SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM REGION CHAMPS FOR 3RD YEAR IN A ROW!

Why is the Speech and Debate program so successful at Intermountain Christian School? As I asked this question to our Speech and Debate coach, Mrs. Croswhite, you would have thought the reasons would be too numerous to list, however, she redirected the conversation back to the students. She gave example after example of current students in her program and the successes of those who have graduated. I sat there waiting for her to list off what she, our top-ranked Speech and Debate coach, does to make our program the best, and the longer I sat there waiting, the clearer it became. The success of the Speech and Debate program is not necessarily about the high intelligence of the students (although that doesn’t hurt), but it is the way each student is valued as an individual. The Speech and Debate program began as a student-driven elective in 2002 and that is how it continues - as a culture of discipleship.

This culture of discipleship in the Speech and Debate program is where encouragement between students and hard work ethic equals success. 2015 Utah Speech Educator of the Year, our own Mrs. Croswhite teaches with the philosophy that recognizes how God has created each student individually and embraces the God-given talents they develop in her classroom. “The traditional philosophy says that certain events are better than others and the student needs to conform to those events. I disagree with that philosophy. I look at each student and their gifts and then cater the events to them, individually.” This is what makes Intermountain Christian School’s Speech and Debate program stand out and wildly successful. Mrs. Croswhite pushes each student to be their best and does not allow them to get away with anything less. “I set highs standards and then bend over backward to get them there.” Mrs. Croswhite has 20+ years of teaching experience and as she equips our ICS students, she inspires each one of them to thrive beyond the four walls of ICS.

Here are just a few of the program’s many success stories:

Amanda Soraiz (Class of 2008) - lawyer, actively litigates human trafficking cases

Patrick Schwarz (Class of 2011) - working on Ph.D. in Economics at MIT

Eric Henry (Class of 2017) - Special Forces, writes and analyzes military intelligence briefings

The one-on-one investment our faculty makes is part of the immense benefit our students are receiving. And, as our Speech and Debate coach says, “Our students can do more and be ore at ICS!” Congratulations to our 2018/2019 Region Champions and 2nd Place Speech and Debate State Champions! We are proud and honored to have you represent ourselves and ICS with such excellence!

By Rachel Larson | Admissions and Marketing Director

TOP 5 REASONS WHY BEING A MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE IS IMPORTANT

“Are my kids doing enough? Are my kids doing too much? What about college… Doesn’t my kid need to focus on the sport they excel at the most in order to get a scholarship?” There has been much said on both sides of the issue of the multi-sport athlete. There are coaches who would encourage an athlete to only participate in a single sport (usually the one they coach) year-round. There are parents who feel like the kid needs a break and should only participate in one sport. There’s the kid who wants to do it all. What is the “right way?” I have a few things I’d like to bring out in the open and at the end you can determine where you stand for yourself. 

It is a fascinating thing that this topic was never really discussed when I was growing up. There seems to be a shift that has happened between my generation and the new millennials as it pertains to “play.” What I mean is that we played differently than kids do today. When I was growing up we played outside. We played basketball, football, baseball, soccer, street hockey, and four square. We climbed trees. We had relay races. We “hopped fences” with loose dogs to retrieve balls that had gone over. We ran from stray pit bulls in route to the neighborhood park.

There was an understood reality that you played whatever everyone else was playing and you actually tried to be good enough to win. We didn’t need it to be an official game on a team because we were getting out of it what has proven to be beneficial for us that day. This form of play developed in us a competitive attitude that carried over into whatever field we ended up exploring. The benefits that we actually experienced parallel to what studies have shown. The bottom line is, the multi-sport athlete (MSA) is the way to go. 

Here are the TOP 5 REASONS WHY BEING A MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE IS IMPORTANT:

1. Injuries

One of the reasons why I endorse this philosophy is that MSA’s tend to get injured less often. Playing a single sport year-round forces athletes to use the same muscle groups and movements repeatedly. Studies have shown that strengthening different muscle groups through multiple sports is healthier. There was a study conducted that looked at NBA first round draft picks. It examined how many of them played a single sport in high school versus those who played multiple sports. The result was that players who played multiple sports were less likely to be injured than the single sport athlete. 

