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Honoring a Legend: JOHN GARDNER PREPARES TO RETIRE
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FEATURE
The Avonian // FALL 2019
BY MORGAN C. CUGELL
J
ohn T. Gardner arrived at Avon Old Farms School in 1975; 45 years later, he prepares to retire from the school he helped transform into the best school for boys—and almost single-handedly put on the
map, athletically, with his unprecedented, legendary performance as the head coach of Avon’s varsity hockey team, now one of the premier programs in the country.
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The winningest hockey coach in the history of New England prep school hockey, John heads into his 45th season as head coach of Avon’s varsity hockey team. He has amassed an astonishing record of 775-276-51, with eight New England Division 1 prep school championship titles and 10 Founders League titles, a record far more impressive and successful than that of any other prep school coach in New England.
John Gardner gave me an opportunity to attend an amazing school and helped me immensely on my path to the NHL. He started out as my coach and has grown into a true friend, and I’m very proud of all that he has accomplished in his amazing – NICK BONINO ‘07 career.
The Avonian // FALL 2019
John has coached three Olympians, including Brian Leetch ’86, considered by many the best American-born defenseman in the history of hockey; Jon Quick ’05, who has won two Stanley Cups as the starting goalkeeper for the L.A. Kings; and Nick Bonino ’07 who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is now playing for the Nashville Predators. John has also coached hundreds of college players; more than a dozen of his players have played in the NHL, and 42 total Avon alumni have played professionally. John is no stranger to the single-sex educational environment: he was a threesport athlete at Salisbury School, where he grew up. His father taught at the all-boys prep school. John competed on the football, hockey, and baseball teams at Salisbury, and also at Wesleyan University, where he attended college. In November 2011, in recognition of his many contributions to the school's athletic program, John was inducted into the Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame. He was was the starting goalkeeper for the first three varsity men’s ice hockey seasons at Wesleyan (1971-74) and collected 1,742 saves in 50 career games. Following his remarkable Wesleyan experience, John joined the Avon Old Farms community, and has been an integral part of the faculty and administration ever since. He has served in a number of capacities over
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I was having a tough time those first two months of the year with my adjustment to the school. Being able to go to coach on a daily situation with hockey practices and games all throughout the week, and having that personality and having like a father figure, a teacher, but also someone that spoke to you like an individual was a big deal... He was unfiltered and knew how to talk in the locker room one way, and knew how to talk as an athletic director in a different way. It was all genuine and was all so that everyone was comfortable in that setting... He was very good at learning personalities – B R I A N L E E TC H ’ 8 6 quickly.
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I worked with John Gardner for 38 years, and for 21 years John was my associate headmaster or provost, and the person in charge of the day-today operations of the school. In that role, he was a tireless, dedicated servant of Avon who was universally respected for his focus on our mission and on serving our students. I have always been impressed by John’s ability to connect with our boys. He is the quintessential school leader, whose contributions to Avon for the better part of five decades have been immense. As an administrator, coach, teacher, advisor, mentor, and colleague, John excels. He is an iconic figure throughout New England prep schools, not only for his success in winning hockey championships, but also for his commitment to the time-tested values upon which our schools were – KEN LAROCQUE, FORMER HEADMASTER built.
the years, including mathematics teacher, athletic director, provost, and, most recently, associate headmaster to Ken LaRocque. Currently, John’s part-time position is senior transition advisor to new headmaster Jim Detora; he also works to support the Admission Office and the Alumni and Development Office. He plans to retire from administrative work while continuing to coach the varsity hockey team. John dedicated himself and his career to coaching and teaching, and has been honored many times for his success. In 2010, he received the John Mariucci Award from the American Hockey Coaches Association, the top honor given to a secondary school ice hockey coach. He also received the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance Gold Key in 2010 for outstanding achievement in coaching. Other winners of this prestigious award include baseball's grand old man Connie Mack; President George H.W. Bush; Gordie Howe; Rebecca Lobo; Jim Calhoun; Gene Sarazen; Willie Pep; and Bill Rodgers. As a hockey coaching legend in Connecticut and around the country, John is renowned for his work behind the bench, and he continues to devote as much time as he can to getting
The Avonian // FALL 2019
better. “You have to be learning all the time, otherwise you fall behind,” he notes. “Is it the same game? Yes. Has it changed? Yes. You have to stay current. Sticks are lighter; equipment is better. The kids are bigger, they skate faster, and they shoot the puck harder. “I rely upon my experience,” he states. “But I still do PD. I go to the colleges to watch local practices and talk to the coaches. You get good ideas out of that talking one-on-one.” Over time, John learned that a boy’s character is equally important as his hockey skills— so he makes a point of talking to parents. “I’m too old to deal with bad kids,” he observes. “Kids make mistakes, of course. Do they have some faults? Of course. But I genuinely think the kids I bring in are good kids.” It wasn’t always so easy, John explains, noting that he had to work hard to build up the program. “People didn’t know about Avon, or prep school hockey, for that matter; it boomed in the early ’80s with the expansion of the NHL. Just like football is now so big in New England because of the success of the Patriots, San Jose and Dallas are hot spots for hockey because of their pro teams. “But initially, you had to really work at it,” he says. "Kids were going to other schools that had reputations of academic excellence. You had to really hustle." As the hockey team began to thrive, the academic program followed suit. “I was hired to coach hockey,” John states. “It took me a few years to turn around the program, and I got a lot of good kids. We were able to set a pretty good standard. It really put the school on the map. “But you know, Ken LaRocque made the school better by branching out and supporting other things, such as the arts and the academic program, and he didn’t do it at the expense of the athletic program. He was really interested in sports, but wanted to expand our offerings. “One reason we became an in-demand school is that we were attracting so many top
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John is the type of friend and colleague everyone should have. If you ask him his opinion or for advice, he will always give you the honest answer. It will be unfiltered and maybe not what you want to hear, but it will be rooted in the wisdom that comes from working at a boys’ school for the last 45 years. It’s why you come to him. He is one of the smartest, most thoughtful people I know and I value his opinions as much as anyone. John’s legacy is, of course, tied to the success of the AOF athletic program and our hockey program in particular. When John arrived in 1975, Avon was not the athletic power it is today. But what people might not know is that John is a school guy first who has served the school in just about every capacity imaginable—from teacher and coach to the associate headmaster position. When it comes to boys, John possesses the ‘it’ factor. He gets them and they get him. The boys look for John’s approval and they aim to please him. Avon’s place among the upper echelon of boys’ schools in New England is directly related to John Gardner and what he has done in the hockey world. Simply put, he put Avon athletics on the map. – B R I A N D OY L E , D E A N O F S T U D E N T S
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Coach Gardner was the ultimate mentor and player's coach. There wasn’t a day that went by that you didn’t want to go to the rink to learn, play, and battle for him and your teammates. He cares about his players both on and off the ice, while at – JOHN MORI '05 Avon and long after graduation.
