DENVER -- Athletes at Denver's Northfield High School are being challenged to "stand out" this year by being “Uncommon Athletes.”
“To be an Uncommon Athlete is a mindset. It’s about how you play. It’s about why you play. It’s about the choices you make. It’s the character that you have,” Cody Hodges told the athletes gathered in the gym.
Hodges travels the country talking about the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation’s Uncommon Athlete program with students. His presentations are often held in conjunction with speakers from the Rachel’s Challenge organization.
“Our program is about you, first and foremost, as a person,” Hodges said. “Who are you as a person, but then who are you as an athlete.”
The five challenges of the Uncommon Athlete program are very similar to those Rachel’s Challenge encourages of all students and follow the acronym PRICE:
- P – Develop Uncommon Perseverance
- R – Build Uncommon Relationships
- I – Practice Uncommon Integrity
- C – Choose Uncommon Courage
- E – Lead with Uncommon Empathy
The overall message: The Uncommon Athlete is the one who brings out the best in everyone on the field and off regardless of the jersey they wear. They are remembered not because of the records they set or the trophies they won, but how they played the game.
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