Welcome to Gonzaga Prep. Thank you for giving your time and talents to providing an inspirational experience for our student-athletes. Our Mission Statement reads:
Gonzaga Preparatory School exists to support the life of the Catholic Church in the Inland Northwest by seeking to serve all families who desire for their children Catholic education in the Jesuit tradition.
Our pledge is to provide--in concert with the parents, alumni, and community--an educational opportunity which seeks to form Christian leaders spiritually, intellectually, physically, and culturally.
Guided by the Gospel values of love and justice, students are challenged to fulfill their potential as life-long learners in service to others.
Athletics are an integral part of attaining this Mission. Success is not measured by wins or losses, but rather through the transformational1 experience provided through sport.
Gonzaga Prep coaches are ministers in the spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola and in the tradition of Jesuit Education.
"The concern of Jesuit Education is preparation for life, which is itself a preparation for eternal life."2. Following the example of Jesus Christ, our coaches play an essential role in the formation of our student-athletes as Ignatian Leaders, men and women for and with others. As a Jesuit school, we realize the importance of forming our coaches in our Ignatian values and in our Catholic Faith.
Ignatius of Loyola realized the importance of formation and growth in his own life, which is why a typical path for a Jesuit entails approximately eleven years of formation. Similarly, growth as an Ignatian leader and coach is an ongoing process. At Gonzaga Prep, we realize the importance of forming our faculty, staff, and coaches so that they embody and carry on our Ignatian tradition and values. No one can do this alone. This is a communal effort for the benefit of our students and the Kingdom of God. A fundamental way that our student-athletes learn about our Gospel values and Ignatian leadership is from their coaches. We want our coaches to be the best at what they do, and more importantly, to be outstanding Ignatain leaders - men and women for and with others- through transformational coaching. Overall, everything we do is always for the greater glory of God: AMDG - Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
___________________
1 A transformational coach focuses on the overall growth and development of the student-athlete for life and for eternal life. Conversely, a transactional coach focuses entirely on winning, personal achievement, and short-term gains.
2 Jesuit Schools Network, "Go Forth and Teach: The Characteristics of Jesuit Education," Foundations (2005) #37
____________________________________________________________________________________________
The following readings and videos will set the context as you begin the journey as an Ignatian Coach. Please follow each step below and complete the reflection in the final step.
1. St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuit Order. The following video is a brief summary of the life of St. Ignatius.
2. Our Way of Proceeding: Standards for Jesuit Schools in the 21st Century. Please watch the following short videos:
3. The Profile of the Graduate at Graduation: The Profile of the Grad at Grad is a document common among Jesuit schools which articulates the characteristics that are desired for in our graduates. It is the responsibility of our teachers, coaches, and community to provide opportunities for this to happen.
4. Profile of an Ignatian Coach/Moderator: Gonzaga Prep coaches and moderators are educators rooted in the spirit of St. Ignatius Loyola and the rich tradition of Jesuit education. As such, a Gonzaga Prep coach must recognize that they play an intricate role in the formation of our students to become men and women for others.
5. The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm:
Ignatian Pedagogy - A Practical Approach is one of two key documents which emerged from a lengthy and worldwide reflection on Jesuit education in the 1970/80s. The Characteristics of Jesuit Education , published in 1986, sets out to describe a Jesuit school and its distinctive identity and mission. Ignatian Pedagogy followed in 1993 and sets out to articulate the Jesuit tradition of classroom teaching and learning.
Ignatian pedagogy (from the International Center for Jesuit Education [Rome, 1993], is a model that seeks to develop men and women of competence, conscience and compassion. Similar to the process of guiding others in the Spiritual Exercises, coaches accompany students in their intellectual, spiritual, and emotional development. They do this by following the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. Through consideration of the context of students' lives, Ignatian Educators create an environment where students recollect their past experience and assimilate information from newly provided experiences. Coaches help students learn the skills and techniques of reflection, which shapes their consciousness, and they challenge students to action in service to others. The evaluation process includes mastery as well as ongoing evaluation and feedback of students' well-rounded growth as persons for others.
The five educational principles:
- Context - understanding student life and culture
- Experience - providing intellectual and affective learning opportunities
- Reflection - of meaning for self and others
- Action - the external expression of learned content
- Evaluation - of student growth
6. Final Step - Please take a few minutes to share your reflections regarding coaching at Gonzaga Prep.
____________________________________________________________________________________________