Faculty & staFF news

Longtime Belmont Hill science faculty member John McAlpin recently wrote a poignant song in tribute to Buck O’Neil, who played for and managed the Kansas City Monarchs in baseball’s Negro League. Buck later became a scout for the Chicago Cubs organization in Major League Baseball and eventually MLB’s first Black coach. He mentored “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks and signed Lou Brock, both Hall of Fame players.

“I was listening to ‘Morning Edition’ on NPR in late December and a story came on that revealed Buck O’Neil was going to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this July,” Mr. McAlpin recalls. “I knew Buck’s story and I have always admired this humble, gracious, and dignified man and was actually feeling quite overjoyed about his inclusion. About an hour later, the lyrics were written and the melody and chorus were clearly defined for me, too.”

Mr. McAlpin says that Buck’s story resonated with him because Buck is likely one of the last people MLB will be able to celebrate to connect the modern game with the racial realities of baseball at the start of Buck’s career in 1937. “Buck’s exclusion from the Hall of Fame in 2006, by a single vote, and the remarkable dignity and generosity he extended to others in the face of that great disappointment stuck with me,” Mr. McAlpin states. “His exclusion was not a matter of race. Seventeen other Negro League players and executives were inducted in 2006, and Buck is quoted as saying he would have felt awful if any of them had been excluded if he had been included. He was an incredibly gracious man who chose kindness, compassion, and love of the game over personal achievements. There is no one quite like Buck and, unfortunately, he passed away two months later.” Now, 16 years later, Buck will be a member of the Hall of Fame in 2022. “There is something so heartening about that for me. The word ‘justice’ comes to mind.” Although he wrote the song, Mr. McAlpin states that he is not a musician. “My friend Jim Wooster, who is the executive director of Club Passim in Harvard Square, is an exceptional musician who was in a band back in the day called The Courage Brothers with frontman and ‘local hero’ Todd Thibaud.” He explains that Jim is a baseball fan and Todd already had a number of baseball-themed songs in his extensive catalog, including the theme to the College World Series,“Back Home in Omaha,” written for ESPN. “Todd and Jim took on ‘Dear Buck’ with passion and professionalism which we hope feels understated, respectful, dignified, and demonstrates our affection and admiration for the life and legacy of the man it honors.”

Mr. McAlpin hopes that the song will provide an important American history civics lesson and will help illuminate the inspirational depth of Buck O’Neil’s character, decency, and kindness. “I was not inspired to write a song about a baseball player,” he explains, “but Buck was a one-of-a-kind human being who also played baseball.” Before listening to the song, he recommends watching an MLB Network program featuring Bob Kendrick discussing Buck O’Neil with Harold Reynolds. Former MLB player Harold Reynolds interviews Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, and provides the sense of the depth of admiration and affection Buck O’Neil engenders in the lives of people who know his unique story and journey. He hopes the song inspires in ways that Buck inspired. “I think this is a moment in baseball that is unlikely to ever come this way again, and I think our song ‘Dear Buck’ can be part of that moment. Buck represents the best in all of us!”

You can listen to the song by scanning this QR code.

Walker Coppedge ’94 will serve as the School’s new director of college counseling beginning this fall. Mr. Coppedge has worked as the School’s senior associate director for the past six years. Prior to that, he served for a decade at Tufts University in a senior management role in the undergraduate admissions office. Before his time at Tufts, he coordinated the application process at The Epiphany School for a diverse population of students and families. “Beyond his impressive professional background, Mr. Coppedge’s interpersonal skills and emotional attunement are so well suited to meeting the needs of our boys and parents alike,” Mr. Schneider says. “He is an outstanding advocate for our boys given his deep understanding of the college landscape and the culture of Belmont Hill.”

Mr. Coppedge states that he was thrilled to receive the news of his new appointment. “I have so enjoyed my time in the office over the last number of years working with Casey Bobo, Sharon Patton, and Charlie Doar, and I can’t wait to continue to build on the good work we have done in the years to come.”

This spring, Belmont Hill varsity hockey coach Brian Phinney was named 2022 Prep Hockey Coach of the Year by New England Hockey Journal. The hockey team had a remarkable season and qualified for the New England Elite 8 Tournament. They went on to defeat St. Sebastian’s in the quarterfinals at Belmont Hill, then traveled to Avon Old Farms where they scored a semifinal victory. In the finals, they hosted Salisbury School and fell short with a hard-fought loss. The team’s final record was 17-3-3.

Coach Phinney admits to being pleasantly surprised with this honor from New England Hockey Journal. He believes that much of the team’s success was due to the hard work of the players and, more specifically, the leadership of the senior class. “They helped to build and solidify a strong team culture, and that culture was what drove our team,” he states. “We, as coaches, just gave the boys space to find their way. It is obviously an honor to be recognized, but it’s the full group of players and coaches that deserve the recognition.”

At Belmont Hill, Coach Phinney is an associate director of admission, a history teacher, and a Form I head advisor. He coaches lacrosse as well. He began his tenure as varsity hockey coach in 2021. Prior to Belmont Hill, he served as an assistant coach at Middlebury College, as well as at the Salisbury School. He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at UMass-Amherst. A native of Vermont, Coach Phinney played hockey at Middlebury College where they won two NCAA titles, including during his senior year when he was captain and All-American. He also played lacrosse at Middlebury, capturing an NCAA title during his freshman year. After graduation, he played four seasons of professional hockey in Sweden.

He says that the most rewarding part of coaching at Belmont Hill is getting to be a part of each player’s journey and helping them along the way. “I am just getting to the point where I have been at Belmont Hill long enough to have my former Middle School history students on the varsity hockey team,” he notes. “Seeing them grow and develop as student-athletes over that time span is pretty special.”

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1. Congratulations to Brooke and

Matt Ziff on the birth of their daughter, Violet Zoe Ziff, on June 24, 2022.

2. Congratulations to Lindsey Taylor and her husband, Jack, on the birth of their daughter, Casey Coen

Taylor, on July 23, 2022.

3. Tay and Cameron Chittock welcomed their second daughter,

Taren Taylor Chittock, born on

March 14, 2022. She joins twoyear-old big sister Rowe.

4. Julia and Chuck Gorman welcomed their third daughter,

Anna Abigail Gorman, on June 2, 2022.

published

Staff member CAMERON CHITTOCK published a graphic novel, Mapmakers and the Lost Magic, beautifully illustrated by Amanda Castillo. The story is the first in a trilogy of middle-grade graphic novels published by Random House Graphic.

Katherine Fast (spouse of faculty member DOC FAST) released her debut novel in April, The Drinking Gourd, a mystery set in the 1970s. The story is intended as part of a series, entitled A Casey Cavendish Mystery, with the second book due in 2023.

In June, Lucy Keating (spouse of faculty member TOBIAS MCDOUGAL) released her third novel, Ride With Me, published by Clarion Books. Ms. Keating is also the author of two other young adult novels, Dreamology and Literally.