Reaping the Benefit of Sacrifice

I just finished having a lengthy conversation with our football coach, Stephen Alexander.  Stephen came to North Cross ten years ago from professional football in Italy to coach football and teach physical education.  He later moved into admissions and is now the Director of our Dormitory, working for Wilson International. Simply put, Stephen is the finest football coach I have been associated with and his staff, equally outstanding.

For those of you with younger students or those who don’t regularly follow sports, tomorrow marks only the second time in school history we have hosted a State Championship football game. You should know that this is the fifth time in ten years that North Cross has been to the championship game, a remarkable record of consistent excellence, and I believe it is the first time we are favored.  I encourage you to come out tomorrow, stay for the entire game, and root the Raiders on to our third State Championship.

Athletics is a big part of the North Cross culture and our school takes great pride in being able to offer participation on more than 30 teams in 12 different sports. Our coaches take great pride in their teams and our record of athletic success is unmatched in our region. Led from the top by Blair Trail, our Athletic Director and all-time winningest volleyball coach in ODAC history, our coaching staff is comprised of faculty members who teach all day and then head to the field or court for an additional two hours of practice. They spend late nights on school buses returning from away games, take their teams to summer camps, give up their winter and spring breaks for holiday tournaments, and spend endless amounts of time cleaning uniforms and lining fields.  People like James Brown, Mary Semler, Shannon Taylor, and Chris Pollock coach multiple seasons and frequently become the link our graduates retain with the institution after they leave. As we finish up our fall sports and head into the winter season, I hope you will take the opportunity, if presented, to thank your coaches for their hard work and dedication. 
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So I hope you will come out tomorrow in your red, black, and white to experience North Cross athletics at its finest.  It is a meaningful learning experience.