In 1992, one hit wonder The Verve Pipe released “The Freshmen”.  The inspiration for the title came as the band’s front man, Brian Vander Ark, was sitting in his apartment watching MTV.  On his coffee table was a VHS tape of the movie he had rented from Blockbuster called “The Freshman” starring Matthew Broderick and Marlon Brando.  Ok, I realize that I have just completely lost anyone under 40 year reading this as they have probably never heard of MTV, VHS tapes, Blockbuster, or Broderick/Brando.  But that isn’t important.  What is important is that Brian would probably have removed the word “merely” from his lyric “we were merely freshmen” if he had had met any of the extraordinary incoming Dons student athletes.

61.9% of all 9th graders across the country play at least one sport.  A vast majority of those student athletes will not play in college, become a household name like Lebron James or Sabrina Ionescu, or land a big NIL deal. So why play?  Sports provide students all the usual benefits, but for incoming student athletes, it is also their first high school experience and provides an opportunity for them to interact with the older students.  Sports also provide a huge benefit to the Dons community as they bring energy, fun, and a family vibe to the campus on a daily basis.

This fall I will have two kids at Acalanes, a daughter in 9th grade and son in 11th grade. Like is done with many of the sports, my daughter is participating in lacrosse summer sessions and has been warmly embraced by the older players. My son is playing summer football and baseball. In baseball, he is often on the mound pitching surrounded by incoming student athletes playing infield positions.  I have seen him and the other older students taking them under their wings, teaching them everything from pitching signs to how to hand the pitcher the ball and high five at the same time.  I am sure that this bonding will extend into the school year, where even something as simple as an older student saying “hi” in the hallway makes a huge difference to an incoming student.

This will also be a time of change for the new parents who will be adjusting to teams with much larger rosters, and for the ones whose children haven’t played club sports, coaches who don’t have a child on the team. In other words, the era of “daddy ball” or “mommy ball” is officially over as positions and playing time are earned.  No matter which team your student athlete joins or how much or little playing time they get, please be respectful of the coaches, many of whom are not merely volunteers, but integral members of our Dons community. 

I would also be remiss if I didn’t put a plug in for Boosters, the organization that supports all Acalanes sports. Please visit https://acalanesboosters.com/ to learn about Boosters, become a member, see recent articles, and join the email list for future articles.  Look forward to seeing everyone in the stands this fall.  Go Dons!