The Impact of Sports and Community

May marks the beginning of National Physical Fitness and Sports month and the end of the athletic school year for John Rolfe Middle School. 

The school’s athletic programs and students were highlighted earlier in the year at John Rolfe’s Fall/Winter Sports Banquet on February 25. 

Start 1 Spark hosted the banquet for students and their families, featuring a banquet and food alongside an award show with trophies to honor standout student-athletes.

Scott Rizzi, the Social Studies Department Chair and teacher at John Rolfe, serves as the head coach for the boys’ soccer team and an assistant coach for the track and field team, despite admitting he wasn’t particularly skilled at sports growing up but was “an active child,” playing soccer, gymnastics, basketball, and baseball.

“Sports give them a motivation, importance, a drive to try and…gives them an incentive to make sure their grades are on point,” Rizzi said. “You have to have certain grades to play sports.” 

Rizzi, who coached soccer previously at Fairfield Middle School, shared that sports also prepares students for the “adult world” with time management and leadership skills. 

“In general, it [sports] gives kids an opportunity to socially interact and also maintain their physical condition,” Rizzi said. “It hit a lot of targets for helping a student develop as a person.” 

Rizzi credited Start 1 Spark for being able to eliminate stress for parents and provide students with snack bags during their games that contained snacks and a motivational message from the team. 

“Amber and the organization are able to donate different equipment to the athletes because not every kid may be able to afford this,” Rizzi also shared. “I’m glad John Rolfe is a part of it [Start 1 Spark].”

This sentiment was echoed by Shawn Horst, an associate principal at John Rolfe, who played sports his whole life which allowed him to pursue higher education. 

“Sports are the only reason I am here,” Horst confessed. “I wrestled in elementary school, middle school and then high school, it got me into college.” 

Horst attributes the collaboration between Start 1 Spark and John Rolfe for providing resources and the ability for students to be their best. 

“Supporting a community to be able to acknowledge student accomplishments and give a little bit back is just powerful,” Horst said. 

Horst coached sports at Hanover High School for ten years before joining John Rolfe two years ago, emphasizing the importance of extracurriculars in shaping student’s motivation, leadership skills and dedication. 

“It [extracurriculars] provides an outlet and a release for students to get involved in something that they love,” Horst said. “You learn a lot from failure…our students have had a lot of opportunities to bounce back, learn resilience and these soft life skills that really carry on.” 

Charlese Veney and Nataleigh James are both on the girl’s basketball team at John Rolfe who finished their season in the fall. 

“I made good friends on the team,” Veney said while James nodded in agreement. 

James shared that she has plans to make varsity for her next season and solidify her position as a power forward. 

Aaliyah Eerricotc, a seventh grade student at John Rolfe, has been involved with the cheer team for all her middle school years. 

“My favorite time of the year is football season,” Eerricotc said while sharing a laugh with her friends. “It’s more energetic.” 

This sentiment was shared by a fellow seventh grade student, Naomi Williams, who also is involved with the cheer team.

“The whole school is out,” she said. “We have to be our best.” 

John Rolfe’s athletic program will resume at the beginning of the next school year.