What It Means To Be A Viking

[UNCTarheels]

What It Means To Be A Viking
By William Goodrich

I Want To Tell you of a tradition like no other. Do you Know what it truly means to be a Viking? Is it the rich tradition of our program that attracts the kids to come play? No. What brings our kids together is the desire to be part of something greater than themselves individually. They want to enter a program as boys and leave as men, as do all people who pass through the program. However this is nothing like what our program is about though. Our program's very core is the kids and their level of commitment. In Prattsburgh and only in Prattsburgh, do you see a kid get cut from the team but beg to become a manager afterward. Only in Prattsburgh, would you see people understand roles; they don't complain or grumble, they understand, accept and learn that sometimes things are much greater than you as an individual. Only in Prattsburgh can you see the Green Blazers enter the door, where everyone is dressed in unision with haircuts and clean shaving. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get to hear Mrs. Gifford sing God Bless America prior to each basketball game and the famous announcing of Lucas Day. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get a team room with a locker, each decorated with your own name plate and picture. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get to feel a sense of pride each time you put on just a simple practice jersey. Only in Prattsburgh, does the team become more than a team, but a brotherhood. So the next time someone tells you because you play basketball for Prattsburgh that it means nothing, you know they are wrong.

WE ARE MORE THAN A TEAM, A TRADITION, A PROGRAM, OR AN INDIVIDUAL, WE ARE VIKINGS.

NOTE: Will is a Senior at Prattsburgh and wrote this for a class earlier this year, I received his permission to post this.

[BravesRTops]

What It Means To Be A Viking
By William Goodrich

I Want To Tell you of a tradition like no other. Do you Know what it truly means to be a Viking? Is it the rich tradition of our program that attracts the kids to come play? No. What brings our kids together is the desire to be part of something greater than themselves individually. They want to enter a program as boys and leave as men, as do all people who pass through the program. However this is nothing like what our program is about though. Our program's very core is the kids and their level of commitment. In Prattsburgh and only in Prattsburgh, do you see a kid get cut from the team but beg to become a manager afterward. Only in Prattsburgh, would you see people understand roles; they don't complain or grumble, they understand, accept and learn that sometimes things are much greater than you as an individual. Only in Prattsburgh can you see the Green Blazers enter the door, where everyone is dressed in unision with haircuts and clean shaving. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get to hear Mrs. Gifford sing God Bless America prior to each basketball game adn the famous announcing of Lucas Day. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get a team room with a locker, each decorated with your own name plate and picture. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get to feel a sense of pride each time you put on just a simple practice jersey. Only in Prattsburgh, does the team become more than a team, but a brotherhood. So the next time someone tells you because you play basketball for Prattsburgh that it means nothing, you know they are wrong.

WE ARE MORE THAN A TEAM, A TRADITION, A PROGRAM, OR AN INDIVIDUAL, WE ARE VIKINGS.

NOTE: Will is a Senior at Prattsburgh and wrote this for a class earlier this year, I received his permission to post this.
sounds eerily similar to the heartbeats the seniors at my school wrote. Probably the sentiment about most players and their teams

[CAL12]

Very well written! This is what most programs strive for, but have not accomplished. Many reasons for this, could be the revolving door for area coaches, the lack of support from the community and administration, and the strain of convincing a district that it can excel at all sports, rather than be close minded and bias to one sport. Lack of commitment and confidence in the athletes. Poor selection of coaches, due to union obligations within schools. I am sure there are more reasons, just can't think of them now

[DSport]

That is a good article written by a great kid. I hope Will finds success doing what he enjoys.

[BravesRTops]

Thats very true, don't get me wrong it was an excellent paper. Too bad more schools can't have this type of spirit for their athletic teams

[bcherry8]

What It Means To Be A Viking
By William Goodrich

I Want To Tell you of a tradition like no other. Do you Know what it truly means to be a Viking? Is it the rich tradition of our program that attracts the kids to come play? No. What brings our kids together is the desire to be part of something greater than themselves individually. They want to enter a program as boys and leave as men, as do all people who pass through the program. However this is nothing like what our program is about though. Our program's very core is the kids and their level of commitment. In Prattsburgh and only in Prattsburgh, do you see a kid get cut from the team but beg to become a manager afterward. Only in Prattsburgh, would you see people understand roles; they don't complain or grumble, they understand, accept and learn that sometimes things are much greater than you as an individual. Only in Prattsburgh can you see the Green Blazers enter the door, where everyone is dressed in unision with haircuts and clean shaving. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get to hear Mrs. Gifford sing God Bless America prior to each basketball game and the famous announcing of Lucas Day. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get a team room with a locker, each decorated with your own name plate and picture. Only in Prattsburgh, do you get to feel a sense of pride each time you put on just a simple practice jersey. Only in Prattsburgh, does the team become more than a team, but a brotherhood. So the next time someone tells you because you play basketball for Prattsburgh that it means nothing, you know they are wrong.

WE ARE MORE THAN A TEAM, A TRADITION, A PROGRAM, OR AN INDIVIDUAL, WE ARE VIKINGS.

NOTE: Will is a Senior at Prattsburgh and wrote this for a class earlier this year, I received his permission to post this.
Very well-written paper