Vision and Introduction to Chelsea Athletics
Hello and welcome to Chelsea Athletics! Our goal is to provide a truly unique and formative athletic experience during your child’s time here: an athletic experience that builds character by combining various factors of sports through the Catholic understanding of the human person and the pursuit of Virtue.
While Chelsea athletics does aim to develop our students’ bodies, our primary purpose is to use athletics as a tool to develop virtuous traits. This is done by striving to cultivate in our student athletes a love for sports while developing virtue through aiming at excellence. Some of the virtues which can be learned and practiced in sports are patience, humility, self-control, perseverance, and charity, to name a few.
However, it is not merely enough to assume that character and virtue will automatically develop from participating in sports. Unfortunately, the data and our own experience, either from watching or participating in sports, show us that sports do in fact reveal character; the building of that character requires an intentional commitment and focus by all involved. If this intentional commitment is lost, sports can quickly turn into a task rather than a game—or worse, an end in itself dominated by the pursuit of winning at all costs which quickly becomes a false god. Put simply, it can focus on victory instead of virtue.
Sports should assist in the formation and development of a young person, along with academic pursuits and spiritual growth. Indeed, sports when done properly can teach in a very practical way virtues that may not be learned otherwise, as in the case of winning with humility or respect for elders on a different team. Sports, academics, and the spiritual life should not be at odds with one another, but rather be different facets of the same diamond that contribute to the development of virtuous character.
As a result, our goal for Chelsea Athletics is that they be intentional in the formation of character by pursuing excellence rather than just simply pursuing a victory. In a sentence, Chelsea Athletics strives for excellence in “sports properly directed”, as Pope St. Pius XII noted.
Below you will find this explained both as a “Philosophy” and also practical learning outcomes that we aim to teach and foster in the student-athlete at Chelsea.
Athletics Philosophy
We embrace Saint John Paul II’s view on athletics: “Sports contribute to the love of life, teaches sacrifice, respect and responsibility, leading to the full development of every human person.” As a part of the school’s mission, students are encouraged to use and develop all the gifts and talents they have been given to strive for excellence through athletics.
Sports at their foundation are games and meant to be played and enjoyed. However, sports are not only an opportunity for leisure, but also an opportunity for personal growth and development. This is what can set sports apart, that when it is done well, they not only provide leisure and pleasure but also build virtue.
It is the goal of each coach and student-athlete that, through the athletic experience, they actively cultivate virtue and develop personal skills. The growth of personal skills allows students to grow in confidence as well as to improve their team.
Coaches, players, and parents must strive to develop and display the attitudes of good sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, dependability, work ethic, self-discipline, and loyalty to teams and school. The highest standard of sportsmanship is expected of all coaches, players, and parents since their actions are representative of Chelsea as a whole. Indeed, sportsmanship is grounded in the “inherent dignity” of each human person. This dignity comes from God and not from man, and as such it is not an option, but rather a command from our Creator to treat all individuals—even in sports!—with respect and charity.
Learning Outcomes
Athletics at Chelsea are designed to facilitate leisure and to teach and foster virtue. This is done primarily in a team through those in leadership especially the coaches and captains. It is done secondarily through the Chelsea community, especially the parents and fans who support Chelsea Athletics and hold to the same philosophical ideals and approach for the young people participating.
Chelsea athletics specifically aims at teaching and mentoring the student-athletes in the following character traits which assist in the formation of a Virtuous person.
- Self-discipline especially in body and mind
- Virtuous Leadership through service
- Honoring those in positions of authority
- Enduring and working through Pain and Suffering
- Demonstrating Respect for “Elders” in word and deed
- Playing with others
- Working through disagreements especially with peers and teammates
- Respecting teammates and opponents
- Developing strong emotional and mental abilities to deal with adversity
- Winning with humility
- Losing with character and understanding
- Respecting others through punctuality and presence
- Self-sacrificing for a bigger goal than oneself
- Mastering one’s emotions
- Driving towards excellence in all things