Toward the end of the 2023–2024 school year, the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) gave Judah Christian School’s junior high athletics program its IESA Sportsmanship Award. The award recognizes the effort and attitude of Judah junior high athletes, the demeanor of Judah junior high coaches, and the behavior of Judah junior high sports spectators.
The Tribe was one of just 21 schools to receive this award, out of more than 900 schools and school districts under the IESA elementary and junior high sports umbrella. “It’s quite an honor,” said Mr. Moxley, Judah’s secondary school principal, when asked what he thought of Judah’s junior high athletics program being one of the few junior high sports programs in the state to receive the IESA Sportsmanship Award.
He said, “It’s nice to know that other schools are looking at Judah and seeing our sportsmanship. We want to compete and win, but we want to do it in a way where we don’t lose our moral character. We want to implement 1 Corinthians 10:31: ‘Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.’ We want to give our very best, win or lose, while always representing Christ.”
Mr. Moxley credited the receipt of the sportsmanship award not only to Judah’s junior high athletes and coaches but also to the Judah junior high sports fanbase and to the Judah community at large. “It speaks well of our community,” he said, “ in calling ourselves followers of Christ. We want to reflect Christ in all our actions — and that includes when we participate in sports.”
But Mr. Moxley made clear who is proudest of Judah receiving this award: “I think Mr. Miller is thrilled for us receiving this award. He was all about showing good sportsmanship and representing Christ well. His passing was a tremendous loss for the Judah community. I thought he did a great job as athletic director and also as the junior high girls’ basketball coach. I’m honored to accept this award in his memory.”
Ms. Griswold, a junior high girls’ volleyball coach, said that it’s a matter of what we focus on in our sports. She said, “I always tried to talk in a positive way to the girls and was always telling them to lift each other up. One official told me how much he appreciated the way we were encouraging the girls and not berating them.” Ms. Griswold added, “I’m glad to hear about this sportsmanship award because it means that we succeeded at something important.”
Mrs. Miller, Judah’s guidance counselor, had this to say: “I think Dirk would want all glory to be given to God. I think he would be very proud of our athletes, coaches, and fans. He would want to congratulate and thank each of them for representing Judah well. I think he would also see it as a challenge to fully offer our sports to God. Whether in the game, on the sidelines, or in the crowd, may we all make pleasing Him our first priority. Win or lose, may God be glorified.”
Mrs. Miller went on to say something more about her husband: “I also think that Dirk would be the first to say that he, for one, is not worthy of such recognition. He was an excellent basketball coach, the best my girls will ever have, and he coached hard. He coached to win, and sometimes the competitive spirit quenched the Holy Spirit. But his desire was always to be more and more like Jesus in all things, including sports.”
Judah received a banner to be hoisted in the gymnasium to commemorate the great sportsmanship shown by the Judah community during the 2023–2024 junior high sports season. Look for the banner — and for the sportsmanship of Judah athletics — throughout the new school year.
—Grant Ipsen, class of ’24