BHS Basketball Teacher Appreciation Night
On Wednesday, January 15, Berkley High School Freshman, JV and Varsity girls basketball teams hosted a Teacher Appreciation Event where student-athletes had the opportunity to personally invite and express gratitude to educators who have positively impacted their academic journeys as students and players. Girls Basketball Coach Clay Shaver shared the importance of this event and its ideology around "Our Team" to capture the idea that our team isn’t just the 39 players in the program, but also the parents and families who support them, teachers that feed the student part of Student-Athlete, the six coaches, the Admins and Athletic Department that provide the resources, and the community that the team represents.
This year players hand delivered their invitations to the staff member they would be honoring and brought their jersey to capture the moment. During the Teacher Appreciation Event players went one by one publicly expressing their gratitude for their chosen educator with gifts and heartfelt words. The chosen educators mostly stemmed from BHS but a few were from the athlete’s elementary schools. Coach Shaver gave special thanks, sharing, “to the teachers, staff, players, Matt Rawlik and the BHS administration for believing in the value of nights like this, as well as Angie Church a dedicated parent volunteer for her unbelievable effort in pulling the night off, along with the entire coaching staff and North Farmington Girls Basketball for their flexibility and graciousness.”
The event showcased a commitment to recognizing and appreciating the vital role educators play in the lives of student-athletes. Coach Shaver said, “When I accepted the position at Berkley, the only thing I knew with 100% certainty that I wanted to bring with me from my previous school was teacher/staff appreciation night. Even X's and O's and program philosophies would have to be determined once I met the kids, but there's something special about taking the time to stand on the court and tell the people who play an integral role in the STUDENT part of the Student-Athlete's life that you appreciate them.”
