What defines a sports team? This is the question that the program Class-Act is tackling as new leaders begin to work with their teams.
Class-Act is a group of 20 senior captains representing every Danbury High School (DHS) sports team, run by Jackie DiNardo, the Academic Athletic Coach and head coach for the Girls Varsity Basketball team.
DiNardo has worked as the head basketball coach at DHS for over 30 years and is approaching a milestone of 1,000 career wins. DiNardo started this program at DHS in 2022. The school is now one of 174 across Connecticut participating in the Class-Act initiative.
A sports team can be defined by its record of wins and losses. But Coach DiNardo has a different answer, because she knows that a team is more than just a ranking. “Winning games is important, but [when the] wins [fade], you’re going to have your reputation and character for the rest of your life.”
Coming from a coach who has both won FCIACs, the most competitive league in Connecticut, and been placed on the bottom end of the rankings, DiNardo has seen it all. Wins come and go, and while winning is important, and teams should want to win; being “a competitor people can admire,” is what DiNardo strives to build within her basketball team as well as through Class-Act.
Within the short time span that DHS Class-Act has been a part of the school, it has already had lasting effects across the CIAC community. The program has gained recognition, including the Michael Jewelers Achievement Cup two years in a row (three times total) and the Balsamo Sportsmanship Award.
DiNardo explains that “Class-Act is getting recognized, but we want to recognize others. Which is why we started the Above and Beyond award, given to Billie Anderson for the first time.”
This is what Class-Act stands for: shaping the leaders of DHS into students who go the extra mile–putting their community and school first. Whether it’s reading to elementary school students, volunteering at community events, or recognizing staff contributions, Class-Act encourages service and gratitude.
The president of Class-Act this year, Rysiah Saunders, is a multisport captain of both the varsity football and track & field teams.
“When the role of president was announced [for] Class-Act, no one initially raised their hand, so there I was, raising my hand not just because I felt obligated to stand up as a leader, but because I was excited to get the opportunity.”
Captains come in all shapes and sizes. Some are chosen because of their ability to talk on the field; others are chosen purely because they are the best on the team. Saunders, beyond his athletic ability, was chosen for “his ability to motivate others and always being able to bring a positive attitude to games and practices.”
Saunders may be a senior now, but when he was an underclassman, he always remembered looking up to the captains of the football team.
“They were the people you strived to be, not just as players but as people.”
Now it is his job to be the role model for the new underclassmen, with not just a captain role but also as a member of Class-Act. This year, he helped lead the Fishbowl presentation during flex. The Fall Sports Fishbowl was a presentation shared with all fall captains, not just members of Class-Act. It gave captains across DHS a chance to hear and apply Class-Act’s leadership lessons.
Class-Act will be doing two more of these presentations for the winter and spring captains and will be asking coaches to send in players who continue to be leaders, whether they wear the “captain” title or not.
Being a student-athlete can be hard. Trying to juggle school, work, family life, and a full-time after-school sport can be a daunting task for many. But the benefits of sports go beyond just wins and losses. It gives students a family, teaches resilience and competitiveness, and shows them how far they can push themselves.
Saunders’ message to DHS athletes is clear: “You don’t need to be a captain, to be a leader.” So continue to lead, continue to grow, and continue reminding others that what defines a sports team isn’t just success; it’s the people who make it possible.