athletes,” John explains. “Having a top-tier program helped the school at a crucial time, both academically and financially. I have never seen so many kids applying for a hockey place. Between the rink renovation, the tradition of the program, and the fact that last year two kids were drafted in the NHL first round...it's great publicity, and our admission numbers are off the chart. “It’s good problem to have!” After 45 years of living and working at Avon Old Farms, John Gardner knows one thing for sure: consistency—despite the forward progression of time and technology, and a new breed of students—is exactly how Avon has cemented its standing as one of the preeminent prep schools for boys. “I always say the school has changed a lot, but it’s stayed the same in a lot of ways,” John observes. “Our mission hasn’t changed. What we are really hasn’t changed. We’ve gotten a little bit bigger, and we’ve added a lot of new buildings. I think we focus on serving the students better, but Avon’s mission is really the same.” Despite the daily rigor to which he, his assistant coaches, and players have grown accustomed, John makes sure that both on and off the ice, they know he’s more than just their coach. He spends significant time in the locker rooms just enjoying being around his players and having fun. “You try to make sure you have an open door, and that they feel comfortable talking to you—you hope they do,” he explains. “You try to connect with them and let them know you’re there for them. They have to buy in, and see the opportunities that they have. If they’re frustrated in some way, you have to give them ways to improve and get better. “After a while, it’s experience,” John maintains. “You’ve been there, done that, seen that. The one thing I’ve learned is how important it is to connect with the kids. They’re teenage boys; they need humor. I joke
The Avonian // FALL 2019
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Coach Gardner has changed the lives of countless students and players by his encouragement, passion, and commitment to helping us to become better men. He has been an inspiration to everyone who has walked through the Quad at Avon. – VINCENT MANCUSO '81
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After playing for Coach Gardner as a student, it is a bit surreal coaching with him 20 years later. He has been a mentor for me personally and professionally. Working with him is an opportunity 'I appreciate every day. He has positively touched the lives of thousands of hockey players and I am grateful to learn from one of the best American high school hockey coaches ever. – G E O F F B A R LOW ’ 9 8
The Avonian // FALL 2019
around with them, because it breaks down a lot of the barriers—and relieves the tension amid some of the tougher hockey moments. “You feel it,” he continues. “You read body language; you know the kids on your team just like you know the kids in your class. You break the tension if you notice that as a group they’re not on the same page. “It’s not life or death,” he laughs. “It’s a stupid game played by adolescent boys. You feel stuff, and you know it. You react.” It’s an approach that John finds equally beneficial as a faculty member. In fact, he believes that the relationship-driven model of learning is what sets Avon apart from other schools. “Because we’re all boys, we have a unique advantage,” he observes. “We can focus on boys—we know what makes them tick and what motivates them, so we can focus on that in the classroom, and sports, and residential life. Those are essentially the three components of life at Avon.” John is quick to acknowledge that today’s students grew up in a different world than when he began 45 years ago, but notes that Avon has the ability to develop good young men. “I think we teach them the right values,” he says. “They need to learn that hard work and honesty will win out in the end. We have to do a good job teaching responsibility.” Though John’s work as a faculty member will end next year, he’ll continue to coach for as long as he feels is appropriate: “When I stop looking forward to it, it will be time to stop,” he states. “But I enjoy going to the rink every day. I love talking with the kids, and working with them. It’s relational learning. You’re teaching all the time, because they’re listening all the time. You’re teaching important things, more important than hockey: how to act; how to react. These are learning moments. “They learn to live on their own—to make their own decisions, and live with those
decisions. That’s Avon—it goes beyond giving them a good education and getting into college. We want them to grow up and be responsible.” John recalls a former student who told him, “’I don’t remember anything about my chemistry class, but I do remember that talk I had with you one night in Pelican dorm.’ “You try to remember why you’re here,” he states. “You’re here to help the students. To help boys become men, and to teach them the right values, so that when they graduate from Avon, they’re ready to go to college, and hopefully we’ve supplemented what the parents have taught at home. “I honestly didn’t realize it at first,” John continues, recalling former Director of Admissions Frank Leavitt ’52, who used to tell students, “‘The reason we’re here is because you’re here.’ It’s corny, but he was right,” John says. “It’s not about me; it’s about the kids in your dorm, in your class, on your team— that’s what it’s about. “You’re here because these kids are here and it’s your job to help these kids be better students, better athletes, and better people. To me that’s the most important part. “It’s really not just about hockey. You’re helping kids find their way.”
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