Growing up, I loved sports, but I wasn’t very good at them. I dreamed of hitting the game-winning shot or scoring the final run, but I was small for my age and struggled physically in those early years. I remember being the last one chosen, being told to “just take the walk” in baseball, or sitting on the bench because winning mattered more to the adults than the children learning the game.

Those memories shaped me. They also remind me why the Royalmont approach to athletics must be different—and why it is.

Why the Royalmont Approach to Athletics Is Different

Many youth sports cultures put winning first. At Royalmont Academy, we put formation first. We always play to win, but victory is never our top priority. Human formation, virtue, and Christian leadership matter more.

This aligns with the broader Regnum Christi philosophy beautifully captured in this RC athletics video, which shows how sports can become a school of virtue, not pressure.

Virtue After a Loss: A Story Worth Celebrating

Earlier this week, one of our seventh-grade teams faced a difficult loss. The next morning, a student approached me with genuine positivity. He focused on what went well, spoke highly of his teammates, and lifted everyone’s spirits. For that, I gave him a Blue Card for charity, resilience, and fortitude.

Most adults struggle to show that kind of maturity after a loss. This young man lived it naturally. Moments like that reflect the heart of the Royalmont approach to athletics.

Coaches Who Coach the Whole Person

That same day, our 7th–8th grade girls basketball coach praised his team—not for winning, but for their teamwork, sportsmanship, and joy. The next day, I watched our 3rd–4th grade girls compete in a tough game. They lost something like 2–34, yet every girl played. Every teammate encouraged each other. Every student pushed to the very end.

Their coach remained positive throughout the game. No yelling. No frustration. Only formation. Only joy. This is the kind of environment I wish I had growing up. It is the one we intentionally create here.

How Regnum Christi Shapes Our Sports Philosophy

Regnum Christi education forms the whole person through four pillars:

• Intellectual Formation: Athletes learn strategy, discipline, and focus.
• Human Formation: Sports teach resilience, humility, leadership, and responsible freedom.
• Spiritual Formation: Students learn to offer effort, teamwork, and perseverance to Christ.
• Apostolic Formation: Teams serve one another and the larger community.

These pillars guide every practice and every game. This is why parents searching for “Catholic school athletics”, “Regnum Christi sports philosophy,” or “character-based youth sports” consistently resonate with our approach.

What the Data Says About Youth Sports

Parents often feel pressure for their child to excel athletically. But research shows that:

• Only about 7% of high school athletes will play in college.
• Only 1% will receive any athletic scholarship.
• Less than 0.03% will ever go pro.

These numbers matter. They remind us that the real purpose of sports is formation. That is where our investment should be—and that is where Royalmont places it.

The Long-Term Impact of Character-Based Athletics

Thirty years from now, most of our students will not remember the exact score of today’s games.
But they will remember:

• the coach who believed in them,
• the teammate who encouraged them,
• the joy of competing with heart,
• the toughness built through setbacks,
• and the humility formed through success.

Those moments shape Christian leaders. This is the core of the Royalmont approach to athletics.

Why Families Choose Royalmont Athletics

Families in Mason, West Chester, and across Greater Cincinnati choose Royalmont because we offer:

• Coaches who form the whole person
• Teams that welcome every student
• Programs that emphasize virtue before victory
• A deeply Catholic environment rooted in joy
• Growth in confidence, leadership, and teamwork

Winning is good. Formation is better. At Royalmont, you never have to sacrifice one for the other.

Explore Athletics at Royalmont Academy

Royalmont continues to expand its athletic offerings each year, including cross country, volleyball, golf, basketball, bowling, swimming, and track. We look forward to announcing additional opportunities as our students and programs grow. To learn more about how athletics fits into our mission, visit royalmontacademy.org.