Not all learning takes place in the confines of a classroom. Melissa Lewis, the athletics director at The Globe Academy Charter School in Atlanta, says sports are a way to develop skills that aren’t always found in a textbook.
“Any sport enhances a student,” said Lewis, who is in her second year at the DeKalb school. “We want to offer an opportunity for anyone who wants to participate.”
In her short tenure, Lewis has expanded the school’s athletic offerings from seven teams to 22. The school of 1,100 in grades kindergarten through eighth now fields middle grade teams in cross country, tennis and flag football, to name a few, and Lewis wants to add ultimate Frisbee next year. The newest crew is the swim team that launched in late October.
Having a swim team not only expanded the school’s athletic offerings but also gets students involved in a physical activity they can do long after graduating.
“We saw adding swim as a way to do that,” said Lewis. “It’s not only something they can do for the rest of their lives; it also builds self-esteem during critical middle school years. And it’s very inclusive – it reaches many non-traditional athletes, letting those who might not participate in traditional sports be part of a team and experience what all the others do.”
Lewis tapped volunteer Liz Cowhey to lead the team. The former high school competitive swimmer has taught swimming for years, but Globe is her first coaching gig, a role she was excited to take on as a way to give back to the sport.
“This is a great opportunity for me and a great opportunity for the kids to meet new groups of students,” she said. “In a few weeks, the team has gotten much closer. It’s given them a new sense of community. At the same time, being part of a sport enhances the confidence of those doing it for the first time and builds leadership skills among those who have a lot of experience.”
All the 27 boys and girls who tried out for the team made the cut. Most had experience swimming on neighborhood and community teams, said Lewis, but they’re still required to practice every Wednesday night.
The new team has also been an exciting surprise, said Lewis.
“Since we began practicing Oct. 31, we’ve had two competitions and took first place in both. Little did we know they’d be so successful. That’s a testament to the type of students we have. They’re very talented in many ways.”
Having a dynamic sports program offers students more than a way to showcase their athletic prowess, said Lewis.
“I’ve been involved with high school athletics for 20 years, but when I came to Globe and saw these kids being fully immersed in learning other languages and being so self-motivated and directed, I knew they need something to do with all that energy. We have a wonderful administration that’s been 200% supportive. And Globe is special in that we have a large number of kids who want to participate.”
Information about The Globe Academy is online at theglobeacademy.org.
SEND US YOUR STORIES. Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
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