Life Prep

This document did not in any way represent a change in policy, purpose, or philosophy from the past, Athletic Director Andrew Stanley said at the time.

 

Instead, it articulated a coalescence of ideas based on best practices dating back generations and stated succinctly and powerfully so that its meaning and intent would be clear in the ever-changing world of high school sports and beyond.

 

Having a definitive mission statement conceived by coaches was the first major step. Presenting it to the Collegiate community, athletes included, was the next.

 

Enter Jason Archbell, Collegiate’s varsity boys lacrosse coach since 2024 and the School’s new director of student-athlete development whose assignment it is to help put it into practice.

 

“The principles and ideals that the School was built on haven’t changed for decades,” Stanley said, “but to have somebody consistently reviewing the way we support our student-athletes, regardless of when they enter Collegiate until their last day, will enable us to be the best version of an athletic department we can be.

 

“We’re trying to use the athletic experience to prepare our students for whatever’s in front of them. Having Jason in his new role allows us to put focus and energy into the things that speak to the heart and soul of the athletic department.”

 

Archbell is a Norfolk Academy and Hampden-Sydney College graduate who has coached lacrosse at both the high school and college level and brings wisdom and expertise to his latest assignment. 

 

“The whole idea is to do everything we can to maximize the (athletic) experience so student-athletes are learning as many lessons as possible,” he said. “They're being put in positions where they can be leaders, where they can have success but also handle failure, and where they can understand all the positives that come through competition.

 

“We’re seeing a lot of different challenges in society with how athletics are introduced to young people through travel and club sports and with people being very outcome focused and not necessarily looking at how we can develop students in an age-appropriate way to handle competition and failure. We want to make sure that we’re preparing and supporting our athletes as well as we can.”

 

The program is off the ground but still a work in progress.

 

“We're building a curriculum from a leadership perspective,” Archbell said. “How can we prepare our next group of leaders so that when they do step into captains’ roles or roles as varsity athletes in general, they're more prepared for some of the challenges they'll encounter, understand how to lead, and understand what it takes to provide a positive team culture.”

 

Already this fall, Archbell has met with numerous teams, primarily at the Cub level.

 

“I’ve been focusing on the difference between being a competitor and being a great teammate,” he said. “What does a great competitor do? What does a great teammate do? I’m showing them that those two things are intertwined.”

 

Understanding the mission statement has been included in Middle School advisory lessons. Seniors Macy Boyer and Milton Arendale, both veteran varsity athletes and team captains, have also shared experiences with Middle Schoolers about dedication, competitive spirit, and the value of the team experience.

 

“We’re trying to make sure that we’re being super-intentional,” Archbell said. “We’re taking an overarching look at what we’re doing in the PE classes in the Middle School and Lower School, what we’re doing in our athletic programs, and how we’re making sure that we’re emphasizing the mission statement of developing athletes through competition and a team-first mentality.

 

“We’re introducing this (to the lower grades) so that over time, we can build this into something that becomes second nature to them. At the same time, we’re backfilling down from the captains into the varsity teams using the same concepts.”

 

So far, so good, Archbell says.

 

“What really excites me is that I get to have more impact on more students than I would if I was just coaching,” he said. “I also really enjoy the interaction with the different players that I don't know. I've never coached any female athletes. I’ve gotten to understand the importance of the teacher-coach model at Collegiate. I have a lot of respect for teacher-coaches, so I’m trying to understand how we can use those folks to build this program even stronger.

 

“I want to make sure that we're making a lasting impact in our kids’ lives by helping them build the skills they need to navigate their way in a turbulent world. We want to make sure that playing sports at Collegiate really meant something to them. And we want to help develop them into the best people they can be.”

~Weldon Bradshaw