1. 62 H A Y I D I O N | Winter 2015
Field
of Dreams
Ezra
Levy
Ilana
Lipson-Cohen
62 H A Y I D I O N | Winter 2015
SPORTS

2. 63SPORTS
At our school, Scheck Hillel Community School in North Miami Beach, we had no
home-field advantage. We bussed students to local fields and public parks for 6 AM
practices, let alone for evening games. We had no place to house our entire student
body for chaggim celebrations or other special events. We had eager athletes with
spirit, but few coaches to teach them that sportsmanship is about values even more
than skill and technique. And we had vision, of a space where school spirit and Jewish
community would be on joyous display with the sounds and movements of our
students. Having vision is one thing; bringing vision to life and making it reality is a
whole other ball game. The vision was to enrich the Jewish educational experience
through arts, athletics and community, extending from our school’s mission to develop
global citizens with enduring Jewish identity.
What was once a dream is now strength-
ening our greater Jewish community far
beyond what we had initially envisioned.
After years of educational and board
planning, the first phase of a capital
campaign and construction project,
along with dedication and bitachon, our
dream came to fruition when we opened
our state-of-the-art athletic complex in
2014. Here, we can host more than 3,000
for events like community celebrations,
educational assemblies, science fairs,
district/regional tournaments, games and
physical education.
Some of our most beautiful moments are
when the sun is setting and school spirit
is warming up: generations come together
after school with a fourth grade flag foot-
ball game played alongside varsity soccer
and football training, while fitness center
workouts and basketball tryouts occur.
On the field and court are athletes of all
ages; on the sidelines are students, parents,
faculty, alumni and extended community
sharing cheer, conversation and a nosh
from concession. And the lessons learned
along our journey of building facilities and
programs, specifically within athletics, are
guiding our next steps.
Lesson learned:
There’s no “I” in “team”
Shared commitment is required to de-
velop an athletics program. Shared means
the school’s board of governors, students,
parents and faculty. When the notion
of creating a varsity football team was
conceived in 2007, the added value and,
of course, potential risks were evaluated
by educators, then presented to board
members and, ultimately, introduced to
students and parents. This was not going
to happen without shared commitment.
Today’s thriving program of nearly 300
athletes and 19 teams would not exist—
and would not continue to succeed—
without full support and collaboration of
board, faculty, staff, student-parent body
and generous supporters.
Extending from this early collaboration,
the concept of team is seen through a
schoolwide sense of inclusion. Scheck
Hillel’s athletics program begins in Grade
4 with co-ed flag football, where every stu-
dent who tries out plays as a team member.
It then continues through Grade 12 as a
competitive program. Students who want
to participate but not necessarily play are
63SPORTS

3. 64 H A Y I D I O N | Winter 2015
8.5x5
MASTER’S DEGREES, JEWISH EDUCATION
In-Residence and Online
• Pedagogy & Teaching
• Educational Leadership in Synagogues and Communal Settings
• Experiential Education Training for All + Study in Israel
FULL-TIME AND EXECUTIVE DOCTORAL DEGREES,
JEWISH EDUCATION
• Scholar-Practitioners: Only two Sunday/Monday, in-residence seminars per semester
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
For Those in the Field
• Day School Leadership Training Institute
• Ivriyon: Summer Hebrew Immersion for Day School Teachers
• Standards-Based Approach to TaNaKH
CURRICULA + TEACHER TRAINING
• MaToK: Bible for Day Schools
• Etgar: Experiential, Cooperative, Family Learning
ONLINE LEARNING SPRING 2016
• Teaching About Israel: Questions and Challenges
• Shabbat and Jewish Meaning-Making in Early Childhood Settings
3080 Broadway • New York City
Fellowships for exceptional learners offered, including up to
FULL TUITION FOR MA AND EdD STUDENTS.
Learn more at www.jtsa.edu/davidson
roraymond@jtsa.edu and (212) 678-8894
The
Davidson School
Strengthening the Quality of
Jewish Life through the
Power of Education
• expanding the campus and building a facility to house
educational events and games within the safety of our
school’s robust security system, rather than entirely at
open local venues
• bringing a university sports medicine group to campus
to conduct mandatory medical exams free of charge for
every athlete before they join a team, making health
and wellness accessible for all
• having an athletic trainer at all home games,
grades 4-12
• extending health education from the classroom to
team workshops about topics like injury prevention and
nutrition
• adding state-of-the-art football helmets, through a
private generous donation
• hosting voluntary off-season strength and speed
conditioning sessions in our indoor fitness center to
maintain health throughout the year
• requiring every varsity athlete to undergo ImPACT (Im-
mediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive
Testing) digital assessment before playing
• pursuing professional development opportunities for
faculty like Heads Up Football developed to advance
player safety. Scheck Hillel has been requiring coaches
to take courses like this and others since the early years,
even though the school is not mandated to do so.
included in roles like team managers and videog-
raphers, and lower school students are involved
in varsity games as ball and water girls and boys.
From soccer to football, from cross-country to
tennis, and all the sports in between, opportunity
exists for all. Part of a talented coach’s job is to
make it possible for every team member to play
safely. Playing well comes from knowledge and
training, not only physical size or innate talent.
Lesson learned:
Safety first
Safety is first and foremost. A quality school
athletics program calls for investment in the best
faculty, equipment and even uniforms. Like any
educational program, a school must hire profes-
sionals when starting and running an athletics
program. Just as the chemistry teacher walks stu-
dents through a lab experiment, the coach teaches
students how to train and play through the lens of
safety. And just like expert teachers in the tradi-
tional classroom, coaches break down instruction
into progressions. Lesson plans involve training
and technique, commitment and consistency.
Safety is about reaching above and beyond—not
simply following basic requirements. Here are
examples of how we’ve been prioritizing safety:

