October 14, 2014
Dear High School Student-Athlete:
There are many reasons to participate on a high school
sports team. Movement is the only way to
nourish your brain. A coach can be
another adult in your life who wants you to succeed. Your teammates become friends for life, and
what’s cooler than representing your community?
In the New York Times bestselling book SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by
Harvard Professor John J. Ratey, MD, it was reported that three months of
exercise increased blood flow to the brain’s memory and learning areas by
30%. There you have it. The science behind why student-athletes
outperform the general school population academically. Athletes are also most likely to succeed in
college and their chosen profession.
“Dumb jock?” Don’t believe the
myth!
When I was in high school (soon after Noah’s flood), I
became bored during my sophomore year.
My grades were fine, but I wanted to quit school to experience more
adventures in life. The day I planned to
drop-out, my PE teacher asked me to join his track team. It was just the injection of adventure I
needed. To challenge myself to run faster,
and to try to jump higher and farther every day was thrilling. My coach spoke quiet words of wisdom as
needed, and the thought of not finishing school never again crossed my
mind. Before graduating, I experienced
the thrill of running on one of New York City’s best 3200 meter relay teams!
The teammates I met nearly 30 years ago are friends of mine
to this day. They are engineers,
attorneys, police officers, civil servants, and great parents! If I need expert advice, I know who to
call. When my spirits are down, they are
there to lift me up. I could not imagine
growing old without them. We were
soldiers on the same high school battle grounds, so they know where I’m coming
from.
For all of the above reasons, and many more, your
participation on one of our high school teams will benefit you in ways yet to
be revealed. I support your continued growth,
and will remain a resource for you as long as I walk this earth. I’m confident your coaches will do the same.
Sincerely,
Jonathan T. Jefferson, Ed.D.
Director of Health, PE, & Athletics
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