Educational Values of Athletics: Wooster School strongly believes that:
- The benefits one receives from playing on a team sport go beyond the mere physical exertion of participating in athletics and include such skills/behaviors as: learning to rely on others, learning to work together towards a common goal, investing in the camaraderie that develops among team members who spend a great deal of time together throughout the season, sportsmanship, and respect.
- There are educational outcomes from a well established and dedicated program for the players, the student body, and the entire Wooster community.
- Students can learn to win and lose with dignity and honor.
- Schoolwork and interscholastic play are intertwined for the development and growth of the whole student.
- The entire athletic program, though differing in nature from the academic program, plays an instrumental and beneficial role in the educational experience for the participant.
- The welfare of the individual student is the top priority. Athletics exist for the students – not vice versa.
- The athletic program provides many benefits that enhance the overall school atmosphere, such as community, school spirit, and morale.
- Athletics can establish models for cooperation and conflict resolution that carry over into every aspect of life.
- Athletics can help individuals achieve higher standards of mental, moral, social, and physical fitness.
Objectives of the Athletic Program:
- To educate each student about the benefits of an independent school interscholastic program.
- To educate each student about the rules and regulations that govern the games in which he or she participates.
- To foster a desire and willingness in each student to be the best that he or she can be.
- To foster a respect for all others as unique individuals with different goals and aspirations.
- To instill a determination in each student to do his or her best both in the classroom and on the athletic fields/courts.
- To teach students that rules are necessary for the athletic program to be strong and well respected by other school communities as well as our own.
- To gain a greater appreciation for the value of a community and its ideals.
- To strive for self-discipline, self-control, and emotional maturity.
- To foster pride in Wooster School and its athletic program.
- To gain an appreciation of the total school program and the role that athletics play.
- To promote honesty and respect.
- To develop a strong and healthy appreciation for competition.
- To understand that the desire to do one’s best is everything; winning is a bonus.
- To build the confidence and self-esteem of every team member.
- To provide healthy competition and cooperation within and between schools, thus inculcating in each student the best principles of good sportsmanship.
- To encourage a lifelong appreciation for physical fitness