2. Competitors

I’ve also learned that college coaches are actually more interested in players who play multiple sports because they have more of a tendency to always compete. Coaches like Jim Harbaugh (University of Michigan) and Urban Meyer (former Ohio State coach) are two among many coaches who only recruit MSA. Harbaugh actually has his recruits play dodgeball, field baseballs, and play soccer at his camps. He says that “youngsters aren’t playing multiple sports as they once did, so you like to test them that way.”

3. Versatility

Multi-sport athletes are often more versatile and more capable of picking up new skills than those who play one sport. They usually can adjust to different positions faster and more effectively. Many recruits are asked to change their position when they arrive to college particularly for football. This has proven to be beneficial for players in that they usually achieve very high accolades personally and their versatility follows them to the pros where they’ll be asked to change positions again. 

4. Growth

Another benefit of the MSA is that they have more potential for improvement. When athletes play one sport, they run the risk of reaching their “ceiling” much faster than the MSA. The reason is because when you’re an MSA, you are forced to stop playing a sport when the season is over. This means you wouldn’t train for an entire year; leaving you with more room to grow and improve. One of my favorite things to tell athletes is this: “NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE ABILITY TO GET BETTER!” You can always improve and playing multiple sports will ensure that you have to work at it. 

5. Coachability

Another factor to consider is that MSA’s have the potential to be more coachable than their single sport counterparts. This reality is an extreme benefit and probably got my attention more than any other. Every sport is different and typically requires a certain style of coach for each one. For example, my coaching style probably won’t work for golf. I remember playing for Coach Rick Majerus and how difficult it was on so many levels. I remember wanting to quit and thinking, “this is not worth it.” Fast-forward to today and I realize that since playing for Rick, I have been able to play for any coach and work for any boss! He prepared me to deal with any type of personality and style. 

This blog clearly lands on one side of the argument and I’m not naïve enough to say that this line of thinking doesn’t come with some valid push back, but I ascribe to the philosophy of the MSA and have adopted it as part of our athletics philosophy and value system at Intermountain Christian School. Here is how it reads:

“We value our multi-sport athletic approach. We believe there is great value in our athletes participating in multiple sports and are committed to encourage and integrate this philosophy into our school’s culture.  With this approach, our athletes are able to gain different kinds of skills they can apply from one sport to the next. This approach has also proven to enhance hand-eye coordination, balance, endurance, explosion, communication, and athletic agility. The athlete is also able to avoid injuries from overuse.”

Written by: Tim Drisdom, Athletic Director at Intermountain Christian School

Sources: 

USA Today

High School Sports

Jamie Duffek, NCSA

"5 Reasons"

Michelle Smith EspnW.com

The Michigan Daily

2016

"5 Reasons College Coaches Love to Recruit Multi-Sport Athletes"

WHAT DOES WOMEN'S SOCCER HAVE TO DO WITH BUILDING GOOD CHARACTER?

ICS Women’s Soccer Team doing Team Devotions before the State Final game

When you stare at the cost of Private Christian Education and then shift your gaze upon the value instead, you lose sight of the “it’s too expensive” conversation and what gets put into focus instead is, “we can’t afford not to invest in this.” Sometimes it is easy to be distracted by the ease of public or charter school education and often times the value of Private Christian Education is lost in translation, not clear and not expressed or shared about. I am a new mom to ICS and eventually became employed by the school as well and if I’m honest, I knew I wanted a Private Christian school for my children, but I wasn’t clear about how far I was willing to go financially or otherwise to keep them there.

Until now.

I was privileged to witness the training session of our 2nd in State Women’s Soccer team a week ago, and I initially went to just get the lo down on the success of the program and didn’t expect to be convinced further into the mindset of, “we can’t afford not to invest in this.” Now, you must know, initially this blog post was going to report what made the ICS Women’s Soccer Team so successful: what drills they ran, how many sprints they ran, what their line-up offered, and a synopsis of the coaching philosophy. But as I stood there watching the training, listening in on the conversations being had, and even jumping in on a few of the drills, the story of success had little to do with the talent on the pitch (although there was plenty of that)! The story of success had to do almost entirely with the team’s “why.”

