Ram Athletics
The Donovan athletic program serves to reinforce the school’s mission to develop leaders of competence, conscience, compassion, confidence, and courage, who, out of love for Christ and others, will radiate Christ in their lives. As a Catholic college preparatory school, Donovan’s essential values include spiritual growth and academic excellence. It is the philosophy of the athletic program to advance these priorities.
Competence is achieved through instruction, practice, and performance. The athletic environment is structured to encourage the mastering of skills through practice, teamwork, and competition. It is expected that coaches will instruct and lead scholar-athletes to improving their capabilities. Knowledge and experience with this process is a gateway to competence in all aspects of a student’s life.
The Donovan athletic program works to produce leaders with conscience. Conscience can be defined as the “complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.” The athletic program strives to teach participants to interact with coaches, teammates, officials, and the athletes from other schools in a respectful, honest, and forthright fashion. The coaches assist in the development of conscience through example and instruction.
Compassion is expected to be evident in both interpersonal interactions within a team and competition against other teams. The scholar-athlete and coaches are expected to seek out and understand the needs of others and to be sensitive towards fellow teammates or opponents.
The athletic program serves as a gateway to confidence for the scholar-athletes. Students often improve their self-esteem through achievement, dedication, and participation in challenging competition. Students learn that accountability to the school and the team is a privilege that they are capable of earning. The coaching staff is expected to foster an environment that encourages the athletes to feel capable of handling the ups and downs of athletic competition.
Finally, the Donovan athletic program fosters courageous behavior in the scholar-athlete. Courage comes from coaching support, teammate rapport, and the concept that Donovan athletes will radiate Christ in their lives. Courage is achieved in the coming together of discipline, dedication, effort, accountability, and leadership.
For more information contact our Athletic Director Courtney Gilmore at [email protected].