4. 65SPORTS
Knesset Member
Rachel Azaria
Gives Emergency
Briefing
During the
violence on the
streets of Israel,
Rachel Azaria,
Knesset Member
from the Kulanu
Party and former
deputy mayor of
Jerusalem, gave a special briefing for RAVSAK
schools. She inspired lay leaders and school
professionals alike with her down-to-earth
explanations of life in Israel today.
Though this terror wave is smaller compared
to those of years past, Azaria believes that it is
drawing a much stronger reaction than those of
recent memory. Social media exerts tremen-
dous influence, causing terror attacks to “be
carried around in our pockets with us every-
where we go.” The Israeli leadership has shifted
its messaging, now recommending that Israelis
arm themselves at all times, rather than relying
on the protection of the state. In addition, those
carrying out these attacks are lone individuals
and often teenagers who live in Jerusalem.
Azaria spoke of the roles of hope and educa-
tion during this difficult time. She described
Thursday night study sessions in Jerusalem’s
Zion Square with residents from all different
backgrounds. School leaders come together
and work as catalysts to provide safety and
common understanding for the students and
the faculty. She reminded us that whatever our
political views and feelings, Arabs and Jews
need to learn to live together. Azaria mentioned
two organizations, the Yerushalmim Move-
ment (yerushalmim.info/eng) and Shaharit
(facebook.com/Shaharit.Think), as examples of
how we can teach our students about Israelis
working toward a common future.
Azaria also recommended that RAVSAK edu-
cators work with students to open their minds
to a variety of narratives, whether or not we
agree with them, modeling for them deeper
political conversations and ways to support
Israel even when the country is not exactly
the way that we always want it to be. As she
explained, “It’s like family. You don’t always
agree, but that’s part of who you are.”Those
who attended the emergency briefing shared
their overwhelmingly positive feedback. “A
million thanks for planning the webinar with
Azaria. It was informative, inspirational, edu-
cational and so much more! I have so many
thoughts, ideas and information to take back
to our teachers, students and board.”
R AV S A K News & Programs
Lesson learned:
Winning isn’t everything
As one of the first Jewish day school football
teams, we felt like pioneers. We won only a single
game in our first season (2008). Yet school ruach
had never been stronger. Now we’re considered
competition by surrounding schools and even
made it to a district playoff for the past two years,
but winning games still isn’t the priority of our
program. It’s our neshamah that drives us.
Practices and home games in the first years of our
varsity athletics program were away. Times and
venues would change at a moment’s notice; school
opponents were scarce as we were brand new. But
students, parents, coaches and fans rolled with the
punches. We were in it together for the school—
guided by early vision and community spirit.
Our athletics faculty will tell you that some of our
best teams over the years weren’t those with the
most combined talent but rather those unified by
the greatest heart, shared values and determination.
When last year’s grand opening of our new athletic
complex turned into a downpour of rain and a
homecoming football loss, the school spirit in the
packed bleachers of cheering fans—donning pon-
chos—could not be dampened. That October 2014
evening is still talked about as one of the most special
community gatherings in the school’s 45+ years.
Lesson learned:
The Magen David
marks our 50-yard
line for a reason
Symbols of Judaism appear in our school crest to
illustrate and remind us of who we are and why
we’re here, representing our identity as a Jewish
school, as a Jewish community. It’s why each game
begins with a dvar Torah and huddle brachah.
It’s why we sing Hatikvah along with The Star
Spangled Banner before each game. It’s why we
use Hebrew to call plays during a game—that also
happens to be strategic when playing non-Jewish
athletes. It’s why it’s no surprise when an after-
noon practice becomes a shelf-stocking visit to
the kosher food bank. In every way, our athletics
program is an element of Jewish education.
And in every way, our Lion Pride is a reflection
of and catalyst for our mission to educate and
inspire our rising generations.