The Primary Goal: Character

The Rockbridge Athletic Program seeks to build, above all else, men and women of Christian character.  Sportsmanship, leadership, toughness, competitiveness, humility, etc., are all popular words used to define the success of an athletic program, and these do apply to Rockbridge athletes. Training up discerning followers of Christ is the mission of Rockbridge Academy, and athletics is a wonderful training ground for building the character required for this mission.

The largest dichotomy that seems to exist is the notion of winning and competing at a high level as a separate goal from the pursuit of character. We believe that seeking to serve Christ means doing the best work possible and maximizing stewardship of His gifts. This goal will likely result in championship level competition in our participating sports.  In other words, taking results seriously does not mean we don’t take character building seriously.

Athletics and Physical Education are not extra-curricular activities.  They are co-curricular.  These disciplines are consistent with the curriculum and the classical model of education.  It is slightly more challenging to define the lines between the stages of the Trivium in athletics…but grammar, logic, and rhetoric are the learning stages of athletics just as with any other discipline.

Balance is important when it comes to seeking God’s specific calling for students.  This does not mean doing things half way.  It simply means discerning what endeavors should be pursued, and then pursuing them 100%.  As a result, participating in all sports (or even a handful) is not necessarily best at the high school level at Rockbridge Academy.  Choosing how to invest time wisely and committing to family, school, and team is what we ask our students to do.

For Rockbridge Athletic Forms (PDF), click here.
For Directions to Rockbridge Sports Events, click here.