• Sue Sadler

      Head of School

This month at our Athletics Open House, I had the opportunity to meet some of our rising ninth graders who aspire to be Mawrtian athletes. Being a part of a sports team can be such a great component of the Bryn Mawr experience, and this got me thinking about the power of athletics for developing leadership and character in young women.

In a recent study of women C-suite leaders, researchers found that an incredibly high percentage were former athletes. In fact, 52 percent played sports in college. Only 3 percent of the women executives in the study had never been involved in organized sports. That led me to reflect on why being part of the athletic culture brings out such powerful leadership skills. I really believe that the high and low moments of sports require us to strengthen the resources we hold deep within.

While the girls may know me best as the klutz who slipped on a raisin, in my earlier years, I was a pretty committed athlete. I played tennis and skied for my high school. Athletics helped shape me as a person, and taught me so much that has been useful in every aspect of my life. Here are a few takeaways from my involvement in sports that have served me well throughout my career:

I learned to be a go-to member of my team. We need to hold ourselves accountable, because others are counting on us. We, in turn, teach them responsibility by trusting and counting on them.

We are going to make mistakes. Often. And if we don’t, we are not challenging ourselves. We can’t be afraid of mistakes, since fear of failure can paralyze us. We will never win if we don’t have the courage to try, and try and try again.

I learned the power of yet. Just because we can’t do something today doesn’t mean we will never be able to do something. We need to be optimistic about our ability to improve.

We don’t have to be the best at something to contribute. We each have a role to play on our team. Whether that’s as the superstar, the back-up player, the comic relief or the cheerleader, we all have an important contribution to make.

Life is not always fair. There are bad calls, bum luck, untimely injuries, and many other things that we cannot control. What we can control is how we respond. Never underestimate the power of being “plucky.” Resilience is key to forward progress.

There’s a time for leadership and there is a time to be a follower. Sometimes letting others get in front is best for the team. We need to know when that is!

If we really want something, we need to fight for it. “I am so sorry I gave it my all,” said nobody, ever! We don’t get to our dreams by accident. They are a product of hard work, repeated effort and many setbacks before success is achieved.

We should never forget to have fun. Celebrate the wins! Victory is even sweeter when we have to work for it. We should celebrate the losses, too, because they help us learn something.

And truly, it’s not whether we win or lose, but how we play the game. Integrity, good sportsmanship and appreciating our opponent are all tremendous life skills. Practicing these through athletics gives us a head start on becoming great people.

I’d like to thank all the teachers, staff, coaches and parents who make athletic participation possible for our students. And most of all, thanks to our athletes! You inspire us with your dedication and foster school pride in Mawrtian Nation. I have really enjoyed seeing so many of you compete throughout the season!

Cheers,
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.