Fwd: Team Dinners

[David Bardaglio]

 

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Team Dinners
Date:	Tue, 17 Dec 2013 11:13:04 -0500
From:	Jacob Carr <jaca...@gmail.com>
To:	"jalin...@gmail.com" <jalin...@gmail.com>, "dbard...@burlingtontelecom.net" <dbard...@burlingtontelecom.net>

 

Greetings parents,
For those of you who don't know me my name is Jacob Carr, I am a senior on the hockey team and I have been playing for three years. Recently there has been a common practice of disregarding the tradition of team dinners the night before every game. I realize the sound thought process behind this; more time away from home means less time to focus on academic responsibilities. However team dinners are an essential aspect for the creation of a well balanced high school athletics team. They serve as a way for the team members to bond off the ice in a way that cannot be replaced. 
A common saying around BHS is "the hockey team sucks, who cares." This is something that is not only unjustified but also unbelievably frustrating for myself, and for other members of the team. On our opening game in Stowe on Saturday, we went down by two goals and the morale of the team was utterly nonexistent only furthering this misconception, not only around the school but also among the multitude of new players to the team. Team dinners are the key to building team morale and unity. Without this important time to bond the team is unable to achieve any form of success. 
I understand the fear of students not having time to complete their academic obligations. I myself need to complete a 75 question problem set in precalculus, revise a DBQ essay for AP World, and study for a test in anatomy tonight. However studies have shown that students who eat dinner with their families do better academically and this team is nothing if not a family. For these reasons I implore all of you to sign up for team dinners for the rest of the season and provide a foundation for morale and a team culture unparalleled at BHS. 
Thank you

Jacob Carr

Sent from my iPhone