Page 5 - Charlotte Latin Sports Magazine

LETTER FROM THE SPORTS COACHING STAFF
Dear Spring Sports Student-Athletes,
To say this spring has been a disappointment is a gross understatement. We are truly disheartened as a result of the traumatic series of events that has led to the cancelation of most of the regular season and all of the end-of-season NCISAA tournaments/meets. As a coaching staff, we share your dismay and shock in the place that we’ve landed not only as a school, but also as human beings in these unprecedented times of collective sadness, anxiety, and uncertainty.
While in many ways it’s tempting to remain depressed about all this, we
are hoping you will rely on some of the important lessons of your athletics involvement to help you in coping with this pause. First of all, resilience is in your DNA and overcoming challenges is synonymous with athletic participa- tion. Understandably, lamenting the absence of experiences must play a part of the necessary processing involved in your loss, but what’s in your control lies in your response to the situation. Each day in workouts and competition you get stronger, you improve, and you learn what it takes to win. What you also learn, however, is how to learn when a workout does not go well, or from a mistake in a game, or from a loss. You pick yourself up, ask what the lessons are, and then move on. In fact, this is precisely how champions are built. As many of you have heard from us, “the only play that counts in the next one”. In order to incorporate this attitude, you must also be filled with hope that things can and will improve. That will be the case here as well. We will return to school and athletics will resume.
When we do all come together again, however, we should remain mindful in the appreciation for our ability to participate in athletics. It truly is a privilege and let’s let our “losses” of this past spring serve as a reminder to not take the privilege of training and competing alongside our teammates, and of testing ourselves against worthy opponents for granted in the future. Let’s recommit to finding the joy in sport and revel in both the small and big moments that make up our athletic experiences. Certainly for us as a coaching staff and for everyone else the most critical piece remains our focus on each other/our sports community. We are, in fact, one team.
We live in a vibrant sports community with an avid fan base here in Charlotte. This atmosphere and sentiment certainly radiates throughout our campus at Charlotte Latin. We love our sports, but what’s behind it is a love for each oth- er and our sense of belonging in a community. As we consider the re-opening of school and return to play for our athletic program, let’s remain focused on the manner in which we take care and support one another. We’re in a great community and Hawks will fly again!
With love and sincerity,
Your spring sports coaching staff
CHARLOTTE LATIN BOOSTER CLUB SPORTS MAGAZINE 5