Better Together Stories: The Bonds That Strengthen Us On and Off the Field
- Katrina Garnes, Director of Marketing and Communications
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Not long ago, St. Benedict’s athletics looked very different than it does today. There were fewer teams and fewer opportunities, and the program was still finding its footing. What has fueled its growth over the years has not been facilities or schedules, but a community who kept showing up and building something better together.
It’s these types of community-rooted investments that have shaped an athletics program rooted in relationships. As teams expanded and opportunities grew, so did the sense of belonging for students. Coaches returned season after season. Parents volunteered their time. Alumni stayed connected. Over time, those relationships strengthened both the program and the student experience.
Boys Basketball Coach Nei-Kuan Chia has watched that evolution firsthand. He began coaching when his son, Tim C., was in sixth grade, encouraged by his son and by other parents in the community. Chia wanted to give back and help students develop character during an important stage of life. What he found was a program where relationships extended far beyond practices and games.
“It’s more than just a community,” Chia said. “It’s really like an extended family, with all the families helping and supporting each other in all aspects of school and life.”
That sense of support plays a powerful role in student growth. Chia shared the story of a student who had never played basketball before and wanted to quit after the first practice. With encouragement to keep trying and trust the process, the student stayed. By the end of the season, he had grown in confidence, improved his skills, and emerged as a leader. Chia has seen similar growth in his own son, who once felt shy and is now a team captain.
Across the program, those kinds of transformations are common. Co-Atheletics Director and Students Operations Coordinator Mollie Shepherd has watched students join teams for the first time and grow into confident leaders because they feel supported by coaches, teammates, and families. For her, the strength of St. Benedict’s athletics comes from shared commitment. Families show up consistently. They volunteer. They celebrate students’ efforts together
“You can feel it in the energy,” Shepherd said, especially during pep rallies, when athletes are announced and the community responds with pride. Those moments reflect more than school spirit. They reflect connection.
That connection has deepened as the program has grown. Scott Stewart, a former coach and current board member, has seen athletics from nearly every angle. As a parent, coach, alumni parent, and board member, he has watched sports bring people together and strengthen relationships across the school community. Friendships form among students, and families become connected through shared experiences. One season, when the team’s final home game was held at Life University, Stewart recalled the stands filled with support. Parents without athletes on the team came to cheer. School leaders joined in. The atmosphere felt different. He believes that night marked the beginning of a true student section and a shift in how athletics connected the broader community.Those moments helped lay the groundwork for what students experience today.
Co-Athletics Director and Physical Education Teacher Tameko Goodwin who began her journey with St. Benedict’s athletics in 2017 with the jump rope team, credits that growth to long-term involvement and continuity. Returning coaches, alumni, and parent volunteers help create an environment that feels welcoming and consistent year after year. That stability allows students to step into athletics knowing they are supported and encouraged to grow.
Over time, those relationships transform teams into something lasting. Younger athletes look up to older students. Former players return to mentor and cheer. Coaches model integrity, teamwork, and care. Students learn lessons that extend far beyond the field.
At St. Benedict’s, the growth of athletics tells a larger story. It is a story of relationships built over time, of confidence shaped through support, and of a community that continues to show up. On and off the field, those bonds strengthen the program and the students within it, reminding them that they are always better together.
Comments