CHARACTER
Who We Are
The Character of Our Team
from NFL Coach Bill Belichick, “Talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling.”
We are individuals with PRIDE—in self (mind, body, and spirit), school, program, effort, performance, and tradition. “Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.”
We are individuals with SELF-DISCIPLINE—doing the things we know we should be doing, doing them all the time, even when no one is watching. “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” Jesse Owens
We are individuals with COMPETITIVE FIRE—always giving our best effort and fighting to the end of every practice, every contest, every circumstance. We like to compete and test ourselves. We hate losing but accept a loss with dignity, confident in the fact that we gave our very best effort. “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” Olympic Creed
We are individuals with HIGH EFFORT—willing to work harder than our competition, knowing that what we reap is equal to that which we sow. “In all human affairs there are efforts and there are results. And the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is naught.” James Allen
We are individuals in pursuit of EXCELLENCE—relentlessly chasing excellence in all aspects of our lives: in the classroom, on the diving board, in our relationship with others, in developing our physical, mental, and emotional abilities, forever striving to reach our greatest human potential. “Everyone wants to be, but few want to become.”
We are individuals of HONESTY—never making excuses, rationalizing our mistakes, nor turning a blind eye to our personal weaknesses or shortcomings. Rather, we honestly confront our foibles, learning from our mistakes and making changes to achieve growth, maturity, and excellence. “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana
We are individuals with RESPECT—for teammates, parents, coaches, training staff, and other significant people in our lives. We also gain the respect of others through our words and deeds, knowing that there is no greater success than gaining the respect and affection of the people we love. “…to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
We are individuals with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE—always anticipating the best while knowing that the best will only be achieved by consistently giving our best effort. “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” Charles R. Swindoll
We are individuals with COMPOSURE—remaining calm, composed, confident, resolute, and unflappable in the face of adversity and during competitive situations. We are the eye of the storm. In those rare moments when we falter or fail, we have the capacity to quickly take responsibility, regroup, refocus, and ready ourselves for the next challenge. “Every great player has learned the two Cs: how to concentrate and how to maintain composure.” Byron Nelson
We are individuals who DARE TO DREAM—possessing a vision of who we want to become and what we want to achieve. We are neither afraid to set lofty goals nor unwilling to give the full measure of sacrifice necessary to achieve these goals. We know that the first step towards achieving excellence is to have a dream. “Some people see things as they are and they say, ‘Why?’ But I dream of things that never were and I say, ‘Why not?’” George Bernard Shaw