Archer hosted its annual Athletic Awards Night Tuesday, May 13. Athletes, coaches and families came together to celebrate and reflect on the efforts and season outcomes of upper school teams across the fall, winter and spring sports seasons. The evening recognized both individual athletes’ achievements and team accomplishments.
Each team grants three awards. The Most Improved Award recognizes an athlete who demonstrates a growth mindset and consistently works hard to improve throughout the season. The Archer Panther Award honors an athlete who encourages their teammates and embodies the spirit of a panther through training and competing with integrity and pride. The Most Valuable Player Award celebrates the athlete who contributed the most to their team, rewarding their effort and mindset for success.
Varsity volleyball and beach volleyball player Sophie Salehi (‘28), who was awarded the Panther Award for varsity volleyball, shared her highlights of playing with each team.
“My favorite thing about the volleyball team, the indoor one, was how much we were able to come together through hard times,” Salehi said. “We were in the new league, and it was really difficult, so we really built together as a team.”
Many athletes train outside of Archer through club teams, while others participate in off-campus practices for their Archer sports, such as swimming and track and field. Director of Athletics Kim Smith said it is not often that the entire Archer athletics community can gather as a whole, so Athletic Awards Night is a unique opportunity to bring athletes, parents and coaches.
“I think it’s really important to bring everyone in,” Kim Smith said, “and to acknowledge and celebrate the great efforts and accomplishments of our student athletes and our coaches and the support of our parents and our administration.”
In addition to the Most Improved, Archer Panther and Most Valuable Player awards, three more awards were granted to athletes who recognized their year-round impact on Archer athletics. These awards are open to athletes from any team, regardless of the sport they play. The Rookie of the Year went to Jackie Mayne (‘28), the Scholar-Athlete went to Surya Patil (‘25) and the Athlete of the Year went to Ari Borstein (‘27). According to Kim Smith, multiple coaches stated that selecting award recipients this year was particularly challenging.
“It was this, this incredible team effort for all of our sports,” Kim Smith said, “so it was really challenging because everyone contributed to the success of the teams.”
Cross country and track and field coach Phil Smith hoped that award recipients would be proud of their accomplishments throughout the season. He stated that athletic success isn’t just about winning; it’s also about building character, and the awards night reflected this by honoring athletes for their dedication and perseverance.
“It shows you that your hard work pays off. It shows that you set a goal,” Phil Smith said. “And for the winners, it shows you that you are amongst your peers in terms of your hard work and dedication.”
The night also emphasized the life lessons that coaches hope athletes will take away from their sports seasons. These life lessons, according to Kim Smith, are walking through fear, putting your team before yourself, teamwork and learning how to show up. Phil Smith also agreed that sports help to train good life habits.
“What I try to stress is for people to have good attitudes and hard work because those are the two things that you can control,” Phil Smith said. “Come with a positive attitude and work hard, that’s all I really ask. Then we want you to have fun, and when you see girls achieve beyond their imagination, it gives you satisfaction.”
