, reading, and spending time with family.