One of our goals at Sapolu Destined Academy is to imbue our student-athletes with a strong sense of resilience. This means equipping them with the skills to adapt and recover in the face of stress and challenges, whether in academics, athletics, or any other aspect of life.
Why? Building resilience helps student-athletes show up as their best selves no matter the circumstance. And a resilient leader is prepared to face the future with verve, compassion, and tenacity. That’s precisely what we hope for our SDA graduates.
Here’s how resilience can help build the leaders of the future, and how we encourage resilience here at SDA.
Performance Under Pressure
Athletes playing at a high level will need to perform well under pressure. Our program helps prepare student-athletes for the high-stress environments they might encounter in the future—we emphasize skills like teamwork, time management, positive self-talk, and sportsmanship directly alongside the core skills of their chosen sport.
And this approach has achieved results: 100% of our recent graduates were admitted to their dream high school, including:
- Mater Dei High School
- Servite High School
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School
- Sierra Canyon School
- Bishop Montgomery High School
Rising Above Setbacks
Even the most talented athletes and gifted learners will experience setbacks while pursuing their goals. Through mentorship, close peer relationships (fostered in part by small class sizes), and personalized, elite-level training, student-athletes at SDA will build a “resiliency toolbox” that can help them stay positive and focused in the face of adversity. Whether they’re facing a tough game or a difficult test, they’ll be able to remain calm, stay clear-eyed and confident about their abilities, and face the task with poise.
As Muhammad Ali said, “Champions aren’t built in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.”
Leading with Compassion
A resilient leader is steady and rooted in their principles, which allows them to lead with compassion, understanding, and a deep sense of ethics. This is extremely important to us at SDA—we’re dedicated to nurturing leaders who, beyond excelling on the field and in the classroom, will contribute positively to their communities and become powerful agents of change.
SDA is committed to the principles of hard work, discipline, and resilience. To learn more about how values impact our approach to education, contact the SDA admissions team.