Beyond the Scoreboard: Education-Based Athletics at Cate
By Matt McClenathen, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications
Rooted in an education-based philosophy, athletics at Cate is an extension of the classroom. Where the overarching objective of Cate’s academic program is to “promote the greatest growth possible,” the same can be said for Cate athletics, where the emphasis is placed on holistic development of the student-athlete over winning and traditional excellence.
“We value the breadth of experience,” said Athletic Director Wade Ransom, who came to the Mesa as the Head Athletic Trainer in 2007 before taking over as Athletic Director in 2008. “We require our students to play multiple sports and embark on multiple endeavors over the course of the school year. And we really try to avoid the pitfall of early specialization. It’s important for well-rounded, holistic development of young people to have the opportunity to try new things.”
In a world where sport specialization has increased, Cate still requires all 9th and 10th-grade students to participate in at least two seasons of interscholastic athletics, encouraging healthy cross-training, differing social groups, and interactions with different coaches and faculty.
“Cate is pretty old school in that way of thinking,” Ransom said. “So many schools preach excellence through specialization. Cate has always been quite the opposite. Our excellence is reached through broad participation.”
With three California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) team championships since 2021 and two additional CIF individual championships in that time, it’s evident that the formula is working. It’s not every day a school can boast of having multiple student-athletes achieving multiple championships across multiple sports – especially when those sports are football and tennis – which require a very distinct set of skills.
Look no further than Sebastian Sutch ’24, who came to Cate as a soccer player and will leave the Mesa with a Division I commitment to run track and cross country at Yale.
“Soccer was my main sport, and I only did the other two to supplement soccer fitness,” said Seb, responsible for the two CIF individual championships (800m and 1600m) listed above. “I guess an unanticipated benefit of the multi-sport requirement is that you can find a sport you’ve become pretty good at.”
The foundation of broad participation in athletics also models the academic structure at Cate. Casting a wide net early on, ensuring students have access to various learning opportunities, with most classes being multidisciplinary.
“I think it’s really healthy that our athletic program mirrors what we do in the classroom,” Ransom said. “It is remarkable that our varsity teams can compete at a high level, while having sub-varsity teams that are instructionally based, and safe for students to try something new for the first time. It’s a healthy outlet for the rigor of the classroom and helps them find balance in their lives.”
There is no better illustration than all-around athlete and volleyball standout Mel Davidson ’24 picking up a lacrosse stick for the first time as a senior, at the behest of Renee Mack, to play with friends from different areas of campus. As a junior, Mel participated in track and field for the sole reason of getting a chance to be coached by Kyle Mason – Cate’s Head Track & Field Coach and Director of Admission.
“There’s so much understanding that comes with learning a sport,” Mel said. “I have to thank my coaches because there is so much respect, learning to have conversations, take criticism, be coachable, implement instructions, and stand up for yourself in different ways. Also, playing different sports and having multiple teams allows you to reach different people. It allows you to get closer to people in a different way.”
Her favorite example is her relationship with Josie Frazier ’24 and their unique role reversal between volleyball and soccer seasons. As a four-year varsity volleyball player and team leader by the time she was a sophomore, Mel guided Josie as she found her place on the team. Come soccer season, it was Josie leading the charge. Mel even passed up the opportunity for more playing time on JV to work harder and hone her skills on varsity. As juniors, their connection deepened, and as seniors, both have excelled in their respective sports.
“This year, we have both been senior leaders in skill and leadership all the way through,” Mel said. “It has been the best thing ever.”
Even as a sophomore, following a sweep to eventual champion Santa Barbara in the first round of the 2021 CIF Division 6 Playoffs, the team’s camaraderie was like nothing Mel had ever experienced. She was proud of the excellent game played and the experience itself over the outcome. The fact that she landed an ace in front of her childhood friend didn’t hurt either.
“The Cate athletics program places an emphasis on connection, both on and off the court – we have to work together as one,” Mel said. “And the volleyball program at Cate has made me the leader I am today. I feel so blessed to have cared so much.”
Honored by the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table (SBART) as the recipient of the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award – given to a student-athlete who demonstrates the highest standards of ethics and sportsmanship – Mel has exemplified what it means to be a student-athlete at Cate.
Journeys similar to Mel’s span decades on the Mesa, with students playing for the experience and the love of the game. Through teaching and coaching the right way, the program is successful regardless of the outcome, and the wins come organically.
“I think there is beauty to an athletic program, where the emphasis is on the journey rather than the outcome,” Ransom said. “You never hear me speak in terms of wins and losses. It is more about the value of camaraderie, cultivating a sense of belonging, cultivating friendships, and working towards a common goal. Kids have an opportunity to be kids. Our coaches are mostly teachers, and the ones we’ve hired as walk-ons buy into the notion that athletics at Cate is a class. It’s education-based athletics.”
Making a Splash
Jesse Morrison first arrived on the Mesa as a walk-on coach for the boys water polo program in 2021 and has since seen his role expand from the boys head coach to the girls head coach, assistant swim coach, and now dorm parent living on-campus in Longhouse – a dormitory for 9th and 10th grade boys.
A former Division I water polo student-athlete and USA Water Polo All-American at UC Santa Barbara, current professional for the Nashville Channel Cats, and coach on the club circuit, Morrison has seen it all in the pool – but nothing quite like what he has experienced on the Mesa.
“Students at Cate are years ahead of their age in terms of their approach, work ethic, and desire to get better,” Morrison said. “It’s really impressive and unlike anything I have ever seen in any other program I have been a part of. It’s pretty special.”
By channeling his experience and knowledge of the game, Morrison’s coaching style emphasizes creativity and collaboration. While teaching the fundamentals and strategies that he knows will be successful, he gives students the freedom to maximize their abilities and has an “impactful give and take” with his players that creates a level of comfort on both sides.
