The Blue & Gold Squad Establishes Community Between Staff and Athletes
What started as a way to show a little extra support to the school’s varsity football team when they moved from division 3A to 5A a few years ago has blossomed into a “support squad” of 113 faculty and staff who sponsor 123 student athletes. These adult sponsors include a wide range of positions at CSD – from the School Superintendent to the entire cafeteria staff, as well as custodians, the SRO officer and our teachers. The Squad has expanded to support the JV and Varsity football players, cheerleaders and the varsity girls flag football team. The purpose of the squad is to establish one-on-one relationships between the faculty/staff and the athletes. They check-in with their students on a weekly basis, wear their photo button on game days and even attend the games if they can. Once a year, the entire Squad goes to Comet Lanes to bowl together.
“Being in the state of the world as we are right now,” commented Squad Coordinator and Special Education Math Teacher Beth Lewis, “I can’t think of anything better than people –both kids and teachers–knowing that they are valued, seen and connected. The Squad provides an intentionality for adults to connect with kids through their sport – a place of strength where they shine.”
Harrison, one of the student athletes in the squad, said, “I feel safe, welcomed, loved, and cared about by having a Blue/Gold squad person to check up on me weekly who also makes sure I am okay physically and mentally.”
DHS Vice Principal Jessica Sturm agrees that the program is working. “I love the deeper relationships we can develop with the students outside of school,” she said. “Going to their games and watching them excel in their sport is so heartwarming. My students and I have ‘family breakfast’ together every Friday. It’s been a place where I can connect with the kids about their goals, and we talk about things like being recruited and how to respond to scouts. It’s also been an opportunity for the students to get to know each other better too.”
The squad has been a great way to support our student athletes, but it’s also brought joy to the faculty as well. The squad in effect has created a sense of community, and it allows the faculty to see another side of the students that they don’t necessarily see in the classrooms, cafeteria, and hallways.
“Because I began my career at Renfroe, I’ve known two of my three students since the sixth grade,” Sturm continues. “Having a front seat to watching them grow and develop has been such a gift. I call them ‘my button babies.’ Friday breakfasts with my ‘button babies’ is a bright spot in my week.”
Among the sea of students flooding into the lunchroom daily, the cafeteria staff now recognizes their students’ faces. And the students go into their games knowing that they have at least one person who is cheering them on and checking on them during the week. As adults, what more important role do we have than to raise up our youth? DEF is proud to provide continued support to the Blue & Gold Squad.