Being involved in sports is often a great way to build discipline and character to prepare for success after your school years. Kenwood’s second athletic season just kicked off on Friday, November 15 with winter sports tryouts.
The new sports season triggered a little nostalgia in the Kenwood teachers and staff. Several of your KHS teachers grew up playing sports and still today feel like they have them a solid foundation to move in to their adult lives. Kenwood’s instrumental music teacher Mr. Ladd wrestled throughout high school.
Kenwood English teacher Mr. Flavin grew up “wrestling and playing football and baseball”. He says that taking part in school sports allows students to “have fun”.
Ms. Scott-Cerezo shared that her extracurricular activity was “being a runner on a track team”. She says that taking part in any high school sport “keeps you healthy”.
These teachers weren’t the only ones who found athletics to be a great foundation for life after high school and college. Check out what sports your favorite KHS staff participated in and how they influenced the adult they became.
“I was a cheerleader in 10-12th grade for Towson High School and I was on Calvert Hall’s Co-ed Competition Squad. We went all the way to Tennessee and competed! Through Cheerleading, I was able to create friendships that have lasted a lifetime. It also taught me how to balance sports and my academics and it really strengthened my work ethic.” -Ms. Holland
“I played basketball all the way up and through college . I was at many points and time throughout my career the best or one of the best players on my teams . From that I learned a lot , how to interact with people who were from different backgrounds than me and how to come together to achieve a common goal. I also learned how to be a leader and lead others . I learned how to accept that I was not going to always win and when I didn’t , what did I learn from the experience . I learned discipline and patience . All these skills and more helped me in my adulthood even until this day” -Mr. Hubbard
“In high school I was a 3 sport athlete. I played 4 seasons of Varsity Soccer, 1 season of Basketball, and 4 seasons of Track and Field. Playing both individual and team sports prepared me for adulthood as it taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, accountability, selflessness, and time-management. Difficult and long practices built mental resilience that I credit for my mindset today, and then still having to prioritize schoolwork after practice taught me how to balance my time, which I am lucky enough to be able to draw on to manage my responsibilities as a teacher and coach now! ” -Ms. Tomasura
“I played soccer in high school and college, primarily at center midfield position. From sports, she learned the power of teamwork, the joy of achieving goals together, and the ability to grow past what was thought possible. After college, Ms. Evans continued to play in recreational leagues and then coach both at Kenwood and in the community, spreading the joy of sport.” -Ms. Evans
“I attended Catonsville High School (Go Comets) in BCPS, where cheerleading was the sport that left the biggest impact on me. I spent four years on the squad, an experience that taught me invaluable life lessons that only come from being part of a close-knit team. Through cheerleading, I gained discipline, developed strong communication skills, built my confidence, and grew as a leader, especially during my time as captain. I also learned how to manage relationships with teammates, even those I didn’t always get along with, and ultimately found a sense of self-identity. In essence, high school sports shaped me in practical, mental, and emotional ways that prepared me for the responsibilities, relationships, and challenges of adulthood. The skills and experiences I gained from being part of a team have become lifelong assets. I also went on to coach high school cheer for 8 years at a local high school (ET) which provided a different perspective that I am very thankful for. ” – Nicole Boyd
“I played Field Hockey and Lacrosse in HS and in College. Playing HS sports helped me understand the value of teamwork and leadership more specifically what it looks like and needs to look like to be a servant leader. Ultimately I also picked my college (which I loved) based solely on my ability to play sports there. Probably not the best reason to pick a school but it worked out for me.” Principal Smith
“I played soccer in my junior and senior years of HS; we didn’t have a girls’ team until that year. Soccer was slower to catch on in my hometown and the surrounding areas than in some other places. While I only had two years of it, I learned a lot about being more aggressive and sticking up for myself on the field, and EVENTUALLY that caught up to me off of the field. I also learned to give people who weren’t my typical friends a chance, and that certainly helped me as I moved into adulthood. My favorite post-HS soccer moment was back when teacher-student games were still allowed to happen, and I slide tackled the crap out of one of my junior track athletes…they didn’t realize Coach Single was quite so competitive.” Ms. Single
“I played badminton as a senior. I had instant regrets once I realized how much fun it was to go to matches and how you bond with your teammates. I wish I would have done it all four years!” Mr. Nash
“Back in the olden days the athletic director played a lot of sports! From 1987-1990 I played football, basketball and lacrosse at Corning East High School in New York State. 8 varsity letters and all-area in all 3 sports lol. I was football captain. From 1990 to 1995 I played NCAA Football and Lacrosse at a small college in Buffalo, NY Canisius College similar to a Loyala College. In lacrosse we played teams like Notre Dame, Michigan State, Duke University. High School Career High in Basketball – 22 points. I was my college lax captain and in my final regular season lacrosse game in college we defeated THE Ohio State University.” Coach Ruocco
