Responsibility, Loyalty, Consideration. The middle portion of our motto – loyalty – has traditionally referred to the sense of allegiance that all US students should feel towards every facet of their school life. Whether this sense of allegiance manifest itself on the turf, court, or field in the classroom, or on anywhere else in their life, it has remained an integral part of University School culture since the school’s initial founding in 1890.
However, in recent years, this foundation of our treasured University School motto has unraveled in of one of our most successful teams: the varsity soccer team. While in past times, all of our school’s top soccer players felt great pride in wearing the maroon and black, a select few have begun to ditch our colors for a dark blue and white jersey, replacing the US logo with one that reads “DA” for “Development Academy”. This dramatic shift represents the rift between a student’s personal interests and his loyalty towards the school.
This past week, I had the opportunity to sit down with George Nageeb ‘18, the former building block of our soccer team turned academy player, and speak with him about the details motivating his decision to switch over to The Academy. He told me, “I’m deciding whether or not I want to play college soccer and that offers more options. Let me think. Whether I decide or not, I think the academy was a good decision because it mirrors the level and commitment of college soccer. If that experience leads me to not want to continue my soccer career, then I think that it is just as worthwhile.”
Introduced as “the future of the varsity soccer team” in his freshman and sophomore years, George made it explicit that he was incentivized to continue his soccer career at The Academy due to his curiosity in pursuing collegiate level soccer. Harboring no ill will against the school’s soccer team, George says that he wishes them the best of luck in completing their season and is proud to see them doing so well.
Unfortunately for school soccer teams around the nation, many top-tier high school players are leaving their school teams in favor of The Academy, as it better serves their professional interests. Quite simply, Division I collegiate soccer isn’t really a viable option for even the most talented varsity high school soccer athletes as the majority of college scouts would rather come out to observe games solely involving The Academy.
While this problem isn’t unique to US, nor does the team’s record seem to be suffering as a result, it is quite clear from the demeanor and the salinity levels of the current members of the team that a decent amount of talent has been lost to The Academy.
In a classic example of a conflict between personal values and personal interests, The Academy serves as a feasible alternative to the rigor of University School soccer. However, even if more students decide to move on in the future, not all is lost. The current soccer team has a fantastic record, beating perennial powerhouses, and looks to make noise in the playoffs this year. But, the soccer team’s success in spite of academy recruits serves only to prove the point even more clearly: this is not about success, it is about loyalty and commitment to community. I gripe with soccer players like George not because I fear our school team’s record will plummet without him, but rather because the act of choosing another team above your school’s is a mistake in it of itself. No student is above the community. No player should put himself above the community that raised him.
Now, as faithful fans and devoted members of the school community, it is time for us to do what several of our very own soccer athletes have failed to do – prioritize loyalty and dutifully support our school’s promising soccer team.