I am enormous fan of Sam Clemens (AKA Mark Twain). I think that he is the writer by which all other American writers are judged – a position he would most likely have rejected, yet one I believe many scholars would be in agreement with me.
Clemens was a writer of novels, but also of many editorials on events that happened in the world around him. In the spring of 1905, he wrote an editorial in the North American Review on the topic of leadership. In it, he wrote something very powerful, “Titles—[are an] artificiality—[they] are a part of clothing. They conceal the wearer's inferiority and make him seem great and a wonder, when at bottom there is nothing remarkable about him.”
Perhaps there is no greater part of the philosophy of Holy Ghost Prep than the simple idea of humility. The tradition of the Holy Ghost Fathers is to be willing to go into places where no one else will go – to go to people who everyone else rejects – and work to bring to these people the recognition of dignity and value. It reminds us that our striving for greatness is only as meaningful as the amount of effort we use to bring others with us – to share our success, our treasure and our respect.
In the coming days the hockey team will hold tryouts. It is inevitable that some people will be happy and some not so much. There is no doubt that much will be said – theories proclaimed – conspiracies declared – and emotions of all types displayed. At the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the coaching staff to make choices and with a limit of 20 players not everyone can be on the varsity team.
I urge and hope that all of us will participate with an open mind. I can assure you that there are no hidden agendas, no one has been promised a spot on either roster, no one has been guaranteed a starting position, there is no marquee player with special privileges or a person that secretly calls the shots behind the scenes. The coaches make the decisions, I work to make sure that the philosophy of the school is maintained in the decision process, and our athletic director Jim Stewart makes sure that there is a fair procedure that is followed.
I was recently asked “what do you do?” I responded, “I am the admissions director at a small private school outside of Northeast Philadelphia.” The questioner followed up, “I didn’t ask about you’re title, I asked you what you do…”
This moment was a small but good reminder to me of how incredibly lucky I am to be at Holy Ghost Prep. I have been a part of so many amazing moments at HGP, I can’t even begin to list them. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the belief that our title or tier offer us unearned respect or rights – we can let jealousy or gossip supplant the reality that other people work hard too, that putting someone down or “putting them in their place” does not make us stronger, that promoting fear is not the same as building confidence and that announcing our own glory is not as significant as advancing our shared triumphs.
Together I am hopeful that this season is one filled with success – success on countless levels – and that our time together is meaningful because we walk the road together and that our moments are special because we experience them as a community. If I could predict wins and losses, I’d be a man with a lot of money. What I can predict is that that coaches and I will commit our hearts and our minds to endless hours of doing what we believe is right and good for the team and for the players. We will always be honest and we will always recognize the unbelievable opportunity, responsibility and privilege we have to work with our players and families.
As always, I welcome your questions, concerns and thoughts.
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