What began as a storage room for old accolades that the sports lobby could no longer hold quickly became one of the most mysterious places in North Penn High School: the trophy graveyard.
After walking up a small flight of stairs above the girls’ gym, one will find him or herself stepping into the trophy graveyard – a room similar to the setting of a C.S Lewis novel, simultaneously magical and eerie. The combination of dim lighting, years of dust, and countless plaques and trophies fosters a feeling that you’re not alone in the room. It’s hard to describe exactly what it is; it’s as if the weight of all the past champions – their perseverance, dedication and unshakable confidence – suddenly rests on your shoulders. Spending even a few moments in the room will change a person’s perspective on our schools sports history forever.
The cramped space is filled with hundreds of accolades that have been accumulated since before the school’s founding in 1955, with many dating back as far as the 1920s. From basketball invitational trophies from the early ‘40s to Bux-Mont Diving trophies from the mid-80s, the trophy graveyard’s contents vary widely. It’s hard to wrap one’s mind around the fifty or so trophies that are on the shelves. A track enthusiast may find a number of trophies from 1983 and on from when Coach Dick Swanker led the team into the record books. Or maybe a golf-lover would be interested in the 1968 championship golf club. After last year’s cross country state championship run, some may find it intriguing that there are cross-country trophies dating back to the Lansdale High school days. But after a few years, there was no room for the all the trophies to be displayed, so league championships were left out while invitational trophies and other accolades were left to sit in the dust. The sports lobby that we know, today, is merely a small portion of the trophies that North Penn has accumulated in the past fifty-seven years. The rest are tucked away on the storage shelves in a little know 60’ x 15’ room above the basketball courts.
Many people who attend North Penn think that our school has an attitude that winning is everything and anything less is a disappointment. But that could not be further from the truth. When discussing the success of North Penn Sports with Athletic Director Mr. Donald C. Ryan, the word tradition kept coming up.
“We have a great sports history here at North Penn High School [beginning] really with the ascending schools, Hatfield, North Wales, and Lansdale High School. When we came into being in ‘55…we had some early success right there and since that time we [have] really built upon [it] one year after another.”
After setting foot in a room detailing so much about North Penn’s history, it’s hard to not reflect on our school’s purpose and history. People mistake North Penn’s tradition for winning, but it’s not about the number of tallies in the win column. At the end of every season, each all athletes should be able to look back and say that they gave it their all, for their teammates, coaches and school. It’s not about winning; it’s about leaving everything you have out on the track, turf or field.
The trophy graveyard isn’t just a dusty old room filled with cheap accolades; it’s the embodiment of North Penn High School and all that we stand for. This tradition transcends athletics; it echoes throughout the halls of our school. North Penn is about giving your all when nobody else will. We should take the past success of those before us and use it to propel ourselves further, leaving behind our own stories and legacies. It doesn’t matter if one is an athlete or not, the lesson remains applicable whether stepping on the field or into the classroom: it is vital to maintain the North Penn tradition of hard work. If for no other reason, do it for the countless athletes and students before you who have done the same.