First of all, we have a program, a philosophy, founded in tradition, yes, but even more importantly in values like teamwork, humility, respect, balance, friendship, responsibility, and perseverance. We know that to achieve excellence we have to work, we have to try, we have to fail, we have to pick ourselves back up and try again even harder, and perhaps fail again, because that is what it takes to realize our potential. And we have support for this program - from everyone in this school - our drivers, custodians, teachers, teaching assistants, administrators and coaches.
Yes, coaches. We have teachers, coaches who care a great deal. They turn up to practice each day with the commitment to develop our athletes’ skills, but more importantly their character. They are skilled in and passionate about what they do and know what it takes to build successful teams. By success I do not just mean winning, but learning, growing, and improving day-by-day mentally, tactically and technically. Without the commitment of our coaches, this program would not exist.
The final reason why we can be proud to be Lincoln Snow Leopards is because all of you are Lincoln Snow Leopards. You, our student-athletes, are wonderful ambassadors for our school and make us proud because of your desire to learn and improve as athletes and as people. You feel a sense of ownership of the program; a commitment to not only carry on our tradition and model our values, but also to build on, innovate and develop what has come before. You recognize that each individual has values and positive contributions to make and you work to help everyone feel respected and cared for. Everyone can try out for a team, everyone can work to become a Lincoln School Snow Leopard at this school.
Student-athletes, it is you that we honor tonight. Your efforts, your skills, your growth, and your leadership deserve to be recognized. However, not all of you will walk away with a physical award tonight. What I want to tell you athletes is that it is not a failure to miss out on an individual award. Everyone here is part of a team and all of you have had a vital role to play in forming that team. So be proud of yourselves and the efforts you’ve made, and be proud of your teammates and the special qualities they brought to your team. We might not have the pool of students that the other big SAISA schools have, or even the locals in Kathmandu, but we succeed because we are one, we are one big TEAM and as the acronym on our gym wall reads, together everyone really does achieve more. Thank you.
Luke Davis
