A success rate isn’t just about numbers, the score, or even winning the game itself; it’s about the teamwork, effort, and perseverance needed to get there. Maintaining a high success rate is not very easy to do; in fact, it takes a lot of confidence and unyielding spirit from the team or person playing the game in order to come out on top consistently.
Baseball is a very popular sport here in Philadelphia, mainly because of our beloved baseball team, the Phillies. Not only is baseball very prevalent in our lives as a community around Philadelphia, but also in the rest of the nation.
According to Major League Baseball, 2024 saw a large increase in baseball viewership nationwide: “The 2024 MLB season recorded the largest attendance in seven years (2017) with a total of 71,348,366, a +1% increase over last year’s total.”
This passion for baseball extends beyond professional teams, finding a home within our school community at Abington Friends. Last year, the AFS Upper School baseball team ended the year with a 4-8 record. So far this year, our current baseball team is 8-4, and the season’s still not over.
Needless to say, the improvement of the Upper School baseball team is very impressive and promising; it also showcases the talent and hard work that have been put into the team thus far. Having a strong record of wins in one season, especially when compared to last season’s record, is really motivating and helps to push school engagement and pride.
Wyatt Hendricks ‘28, a freshman on the baseball team this year, said, “I think that the win [record] has made it more exciting to go out and play, and it’s not like last year when we would lose a lot more…Since we’ve been winning, it’s been more motivating because we actually have a chance in every game we play.”
Jeff Bond, Director of Athletics and Head Coach of Varsity Baseball, said, “It [the win record] has been providing us with more confidence…making us a better team moving forward.”
Overall, sports mean different things to different people, and they help bring a sense of community and belonging to AFS. This improves not only our quality of life but also that of the teachers who can see their students succeed in other fields, not just inside the classroom.
Ultimately, a winning record is more than just numbers on a scoreboard or spreadsheet: it’s a reflection of the life lessons, camaraderie, and perseverance that make sports an essential part of shaping both players and communities.
