When the New Trier Green (NTG) hockey team lost the Amateur Hockey Association Illinois (AHAI) state semifinals to Benet at The Edge Ice Arena on Mar. 16, it was nothing short of shocking. The Trevians were the two-time defending state champions and returned almost every player from the 2013-2014 team.
For a program considered high school hockey royalty, a program that thinks of Illinois state championships not as a goal but as an expectation, it was an extremely bitter end to the season.
And yet, NTG players were highly praised, thanked even, for what they had achieved, and rightly so. Yes, the outcome wasn’t expected or truly gratifying, but for all Trevians the season was something to be proud of. This is because, despite what outsiders (or maybe insiders) might believe, at New Trier, winning really isn’t everything.
Why is this the case? Because even when we lose, we still have a heck of a lot working in our favor. We’d like to think that (for the most part) students are aware of and thankful for the education they receive. They know to use the abundance of support systems and extracurricular opportunities to their advantage.
Therefore, when certain events don’t go the Trevians’ way, it’s not the end of the world. Boys basketball loses to Highland Park in the playoffs? We’ll go back to our top-notch post high school counseling. Girls swimming fails to secure a state championship? Good thing there’s effective and nationally-recognized support in NT’s adviser system to return to on Monday.
With this privileged situation in mind, there’s a certain type of superiority complex students have here. It’s not really a “we’re better than you and we know it” type confidence, as one might think given New Trier’s reputation. It’s more of a “we’re set for these four years of our lives” attitude.
This type of thinking is also embodied by academically-esteemed universities in athletic competition. These universities seem to take whatever athletic success they can get with satisfaction.
In 2008, for example, the Davidson College basketball team made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, defeating powerhouses such as Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin en route to the Elite Eight, where the Wildcats narrowly lost to Kansas.
Davidson, consistently ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News & World Report, enjoyed all of its success, and as soon as the run ended, was able to have its players return to their advantageous situations.
We liken our situation to that of Davidson. By no means are we calling ourselves an elite liberal arts institution in North Carolina, but we do think that the exceptional educational experience and general life preparation we receive is fulfilling in itself. Anything else, such as athletic success, is gravy.
Athletics are one thing. For administrators, winning in the rankings apparently isn’t a major concern either. Take New Trier’s Advanced Placement (AP) procedures for example. Certain national ranking systems for high schools judge the “success” or legitimacy of each school by the number of students who take AP courses. So why does New Trier always seem to show up lower than one would think on these lists, if at all?
New Trier only allows certain students to even take these courses. Whereas many high schools, such as Stevenson where 78% of students take at least one AP, seemingly over-encourage students to sign up for the college-level courses perhaps in the hopes of boosting reputation, New Trier filters its students according to where they have the best chance to thrive, effectively limiting its number of AP registrants and “worsening” its ranking.
As with sports, there’s no need to further bolster outside perception of the school; New Trier inherently puts its students at an advantage, whether it’s justified through athletic or academic ranking or not. That’s the most important part.
This could come off as conceited, and we recognize that. But we actually intend to state the opposite. Some things are bigger than competition, and it’s essential for students, parents, teachers, and administrators to understand that. Winning isn’t everything. Especially when students win within school.