When John Davidson became the Dean of Students at the Mastery Charter School's Lenfest campus in Center City in 2010, the athletic program was basically nonexistent. The retention number for male students was declining after their freshman year.
He felt they were related and proposed a solution – starting a football team.
"The original proposal was shot down," said Davidson, who had previously coached football for five years at George Washington High School. "And then in February of 2011, I had another proposal based on the retention numbers and how our students were no longer staying after the ninth grade. They were transferring to other high schools that had sports. We had a lot of extracurriculars, but we didn't have any varsity PIAA-recognized sports.
"And then we launched varsity football and varsity basketball the next year. It evolved from that point, and our retention numbers have not decreased in young men since that day."
With a roster of 44 first-time players, including 12 sophomores who had chosen to stay, Mastery Charter North took the field for its inaugural game on September 2, 2011.
"We played Jenkintown High School in the first game we ever played. We won ... and then lost eight straight," Davidson laughed. "And then won the last two. So we went 3-8 the first year, 8-3 the second year, and then 10-1 the third year and in the (Philadelphia Public League) championship game."
From that beginning 15 seasons ago, Mastery Charter North's football team has experienced some success, reaching the league championship game four times. Davidson has been on the sideline for every game, and in recognition of his success both on and off the field, he is the Philadelphia Eagles High School Coach of the Week.
"I was surprised," Davidson said of the honor. "It speaks volumes to just, I guess, my tenure in the position of coaching, and that someone recognized that my efforts and the time that I put in mean something to the Eagles organization.
"And the Eagles organization, they've been in collaboration in support of Mastery in some way, shape, or form, since I started the football program. This goes back to former Head Coach Andy Reid and the (Top Achievers program), when students who had over a certain GPA could come for lunch at the NovaCare Complex.
"I don't think I'm where I am at Mastery in terms of the football program developing and evolving without some of the support of the Eagles. So I'm thankful. I'm humbled. Especially with all the coaches in the City of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties who I'm sure are worthy, as well. I'm appreciative that I'm acknowledged and recognized."
With a 4-2 record in the Philadelphia Public League District 12 after shutting out Central 28-0 on Friday, the Mastery Charter North Pumas are not a traditional team in that they have students who come from its five network campuses – Lenfest, Thomas, Shoemaker, Pickett, and Hardy Williams.
And even though they're not all classmates, they are all teammates, and share an all-for-one relationship.
"That evolves during the summertime in camp, where we work very diligently to build relationships and bonds, especially for new players," Davidson said. "The players who played the year before, they've been together for years. So they have those relationships.
"But the one thing we've done is unify campuses through football. All the cheerleaders come together, the campuses come together. There's a homecoming party we do every year where all the campuses are invited. So it creates more of a unified atmosphere.
"We're not in one building, but with Mastery football during this particular time of the year, it's a pretty unique experience not only for our students, but for our staff who may not know each other from other campuses, but come to the games. They meet each other and enjoy the atmosphere."
While earning a victory each time they take the field is the goal, it's not the only one. More wins than losses are great, but Davidson wants his players to find success after the scoreboard clock reaches 0:00.
"The No. 1 thing I've always said is, 'I'm not here to coach football. I'm here to create better young men and better young women,'" said Davidson, who also serves as the principal of the Mastery Charter School's Lenfest Campus. "That's the goal. Football will end one day, as we all know, but you being a great husband or wife or partner will last forever. You being a parent will last forever.
"Football will go away, and who are you? What kind of person you are post-that is super important. So my goal is to build character. Our alumni's strong. They come back. We have businessmen. We have gentlemen working in education, gentlemen in law enforcement, gentlemen in the military. A lot of my players are across all areas of employment and their careers. So I'm thankful in this short time of only 15 years that our alumni are very strong references to student performance post-high school."
During that same time, Davidson not only initiated the evolution of the football program, but Mastery Charter's entire athletic department. He wrote a grant to improve its weight room in 2016 after they had been depending on a makeshift gym with items bought off of Craigslist or from gyms that were getting rid of outdated equipment. And in the spring of 2024, they opened a new stadium on the Pickett Campus in Germantown.
"Coach Davidson's leadership has always extended beyond the field," said Kyle Epps, the Athletic Director at Mastery Schools. "He has never wavered in holding players, coaches, and himself accountable to the highest standards, while working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure equity for his athletes. What sets him apart is his inclusive vision; he has built a program that enriches not only the players, but also the Mastery network and the surrounding community.
"And the development of first-class facilities are all achievements that reflect his commitment. Most importantly, his leadership has extended beyond football, creating an inclusive culture where students, families, and the broader community feel connected, supported, and empowered."
Emphasizing character development over winning, what makes the only head coach the football team has ever had most proud is what occurs off the field.
"It's graduation. Seeing my senior football players get a diploma. Young men who we had in ninth grade who couldn't put their shoes together at first maybe, or couldn't catch a pass. And now they're graduating and going on to the next phase of their lives," Davidson said.
"If you play in this program and you stayed for two years or more, you're graduating. It has been the model. I'm very big on academics. I'm very big on student achievement. And I'm not asking you to be a Rhodes Scholar or to cure cancer, but I'm making sure that you understand that without that diploma, without post-secondary knowledge of some sort, whether it be training or college or the military, it's difficult to navigate our world in today's time. You have to have those skill sets.
"But the other part on top of graduation is the camaraderie and relationships that have been built over the 15 years at Mastery with players and staff members. Because the kids, it's not just a football team anymore, it's become a community. And it's the relationships that you have in the community, the relationships you have inside the schools, the parents' involvement, and also getting good talent. And doing it the right way. As long as I'm the head coach, we're always going to do it the right way when it comes to Mastery North football."