The program has three coaches: Trent Hawes, Matt Brown, and Robert Buckley and as I interviewed two of the three coaches, Matt Brown and Robert Buckley, I learned (as I furiously jotted notes down) about the vision they have for the team and I was left thinking, “man alive, I wish my former soccer coaches had vision like these guys!” But the fact is, they didn’t. Well, they did, but the vision had little to do with me as a whole and only to do with my position as the center midfielder on the field. I played soccer year round from age 5 through College in Oregon, and I can tell you for certain that my days playing were full of wins and losses, injuries and surgeries, but I never had coaches like Trent Hawes, Matt Brown, or Robert Buckley, speak truth and life and character-building ideals like these:

Why: We exist to build women of good character. The definition of good is Jesus.

What: We win soccer games.  We train to win.  We expect to win games. 

The “Why” always precedes the “What.” That is it. That is the secret to the Intermountain Christian School Women’s Soccer Program. The coaching staff cares about the what, but “without the why, what is the point?” This is what the coaching staff and players alike hold tight to:

Below are the TOP 4 life and character-building ideals I believe set the program apart from most (if not all) others:

1. Commitment

• Be on time: If you don’t train, you don’t game. It’s a matter of honor and respect to care enough about the other (fellow players and coaches) to value their time.

  • The team once started 9 players for a game to hold true to the standard as 9 players were the only players who were on time.

2. Personal responsibility.

• Independence: training and games (equipment, drills, set up, clean up)

• Leadership: captains lead (with referees and teammates)

  • Respect: no yelling at refs or other fans

• High expectations: on the field, in the classroom, and with relationships

  • “Are you keeping the bar high?”

  • 2019 is 9th year in a row that either the valedictorian or salutatorian are also soccer players.

3. Feedback is a gift.

• Proverbs 27:6

  • Speaking up and having hard conversations

• Creates trust

  • Speaking what is true in a trusted environment

• Raises the bar of excellence

  • Performance is expected to be high in training

4. Investing in relationships.

•  Coaches: straight shooters

• Friendships: clarity in relationships, non-toxic

 As we stood there after all the women had left training, the two coaches went on to say, “Every one stops playing ball. And what is left? Honor and character. And that is why we build women of good character. People cannot win in life without good character and soccer is a vehicle to achieve the vision articulated in our “why.” What they do is win soccer games, but the why is where the bigger vision for life lies.

I wasn’t clear about how far I was willing to go financially or otherwise to keep my children at Intermountain Christian School, but now I am. The value far out-weighs the cost, and I am committed and honored to have the choice to partner with the Intermountain Christian School community in whom places the highest value on my children and building their character!

Congratulations to our second in state Intermountain Christian School Women’s Soccer team!!

Written by Rachel Larson, ICS Mom

Athletics is not just sport, it’s an experience...

Why should we consider athletics an experience, not just sport?   

"Athletics are really the foundation of how kids' attitudes are formed and shaped. And that has to work with the coach and the parents." -Herm Edwards (works with the Positive Coaching Alliance- PCA)

I’ve played competitive sports for 40 years - in high school, college, and men's leagues. Participating in sports is one of the greatest joys of my life. I’ve also coached competitive youth sports for seven years; mostly soccer but also basketball and flag football. When we play sports, we are satisfying a deep human need, which is part competition, part ego, part physical exertion, and part relationship.

As a player, a coach, and possibly more importantly, as a parent, I have come to highly value both wins and losses in athletics. It is essential that we teach our kids to compete at a high level and to win when possible, but teaching our kids how to lose is equally important. The best way to teach our kids how to lose, is to be a good example and model for them as parents and adults.

In athletics, winning and losing are both essential in developing the character of our boys and girls. When I coach, I teach all the kids that we are practicing and playing to win because winning is more fun and something we should strive to achieve, however, it is possible to win and not be satisfied and lose and be satisfied.  

It’s NOT possible to lose and be satisfied!

