With football officially beginning tonight, all of our fall sports have broken the cellophane on a brand new season, so it is time for some wisdom from our 26th President:
“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
As you watch our young people perform, and as you students perform, keep this in mind; we live in a world in which criticism is not only accepted, it is expected. Social media provides athletes and performers with a huge number of anonymous critics virtually instantaneously. I’ve gotta think Old Teddy would think too highly of people who hid behind keyboards and criticized teenagers, and I hope that all of our participants will remember to not take to heart criticisms of those who aren’t brave enough to participate, and all of our fans remember to think before hitting “send.”
I’m always so proud of our kids, win, lose, or draw, because they are actually in the arena, placing incredible effort into something not for financial gain or glory, but to improve themselves and those around them.
So thank you to all of our kids who participate in extracurricular activities here; thank you for “knowing the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and for spending yourself in a worthy cause…”