We have many great things going on in Summer Pride, but parent in particular expressed her gratitude for the program this year. Her daughter, Sarah, has been attending for the past four years. She has seen great gains and positive impacts from her participation. A shy young lady, Sarah has been overcome and come out of her shell. She found a love of sports and has begun playing soccer and now runs track. The older students at Summer Pride having been coaching in volleyball and she is excelling. Building her confidence and aspiring her to try new things and expand her personal expectations. She feels encouraged by her mentors and coaches. Recounting specific words and phrases of encouragement from the Muskogee staff.
This is why this program is so important. We served over 500 students this year. They all have a story to tell, and all have something special to give back to the world! I have attached the actual letter from Sarah’s mom for your reading pleasure. We hope to reach more Sarah’s with this continued program!
September 26, 2018
To Whom It May Concern,
I am so thankful for the Summer Pride Program. My daughter has been attending this program for the past four years, and I am so thankful for the positive impact. I can see improvement in many different ways; socially and physically.
My daughter tends to be rather shy, so this program has helped push her out of her comfort zone. Through Summer Pride, Sarah has made new friends from across the district. Sarah has also tried many ‘new’ things through this program. As she has been encouraged to try new things, she has also found new strengths. Sarah has discovered new passions. She has absolutely loved playing four square, kick ball, and volleyball.
Over the past four summers, Sarah has worked to improve her strength, speed, and agility. Through her participation in Summer Pride, I can see dramatic changes in her muscles. Sarah pushes herself to excel during this program, and she is now much stronger. Sarah has also improved her speed during the drills. This has helped Sarah become more competitive during soccer and during the spring elementary track meet.
In addition, Sarah has developed a love for volleyball. While she was in the Elementary Summer Pride Program, she LOVED working on improving her volleyball skills. Sarah especially enjoyed working with the older volleyball players. The older girls helped run volleyball drills for the elementary girls, and they loved it.
This early exposure to volleyball has helped inspire my daughter and several other girls to try out for the volleyball team. I love the way my daughter has been inspired and encouraged to pursue her dream of playing volleyball. It warms my heart to see the other young ladies who participated in Summer Pride doing the same thing. Some of Sarah’s friends may have never considered playing volleyball had it not been for these early experiences through Elementary Summer Pride.
This past summer, my daughter attended the Junior High Summer Pride. Sarah was delighted to work on specific volleyball skills each morning with her volleyball coach. Sarah and her friends were able to sharpen their volleyball skills and bond with fellow teammates through the summer months. This helped Sarah improve her serving technique and gain confidence in her abilities.
Over the past four summers during Summer Pride, Sarah has mentioned how the coaches have supported her and encouraged her to try her best. During the ride home, Sarah tells me about the specific words of encouragement from the coaches. These kind words have come from the coaches on the athletic side and the academic side. Hearing encouragement from the coaches has most definitely helped improve Sarah’s confidence, and I am so very thankful!
With Appreciation,
Rebecca Scheihing