Wisconsin Academy (WA) is excited to once again have an organized basketball program on campus! Knowing that value can be found in team sports, we are happy to provide this learning experience. As the teams formed, both the Knights and Lady Knights practiced hard, and with the help of our dedicated coaches and support from families we were able to attend the Newmyer Classic for the first time in ten years.
The Newmyer Classic (formerly known as the Cardinal Classic) held at Andrews University, started in the early 2000’s. However, in 2016 the tournament was renamed to the Newmyer Classic, honoring the Newmyer family and their dedication to Christian education. The Newmyers were known for supporting students who showed athletic interests by creating a Christian environment for them to grow. Newmyers also created a generous endowment for this basketball event meant to be a tribute to Clyde and Gladys Newmyer. The goal of the basketball tournament has always been to create an environment highlighting characteristics of good sportsmanship for North-America’s Seventh-day Adventist youth.
It was a humbling start for our teams considering this was the first year of WA returning to organized sports in almost a decade. But our students’ gracious attitudes and kind spirits kept them pushing towards their goal. Each team was hoping to win at least two of their five games. As the tournament progressed, they learned how to trust each other and work as a team. With guidance from their coaches and support from those cheering in the stands, they achieved their sought-after goal. But winning their games is not all they achieved.
Far better than the wins, the students understood the true purpose of the event and Who they represented. Smiling through the rough games, congratulating players from opposing teams on well-made plays, and even interacting off the court, our students were allowing God to work through them in situations where they may have been frustrated and upset. They understood what good sportsmanship looked like. And it was because of those characteristics that the WA Knights won the Sportsmanship Award! Good Christian sportsmanship is what this whole program is all about.
Yay Knights!
LeAnne Baptist, Development Coordinator for Wisconsin Academy
Some members of the WA Knights, and one of their coaches, holding the Sportsmanship Award:
