The 2014-15 school year was a phenomenal stretch for Colorado Academy athletics. Eleven Mustang programs competed in the final day of state competition, seven teams took home first or second place, and three teams won the Colorado State Championship.

 

The response by students, faculty, parents, and alumni from around the nation has been tremendous, and the success has been galvanizing for the community.

 

The recent spring athletic success coincided with a New York Times article on the NBA’s Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and their All-Pro point guard Stephen Curry. Curry attributes the results that his team has to the atmosphere that Kerr creates around the Warriors. “He’s just brought a flow and a chemistry and a joy-ness about the game and how we were going to win,” Curry said. “Day in and day out, making the practice environment, the locker-room environment, the environment on the bench inspiring to all the players. That’s a huge reason why we’ve been so successful. We love coming in to work and practice, and you build up a level of fun that you expect every single game that you play.”

 

CA student-athletes do a tremendous job of working hard in their chosen sports while also balancing their academic and artistic interests. CA coaches, I believe, are student-focused and help to make it fun, light-hearted and appropriate. Certainly, there is a rigor level and heightened expectation level on varsity teams, but the JV experience is critical to the health of the overall program and the development of the individual.

 

In the Athletic Department at Colorado Academy, we are process- and practice oriented and not hyper-focused on outcomes. We are comfortable with and let the results speak for themselves. I often say that the student-athletes at CA are having fun, working extremely hard, and are provided a rich experience by the coaches and staff. As an institution, students are matriculating to some of most selective academic environments in higher education, and at the same time, we have won eight state championships in the past three years. There is no drop-off in academic or artistic achievement because of the Mustang athletic success.

 

As the English essayist and novelist, Charles Edward Montague, said at the beginning of the 20th century, “There is no limit to what a man can do so long as he does not care a straw who gets the credit for it.” I believe the selfless work by CA students and coaches and the unencumbered support from the administration, teachers, parents, and the community contributed to the school’s success this year.

 

The humble attitude exhibited by Mustang athletes is also important to note. Much like Kerr says about Curry, “Incredible talent mixed with humility. It’s a powerful, really powerful, force. Humility with a lack of confidence is not a good thing. Humility with arrogance is awesome. That sounds counterintuitive, but that’s Steph [Curry]. He’s unbelievably humble, and yet he’s the biggest gunslinger in the league and he’ll rip your heart out.”

 

I am proud of the accomplishments made by students and teams this year; they have raised the bar. I look forward to watching the planning and effort and watching it play out on the courts and fields during the 2015-16 school year. Thank you to all who support Colorado Academy and CA Mustang athletics.