Sportsmanship Summit

It all started back in 1952 with the separation of Orlando High into Edgewater and William R. Boone High Schools. The long-standing feud grew more intense as the years passed by, to the point that now separate concessions and bathrooms have to be provided for each school during games to eliminate violence.

OCPS School Board feels enough is enough and issues need to be resolved. Or alternatively, they would solve them for the opposing schools by ending all athletic events involving the two teams.

Boone’s assistant athletic director Kevin Demer wasn’t willing to let that happen. He proposed an idea to Edgewater’s athletic director, Janet Rasmussen, to restore the rivalry to its old glory.

The Second Annual Sportsmanship Summit hosted by Edgewater brought together twenty students from each school who participate in athletics, student government, band and spirit councils- all hoping to find a neutral ground over common interests.

The young leaders voiced their problems in a formal setting as well as created solutions along with the help of school administrators and members of Rollins College sports teams.

The truth of rivalries was best said by guest speaker Chris Lewis, head coach of Rollins College men’s lacrosse, when he described the truth behind rivalries.

“You start off in high school, competing against someone who you under different circumstances you’d be friends with but in our (athletes) case you don’t like them because of the color jersey on their back,” Lewis said.

Lewis then went on to describe the nature of competition and the divide it puts between competitors ending his thoughts on a positive note.

“We need to learn that our passion is something that unites us rather than divides us.”

The good vibes of the sportsmanship summit carried over to Friday night’s game when both teams and their respective fans coexisted on and off the field. During half time participants in the Summit received medals for their leadership skills.

Although the outcome of the game wasn’t in favor of the Fightin’ Eagles we might agree that a lesson greater than victory was learned that night.

Varsity captains Ezekiel Cooper and Jaxsen Anagostis.

Game night: Braves vs. Eagles at Edgewater.