Au contraire mon Ami. I have participated in many losses as a player as well as a coach and parent where I felt satisfied with my team's effort. It is when we don't give up, show respect, and continue to be a good sport throughout the game, and it is when we’re up against a good or superior team, that I have, yes, felt bummed, but still felt satisfied.  A loss in athletics is an opportunity to use a methodology called ELM (effort, learning, and mistakes) found in my favorite resource on positive and successful coaching: Positive Coaching Alliance. Coaches use this framework during practice and games, and parents can use it during games and most importantly, on the ride home.

Parents, coaches and players should ask these 3 questions after each game

1. How was our effort?  

2. Did we learn anything?

3. Did we successfully move on from our own and our teammate's mistakes?

On the flip side, it is possible to win and be dissatisfied. Using ELM as a guide, if the effort was low and/or teammates were critical of each other or the opposite team during a game, one can certainly leave the game dissatisfied after a win. Winning is obviously easier, but teaching kids how to win and how to learn from winning is a real opportunity that is sometimes lost.

Winning and losing are both an important part of the sports experience. Some like to say that there are only “winners and learners.” Losing stinks, but as adults, we should know that it is ok sometimes, even when the loss is not deserved, or the team didn’t put in the effort, or the ever painful event where the referees were either subpar or showed signs of bias. During my years of playing sports whether at a high competitive level or just for fun, both the losing and winning provided me with a wealth of experience that have deeply influenced my life and the successes I have achieved.

We have lost and will loose again

Please join me in looking at athletics as an experience that is able to teach our kids in both winning and losing, and allow our kids the opportunity to lose with grace and respect. My hope is that during the next game, when your team is losing or your kid isn’t playing up to their potential, just celebrate for a moment the lesson being learned and the elevated character being developed. Just for a moment.

“As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart.” Proverbs 27:19

Drew Little is a tech-founder, entrepreneur, coach, Dad at ICS, blogger and executive life coach.  

Hopes for a 1A state title for Intermountain Christian hinge upon two sharpshooting juniors, and the role players who benefit

By Alex Vejar of the Salt Lake Tribune

 · Published: January 5 
Updated: January 06, 2019

Cottonwood Heights • Earlier in the season, Brayden Stoddard had the night of his life.

It was early December during a slate of preseason basketball at Intermountain Christian High School, and the Lions were playing Draper APA. Stoddard, a junior guard with a streaky shooting stroke, found himself in an unusual situation after making his first three attempts from the 3-point line.

For a player who admits he usually gets off to slow starts, Stoddard, even in the moment, was a bit surprised.

“This never happens,” Stoddard thought.

His evening continued much like it started, and Stoddard ended up scoring 41 points and making 12 3-pointers in 28 attempts, a 43 percent clip that would make even some NBA players jealous. His 12 triples tied a state record, and his 28 tries broke another one. That same day, Stoddard also lit up the junior varsity game, scoring 53 points.

Stoddard is part of an offensive one-two punch at the 1A Intermountain Christian, which has a 7-3 overall record going into Tuesday’s matchup against Wendover, the top 1A school in the state. Stoddard and fellow junior Caleb Koski — a first-year transfer from Roy High School — each average 4.7 made 3-pointers per game, which is tied for first in the state and 12th in the country.

Stoddard — sitting in the team’s weight room while decked out in an all-black ensemble of a tank, shorts, tights, Nikes and a hairband — said he and Koski frequently check the statistics to see which player is ranked where. But the relationship between them has been more symbiotic than competitive.

“We want to make our team win no matter what,” Stoddard said. “And if that means that I have give him the ball every single time and he has 50 points, or if I have 41 points, then as long as we win it doesn’t matter.”

Case in point: Stoddard’s December wonder emporium of 3s. The Draper APA defense schemed to double-team Koski the entire game, leaving Stoddard wide open. And he kept making them pay.

Stoddard would have broken the state record that night had it not been for a pair of traveling violations called against the Lions that came directly before a made 3.

“He was mad about that,” said Koski, who is the team’s leading scorer averaging nearly 31 points per game.

Intermountain Christian’s offense is designed to get Stoddard and Koski the ball as often as possible, head coach Tim Drisdom said. Essentially, they have the green light. There is no shot they are not allowed to take when they want to take it.

But that kind of freedom comes with caveats.

“I rely on those guys a lot,” Drisdom said. “With that freedom comes a lot of responsibility.”

Read Full Article Here