Posted on 08/19/2016
All three Francis Howell School District (FHSD) high school athletic
programs were recently named “Leadership Schools” by the Missouri State
High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), the governing body of high
school sports in the state. It’s an award created to honor sportsmanship
and leadership in school. And if it’s something that FHSD sports has
been known to exhibit, it is sportsmanship. At all of these FHSD high
schools, coaches, parents, and students aren’t just coming together to
win championships, they are also working to create a better community
through sportsmanship.
Francis Howell Central High School
(FHC) has earned this honor six years in a row, and was also named a
“5-Star Leadership School” for the sixth consecutive year by MSHSAA. FHC
Activities Director Scott Harris said, “I believe it is a focused
effort by our coaches, directors, sponsors, players, parents, and fans,
to make sure we are ‘competing with class’ at all times and supporting
our student-athletes the right way.”
It’s not just at
FHC, though. All three high school sports/activities programs strive
hard to promote leadership. Activities Director at Francis Howell High
School (FHHS), Sean Erwin, said, “At Francis Howell, our coaches and
sponsors put an emphasis on not only developing student-participants in
their activity or sport, but also developing them as young men and women
to be successful in life after high school. Through our R.I.S.E.
(Respect, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Excellence) core values and Viking
Leadership Academy our student-participants are actively engaged in
building leadership capacity and strive to display it both in and out of
their activities.”
At Francis Howell North, Activities
Director Mike Janes said, “Our kids are displaying leadership every day.
We have an Activities Leadership Council that developed a program
purpose statement, and that reads, ‘Francis Howell North strives to
develop student leaders both academically and athletically. The
Activities Leadership Council will promote FHN activities with core
values to enhance the vision of our programs. We have “Core Values”,
which we call “S.H.I.E.L.D” – Sportsmanship, Honesty, Integrity,
Excellence, Leadership, and Determination. And new football coach Brett
Bevill has introduced “Above the Line” character initiatives. The
football players signed a 20-foot pipe that includes the words “ABOVE
THE LINE.” Every practice and game, players will step over the pipe to
make a conscious decision on their character and attitude. Their
upcoming opponent is painted on the opposite end. With a Knight win, the
opponent part of the pipe gets cut off. And the character aspect of it
is transcending into the classroom. All three schools are displaying
character initiatives that helped them attain MSHSAA Leadership Status.”
You have to experience a game in FHSD for yourself to
truly understand the tremendous atmosphere. There is definitely a
positive vibe circulating throughout the stadium/arena due to the mutual
respect and good citizenship promoted at each event. “We want to
respect our opponents and the game,” Harris said, “and represent our
school and the District with class at all times. We don’t allow taunting
of opponents, disrespectful cheers, or singling out of an opposing
team’s player. And our students and student leaders know this is our
expectation, and it is now their expectation as well. We encourage and
expect our fans to cheer and support our team, and not to put down,
insult, or cheer against an opponent.”
FHSD teams desire
to win, as evidenced by the many state championships, including those
won by Francis Howell High School baseball and boys’ soccer this past
school year. But there is an underlying goal for the sports programs
beyond winning. “Our goal,” Harris emphasized, “is to win and be the
best we can be. Our mission, as a part of ‘Education Based Athletics and
Activities,’ is to provide life lessons through these sports and
activities that cannot be learned inside the classroom walls.”
With
that blueprint in place, FHSD athletic programs will continue to build a
District sports program full of not just winners, but community leaders
and good citizens as well. “We understand the value and importance of
extracurricular programs,” Harris said, “and being attached at school.
Over 71 percent of our students were involved in a sport, club, or
activity (at FHC), and these go so far into enhancing the high school
experience, reaching the ‘whole child,’ and providing so many important
life lessons.”