St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

Page 108 text:

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Page 107 text:

JLI IOR VARSITY ACTIVITIES For some years now, St. Sebastian's has fostered Junior Varsity teams in all the major sport fields. This interest on the part of the School is attributable to two reasons: first, Country Day School Education aims at the inclusion of every student in the School's athletic program, second, any future athletic success for St. Sebastian's is contingent upon the development of young athletes who will one day carry our Red and Black colors into Varsity competition. For these reasons every student is encouraged, from the day of his arrival, to capitalize on whateverathletic talents he may possess, by using them under the proper supervision and instruction. For the most part, the coaching of ourJ. V. teams is entrusted to various members of the Faculty who have excelled at a particular sport in school-boy days and have continued their interest in it long after their days of active competition. Each Fall the small and medium sized lads are placed under Fr. Keating's tutelage to as- similate the fundamentals of the gridiron game, and to be put through a course of conditioning exercises that brings them to a peak of physical perfection. At the appro- priate time, equitable competition is engaged in to give the lads the competitive spirit and to afford them an opportunity of putting into practice the principles they have learned. At the end of the season, their squad is divided into rival Reds and Blues, and they bring to the Junior classic all the spirit that highlights the Varsity color game. When the moleskins have been packed away, J. V. teams are organized in our two chief Winter pastimes, Hockey and Basket- ball. In the ice sport, the younger boys, after an original screening by Coach Murphy, are entrusted to Fr. Hannigan's guidance and are taught to convert mere skating ability into co-ordinated team play. Although the opportunities for extra-mural competition are rather limited, the Junior puck-chasers are always sure to cross blades with intermediate sextets that test their mettle. Basketball, perhaps, offers the J. V. athlete his greatest share of competitive sport, for our yearlings play practically on every occasion that the Varsity hoopsters have competition. During the course of the season, the Juniors have the advantage of working out daily on the same floor with the School quintet and of watching the older players in action, thus gaining at first hand an excellent grasp of the fine points of the game. The capable direction of Fr. Joyce, during the season just closed, brought out the talents of several candidates to such a degree that they will be definitely Varsity material next year. In the diamond sport also, budding athletes receive deserved attention from Fr. Flanigan and Fr. Clifford, in the course of which many of their rough spots are smoothed off and a healthy confidence in themselves is generated. A schedule is arranged with a view to having theJ. V. 's perform at home when the Varsity plays away and in the coming season they are looking forward to entertaining the Andover team as the high spot of their campaign. St. Sebastian's, therefore, does everything in its power to attract every student to parti- cipation in organized sports. In so doing, it affords every boy an opportunity of playing the games of his choice within the appro- priate sphere of competition. Such training and experience obviously is an asset to his physical development, while at the same time it sends him back to class Work refreshed and ready to pursue the real objective of his course at St. Sebastian's.

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COMPANIONS-IN-ARM HE ATHLETE, While training, finds himself in the Tcompany of other youthful aspirants who have the same goal as that toward which he himself is striving. Unconsciously, the Athlete's character is influenced to a marked degree by the type of associates with whom he must spend his training days. At St. Sebastian's We have been particularly fortunate in having for our con- temporaries almost two hundred boys whose character left nothing to be desired. Each has contributed some- thing to the intangible reality referred to as The Spirit of St. Sebastian's , and, having imbibed that spirit which they helped to create, we shall always be indebted to them. S