The fit has been seamless, and the impact has been immediate. This fall, the boys water polo team made the deepest playoff run in Cate history, advancing to the CIF Division 5 Quarterfinals. On the girl’s side, the team qualified for the CIF Playoffs for the first time in seven years.
“The students deserve the credit for all of the success during my time here,” said Morrison, who was named Tri-Valley League Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2023. “I’m just sharing my experience and understanding of the game, but they put in all the work and all the extra hours, and they ask insightful questions.”
Showcasing that Cate’s culture of inquiry permeates all facets of life on the Mesa.
Morrison’s ultimate goal as a head coach is to help his student-athletes become better people by promoting character development.
“Sports offer a unique opportunity to learn about and cement positive qualities into the lives of young athletes,” Morrison said. “Through the highs and lows of competition, they can become better individuals. Qualities like loyalty, respect, accountability, resilience, and confidence are a few of many we try to instill in our athletes, and I always try to emphasize the importance of character development and self-improvement over winning.”
Family Matters
While the ethos of Cate athletics prioritizes development over winning, it’s not uncommon for coaches arriving on the Mesa to bring with them a history steeped in competitive background. For many, the mantra of “win at all costs” is deeply ingrained.
As a former college basketball player with coaching in her blood, Dr. Laura Moore learned to adjust her coaching philosophy to align with Cate’s holistic approach.
“In terms of coaching at Cate, the most important thing I learned was to approach every aspect of their life,” said Moore, who came to Cate as a walk-on coach during the 2017 season, joined the faculty full-time in 2018, and took over the reins of the girls basketball program in 2019. “It’s a body, mind, and spirit endeavor, more than any other coaching I’ve done, where the student’s well-being matters most. I am also very competitive, so I have found the ability to approach a student-athlete, recognize their whole being, and pair that with a very player-centric philosophy.”
Recognizing the high expectations of Cate students and the rigor of the academic schedule, Moore adapted her coaching style accordingly, understanding that success comes from considering the whole student and every aspect of their life. This might look like beginning practice with music or an engaging activity that brings the team together, all to recognize a student’s personal and athletic goals. With her newfound approach, the success on the hardwood was quick to follow.
In her first year as an assistant coach with the program (2017-18), the girls basketball team made its deepest playoff run to date, advancing to the CIF Division 5A semifinals before falling to eventual champion Oakwood. In her first year as head coach (2019-20), Moore led the Rams to an undefeated season in the Frontier League (8-0), advanced to the CIF quarterfinals, and was named Coach of the Year.
Moore, whose mother, Beth, played basketball at UCLA and was a member of the women’s 1978 championship team, attributes her success to the coaches who influenced her, particularly John Wooden, whom she met as a young child. Shaped by Wooden and his Pyramid of Success, Moore views coaching as more than just impacting a player’s on-court performance; it’s about inspiring individuals to become the best versions of themselves.
For Moore, what stands out above all else is her family’s fundamental role in the program. Walk into Sprague Gym for any practice or game, and you are bound to see her husband, Casey – an accomplished basketball player in his own right – helping coach and their two-year-old son, Leigh, practicing his dribbling skills on the sideline. Her mother was the scorekeeper at games, and her grandmother was, at times, the only fan in the stands.
“It is very much familial,” Moore said of the team’s culture. “Not just how I feel towards my players and how I hope they feel towards me, but also the inclusion of my family day in and day out. There is a prevailing attitude of ‘we’re in this together,’ and I genuinely care about the students as individuals, beyond their roles as athletes.”
The player-centric focus is facilitated by the boarding school environment where a coach also serves as a teacher, dorm parent, and, in some cases, an advisor – a dynamic that Moore says has helped her coaching experience.
While she has shifted her approach in many ways, Moore has always kept her competitive edge and contends that traditional excellence and character development don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
“It doesn’t have to be one or the other,” Moore said. “That’s the important thing about Cate athletics. We’ve bridged the two very successfully, and that is what makes Cate unique.”
The Cate Way
As a small school of just 300 students, Cate consistently competes against much larger public schools, which spend much more time training and practicing year-round. Not only do they compete, but they often emerge victorious – a testament to the culture and philosophy of athletics at Cate.
When asked to pinpoint a moment that encapsulates this philosophy, Athletic Director Wade Ransom didn’t need to look far, recalling the recent CIF girls tennis championship from the fall. Historically one of the stronger programs at Cate, the Rams reached the pinnacle despite not having a single player who plays year-round tournament tennis.
Every school they beat had multiple such players, and all schools had more than 2,000 students. The team consisted of hardworking multi-sport student-athletes, juggling numerous commitments, who found time to practice tennis throughout the year because they loved the sport.
“It’s a testament that we can do it our way,” Ransom said. “That our emphasis on students participating in multiple sports isn’t hurting us – it’s actually making us better.”
Senior leader on that championship team, Caroline Batchelder ’24, described the group’s connection as “transcending the idea of wins and losses.” “There is a collective understanding now that no matter what happens, we have each other’s backs – we are a family.”
Evaluating the program in the future, Ransom is trying to live up to the standard where all students have the opportunity to do something they love or find something new that is exciting. Continuing to have gender-inclusive offerings where students are free to be themselves and compete while ensuring that no students are left behind.
“I think that the ever-changing world of high school athletics has put a spotlight on a very narrow group of student-athletes, but as we know, 98% of the kids playing are never going to play beyond high school,” Ransom said. “So, how can we continue to ensure that this experience is extremely special, extremely enjoyable, and creates satisfaction that goes far beyond wins and losses?”
Modeling an education-based athletics philosophy, or what Ransom refers to as “The Cate Way,” is a good place to start.