What should young athletes gain from high school sports? More playing time? A varsity roster spot? A college recruiting opportunity? Or something that will matter long after their competitive careers end? For Bobbi Moran, Director of Athletics at Thayer Academy in Massachusetts, the answer begins with the environment adults create and the experiences young people carry with them.

Brea Schmidt grew up in Oil City, Pennsylvania, shooting basketball in her driveway for hours. Her dad was a basketball referee with fifty years under his belt. Her older sister was a standout player. And her grandfather — a man everyone in town knew as Ducky — was an experienced basketball coach who had been around the game long enough that he could have offered instruction, analysis, or critique at any moment.

## The Journey