Starting Something Takes Courage

It was a first for student athletics at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics as they participated in the Aroostook County JV Basketball Round Robin Tournament this year. Organized by the school’s Student Life Coordinator, Mr. Justin Kinney. He helped the MSSM students take this important step in student athletics. While the school did not have official teams in place before the tournament, students came together quickly and showed strong effort, teamwork, and school pride, and were able to participate in the JV Tournament at Presque Isle High School. This was not part of the Maine Principals’ Association varsity tournament that was happening across Bangor, Augusta, and Portland. This event gave JV teams a chance to have a championship-type ending. A Round Robin Tournament is where each team plays all the other teams participating. 

Talking about this event, Mr. Kinney said, “The biggest takeaway for us this year is how quickly a group of students can come together if they have a common goal. We did not have teams in place before this event, but our boys and girls stepped up and formed teams to participate with incredible effort. You can really see the growth in their confidence as they play game after game. It’s clear that the foundation for a strong program is already here.”

For MSSM, this tournament was not just about basketball. It was about giving students a chance to represent their school, support one another, and help build something new. During all of these basketball games, students were encouraging one another from the bench, communicating with one another on the court, and celebrating one another’s achievements.

The tournament was closely aligned with MSSM’s general goals for student life. Sports provide students with opportunities to step out of their comfort zones, work together, and develop a stronger sense of community within their school.

It is now a foundation for future growth. When speaking about MSSM’s future, Kinney states, “Our goal is simple: build a full JV basketball season for both boys and girls that continues to grow the program and give students the opportunity to compete, improve, and represent the school. This play date showed that the interest and commitment are there, and next year we’re excited to turn that momentum into a full season. We’re incredibly proud of the effort, positivity, and sportsmanship our students showed. Starting something new takes courage, and these students helped lay the foundation for what we believe will become an exciting and growing basketball program at MSSM.”