When I consider what best prepared me for my career as an educator, particularly my years as a Head of School, it is hard not to think about my own experiences as a student.

I was fortunate to have attended an independent school similar to Kent Denver while growing up in the Boston area and then a small liberal arts college. These educational experiences helped me establish a number of key skills, such as writing and critical thinking, among others, which continue to serve me well today. 

Just as important, however, were the lessons I learned outside of the classroom, in particular, through athletics. While I will never claim to have been a star athlete in high school or college, sports provided me with incredible opportunities to learn and grow as a person. As a result, I can confidently state that my athletic experiences have contributed significantly to any successes I have enjoyed personally and professionally.

For example, the importance of working with others toward a common goal is unquestioned. Effective collaboration, however, requires leadership and all of the different ways it can manifest itself. It also requires the willingness and the confidence to play a less prominent role than one might want if an objective is to be achieved. Through my participation in athletics, I encountered a range of various leadership styles and opportunities to both lead and follow. I was also part of teams that overachieved and underachieved based on how well we worked together. These experiences, in turn, have been critical to my understanding of what it means to be an effective teammate and leader.

Another significant lesson that I learned through athletics is resilience. Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from a loss or a disappointing performance. It’s the ability to allow a trusted coach to push you or, ultimately, to push yourself, to accomplish things you didn’t realize you could do. It’s also recognizing the difference between being hurt and being injured. The former means being willing to endure some discomfort to accomplish your goals, while the latter means it is time to take a break and heal. Ultimately, success in any endeavor requires resilience, and sports furnished ample opportunities for me to develop this capacity in ways that I rely upon regularly.

In this issue of our alumni magazine, we asked several Sun Devil alumni to share how athletics have shaped their lives at Kent Denver and beyond. I hope you enjoy their stories, reflections and, indeed, Perspective on this topic. 

It is also important to recognize that while athletics can provide a critical pathway for growth, it is by no means the only extracurricular activity that develops key skills. One of my privileges as Head of School is to observe our students engaged in various meaningful endeavors that are catalysts for their growth. Beyond what I see on the courts and playing fields, I am continually impressed with the depth of commitment that our students make to collaborative endeavors such as theatrical productions, robotics, student publications and mock trial, to name just a few. 

What’s most important, however, is our commitment as a school to providing the types of experiences where our students can learn what it means to be accountable to others and to navigate adversity in ways that will make them stronger, more confident people going forward. Doing so is at the heart of a truly transformative education.

David J. Braemer
Head of School