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Patrick Henry College's Athletics program is on the rise! The Sentinel teams—particularly women's Soccer—have improved and grown more competitive. And it shows in the number of wins they are racking up this semester.
The women’s Soccer team, currently with a record of 5-5, is vying to secure its second winning season in a row over the course of its two final games in the coming weeks. The men’s Soccer team has two remaining games and currently sits at a record of 3-7-2. The PHC athletics community also has a new addition—the Volleyball Club for women. So far, this brand-new club has been met with enthusiasm, having already competed in 12 games!
Did you know that Plato was a wrestler? Not only was he a wrestler, but the nickname “Plato” comes from the Greek word “platon,” meaning “broad,” which likely refers to his large and athletic stature. Like Plato, student athletes don’t believe that all the thinking should be left to the couch potatoes. They instead pursue excellence on the field in addition to the classroom through PHC’s various athletic programs.
During women’s Soccer Captain Kennedy King's (EBA, '26) freshman year, and Coach Patrick’s first year as Athletic Director, the women’s soccer team broke a losing streak with a tie-game. Now, just three seasons later, they are knocking on the door of a second consecutive winning season.
Kennedy credits not only her teammates but also Soccer Coach and Athletic Director Ethan Patrick for the success of this season and the last one as well. “PHC players are some of the most teachable and eager to improve people I have ever played with. It has also just been so cool to see how much the team has grown thanks to Coach Patrick’s leadership.”
Now a senior, Kennedy reflected on the season and her years in the PHC athletic program, “The season has been great, as always, we have had a lot of great freshmen who have really shaken up the dynamic of the team in a lot of positive ways.”
Men’s Soccer Captain Ty Everman ('26) shared similar sentiments about the up-and-coming athletes, “We have a lot of great guys who are really stepping up and taking it seriously, along with good leaders who know how to set the tone for the season. They work hard.”
Ty also spoke positively about the season. “Even though the record doesn’t really reflect it, we played some great soccer this year. We were always in the thick of it and made it competitive every single game.”
Something else that has developed during Coach Patrick’s time as Athletic Director is the brand-new Women’s Volleyball Club. Captain and President of the Volleyball Club, Selah Stamper, founded the club last semester with several of her friends, something she had hoped to do when she decided to come to PHC. This will be the first full semester since the club’s conception, and Selah had a lot of great things to say about the season. “We set low expectations for ourselves because we really weren’t sure how everything was going to turn out, but things have gone so well!”
The club originally intended to only play four games throughout the course of the semester, but ended up playing twelve, well beyond their goal. Selah has high hopes for the future of the club and can see it becoming a permanent staple of the athletic community at PHC.
When asked why athletics ought to be considered an important part of a classical education, all three of the captains gave a similar answer: Christians ought to pursue excellence in everything, including physical activity.
“Training my mind and my body go together,” Selah said, “When I am consistently exercising and have the physical outlet, I am way more focused mentally and spiritually.”
Ty agreed. “We are tripartite beings. Mind, body, and soul are all equally important. At school, it’s so easy to neglect your body because we think we are here to learn and that’s it, but our bodies need to be stewarded as well. Building physical discipline necessarily comes with mental discipline. Pushing yourself in practice takes real mental perseverance, and not just physical. It builds character.”
Kennedy offered similar sentiments and continued, “Having the community of a team is so important as well. Your teammates will be the people who suddenly have your back when you least expect it. That is what sets the PHC teams apart; they are so encouraging and are constantly looking forward to each other’s successes.”
Ty, Kennedy, and Selah agree that PHC Athletics has been a huge blessing to them during their time in college, and they all echoed the importance of athletics in any classical education!
Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.
