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For a century-old institution that serves nearly 200,000 students a year, the Virginia High School League operates surprisingly under the radar.
Few of the teens who participate in VHSL programs seem to grasp, or notice, all that the League does to promote their favorite activities – whether they be field hockey or forensics, softball or Scholastic Bowl.
VHSL alumni, on the other hand, are often keenly aware of the benefits reaped from their high school experiences. And in a newly-launched video for the VHSL Foundation’s alumni campaign, athletes and coaches from Henrico schools are prominently featured among the voices and visuals promoting the VHSL and its supporting foundation.
There are numerous clips from Varina H.S. boys’ basketball games, for example, depicting team huddles and celebrations and portraying various examples of the hustle and discipline needed to function as a unit.
In one video scene, Hermitage H.S. girls’ basketball coach Allyn Lewis Pritchard is seen discussing the benefits derived by players coping with the inherent challenges of team sports – such as playing against teams with size advantages, or filling in at unfamiliar positions because teammates are unavailable.
“We are asking kids to operate outside their comfort zones every single day,” Pritchard says of her players.
“There are not many other places that you’re going to learn some of these lessons. These are life lessons!”
Another life lesson that Pritchard views as essential to her players is sportsmanship.
“I’m happy that [VHSL] values that; I’m happy that there’s a sportsmanship award for schools that take that seriously,” Pritchard says. “I encourage my kids to help a player up off the floor, to shake the official’s hand, to be the people that are extending good will.
“You should always treat people with respect. That’s what sportsmanship is.”
Growth in participation
Established in 1913 to serve as a debating league for the state’s high schools, the VHSL grew from its academic beginnings to become Virginia’s principal sanctioning organization for interscholastic athletic competition as well.
As VHSL programs grew – and since 1970 annual participation numbers have more than doubled -- the costs to maintain them increased.
The supporting foundation, designed to meet needs not fully funded by school membership fees, sponsorships and gate receipts, was added in 1997.
Thanks to the Foundation, more than $360,000 has been returned to member schools over the last five years, helping to offset such items as travel costs – a particular hardship for smaller or isolated schools and those with no revenue-producing sports.
In the campaign video, athletes and coaches alike cite the benefits of youth activities, from fostering personal growth and habits of good citizenship to developing leadership qualities and building character.
For a Western Albemarle H.S. student featured in the video, sports also provides a much-needed stress relief – both physically and socially.
“There are so many different stressors in school: classes, expectations. . . homework,” says Zoe Clay. “Having any kind of outlet is such a great way to let go of that stress.”
A basketball player from Chesterfield County touts the advantages of pulling together as part of a team.
“We’re like a family at Monacan – what makes me want to come to practice every single day,” says Austin Hammond. “Basketball helps you realize that camaraderie is very important.”
Commitment and community
Although studies bear out numerous advantages of participation in athletic and scholastic activities, the statistics are most striking when it comes to female athletes.
Some 80 percent of female executives at Fortune 500 companies participated in sports, according to the VHSL. Playing sports on a high school team increases a young woman’s chance of graduating from college by 41 percent. Girls who participate in sports are also likely to have higher incomes, according to the VHSL.
For both genders, involvement in scholastic activities of any kind serves as a powerful incentive to stay in school. Ninety-four percent of students who drop out of school did not participate in school activities, according to the VHSL.
Former NFL player and first team All-American UVA quarterback Shawn Moore noted recently that being involved in track, basketball and football at Martinsville High School provided him with the positive role models and mentors that helped shape him into the man he is today.
“Husky Hall, Taylor Edwards and Ricky Hailey were the biggest influences on my life at MHS,” said Moore, who serves as honorary chair of the VHSL Foundation alumni campaign.
“They taught me about being on time, commitment and teamwork . . . about being humble, honest and having the highest integrity. I am forever shaped by the wisdom of those lessons learned from those incredible men.”
Perhaps the most prominent VHSL alumnus featured in the video is retired Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, who played at Hillsville H.S. and speaks to the character-building and unifying aspects of sports.
“There’s great value in the lessons that you learn from being a part of a team,” Beamer says. “Coming back from adversity, overcoming setbacks, being a good teammate. . . That can help you down the road.”
Sports are also a unifier, Beamer adds, pointing out that “during the week, we’ve got students going in different directions, we’ve got different interests. But on game day, we’ve all got the same goal . . . we’re all in this thing together.”
For building community and developing a positive attitude, Maeov Saadee of Freedom H.S. agrees that it’s hard to top the experience of participating in school activities or on a team.
“Having a sense of community around a certain extracurricular activity is so crucial,” she says. “Because when you feel like you belong somewhere, you feel like you can be successful in life. You feel like you can keep going in your endeavors. . .
“You always have someone to fall back on.”
To view the VHSL Foundation video visit youtube.com/watch?v=VxxyFsDtHXs&t=53s. Donors can make a gift online at vhsl.org/foundation, or utilize a secure text-to-give program by texting the word “VHSL” to (434) 325-5334, then following the directions to make a gift. Once a particular school receives $50 in gifts, twenty percent of fundraising efforts for the designated school will go directly to that selected school. For details, contact Lori O’Toole at (434) 951-0132 or lotoole@vhsl.org.