“I played High School Basketball and football. I played basketball all four years, 2 years at Mount Saint Joseph High School and then transferred to Catonsville High school. Football I only played freshman and sophomore year. Playing sports in HS has helped me in various ways in my adult life. One of them is making friendships with different athletes from other schools. Going to other schools gives you a chance to not only see a new people but build relationships and bond with other students who share the same hobby. Later in adult life you’ll come across the same people you played against, and you’ll have a chance to reminisce on seasons, coaches, etc… When this happens you’ll have a network of people who you can relate to and have a life long connection with. ” -Mr. Troy
“In high school I was on our swim team, and this helped me become more disciplined in my actions. I became more organized with needing to coordinate my meets and practice with school work and my job; it was important for me to think ahead and have a schedule. Also I was able to learn how to work on my own but also in a group; even though most of swimming is an individual activity and having to focus on how to better myself I was still a part of a team where we were supporting each other and helping each other figure out how to continue forward. I very much enjoyed my time on that time and appreciate everything that it taught me.” Ms. Keating
“I played basketball in school but my main sport was softball which I lived and breathed from about age 8 until 18. I was a starter on my school’s back to back trip to the State Championship in which we won it the second time. Though I didn’t get to start in my main position but played outfield, I learned the value in doing what’s needed for the team. There were also many times I was doubted and had to prove myself and that mental grit to push through has carried me through other challenges outside of sports.” -Ms. Glenn
“I played soccer and baseball in high school and soccer in college. Sports helped me learn to compete, stay in shape and work as a team. Over 20 years later, many of my good friends are former teammates.” -Mr. Mattern
“I played sports in middle school as well as high school. I am a proud Alumni of Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring MD. Basketball was my introduction to sports, but my real passion was field hockey. I also joined the track team where I participated in field events. I must confess, field hockey had my heart for all 4 years of high school. This experience exposed me to many great opportunities, and I gained a ton of friends in the process. Being a student athlete is hard work. Join a team, don’t be shy! Friendly reminder, student first, athlete second.” -Ms. Lopez-Posey
“I played field hockey, ran indoor, and played softball here at Kenwood (2008-2011). I also played field hockey and softball in college (Notre Dame of Maryland University, 2011-2015). Sports not only provided a hobby that I loved, but it provided an outlet for me to be consistently learning leadership skills that translated almost automatically into my career. The team skills, resilience, and work ethic development that run parallel to being on a sports team has been indispensable in adulthood. ” -Ms. Fallon
“I’m a proud, second-generation graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (POLY) , where I played soccer (GK) and baseball (1B, 3B, P). I learned how to weather the inevitable peaks and valleys of life from playing sports as well as how to work with others toward achieving a common goal (we won our conference soccer and baseball championships my senior year). Dealing with adversity in sports has helped me maintain an even-keel when riding out storms in real life.” -Mr. Maki
“I played soccer and lacrosse. Being an athlete helped me with time management and team building, but also benefited my mental health, and kept me busy.”- Ms. Barton
“I played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. Sports helped me get accepted into college and my dream job because they encouraged me to work with others and taught me to work hard and play hard.” -Ms. Sachs-Kohen
“In high school I was a 3-sport athlete. Football, Basketball and Baseball. I was offered Scholarships in all 3 sports, but unfortunately, my grades were not high enough. I was a “C” student. So, I lost 6 different scholarships. I ended up going to a Junior college in LaPlume Pa (Keystone Jr. College). I was scouted to go there and play basketball, but they were amazing, and I did not fell as if I was at their level. So, I ended up being a walk on for the baseball team. I ended up being one of the 5 starting pitchers my Freshman year. My Sophomore year I was the #2 pitcher, and they even let me bat. I ended up batting .333 and had a 1.99 ERA. I was lucky enough to be the starting pitcher on TV in our 1st game for the Junior college championship in 1993. When I transferred to a 4-year college, I did not end up playing on the team, but I ended up playing semipro for a team in Pa. To this day, I still pay baseball in a 30+ league. ” -Mr. Shields
A common trend from the KHS teachers’ past athletic experiences, was that they found being an athlete taught them self-discipline. But self-discipline is not the only concept being taught in any sport; every extracurricular activity also encourages patience, time management, having fun, working with a team, staying healthy, not just now but possibly creating a habit for a lifetime of a healthier lifestyle. Athletics are a great way to pave your way to a successful future.
If you are not yet part of a sports team while you are still a high school student, pick any sport you think best suits you. If sports aren’t your thing- try our performance programs or any of our various club organizations. Getting involved in high school gives you a great foundation to jump start your future.
