By: Kenny Epps, MDS Athletic Director // MDS Musings Blog

The great thing about Mount de Sales athletics is the willingness of our coaches to embrace the opportunity to aid in each student-athlete’s journey to develop in all facets of their lives, while also striving for athletic excellence. Their understanding that the tools needed to equip our student-athletes in preparation for life are aligned with those needed for athletic success. Our coaches understand that their calling to educate our athletes extends far beyond the lines of our fields and courts. When our student-athletes look back on their time at MDS, our goal is for them to talk about not only the fun they had, but also the relationships they built, the lifelong lessons they learned, and character traits gained through involvement in our athletic programs.

School Community

MDS athletics foster an environment of relationship building. Our student-athletes feel the support from their teammates and coaches as well as from our entire school community as we strive to create opportunities for our students and faculty to connect outside of the classroom. From involvement in pep rallies to hype videos, game nights to themed dress-down days, our faculty show students that this is more than a job and that they are truly invested in all areas of our students’ lives, not just in what they do in their respective classroom. This support only strengthens our family bond. It contributes to the lifelong relationships that are built within the Cavalier family as we #ClimbTogether.

Coaching Success

One of my many goals as athletic director is to push our coaching staff to seize the opportunity to develop the whole student-athlete. We have to embrace the idea that even though we are striving for athletic excellence, our level of success cannot be measured simply by wins and losses. We must understand that we owe our students much more than that. The vast majority of our coaching staff are former athletes. Just as it was for us, the reality is that one day the athletic careers of our current players will come to an end, and the preparedness for life after that day is going to be the true measure of our success as coaches. We demand greatness on the fields and courts, but we must also hold them accountable to that same standard in their classroom pursuits, in their community efforts, and in their commitment to our mission.

Mount de Sales Academy is a private Catholic school located in Macon, GA, and serves students in Bibb, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach and other surrounding counties. MDS is sponsored and inspired by the Sisters of Mercy. Since 1876, MDS has served a diverse college-preparatory community of learners—students and teachers alike—who are poised to discover, challenged to innovate, and motivated to serve.