ATHLETICS
The Robert T. Low Turf Field—featuring brand-new turf and lights—plays host to a field hockey game against KUA on October 8, 2021.
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR HOLDERNESS ATHLETICS BY GREG KWASNIK
C
ayla Liptak had only been on the Holderness School campus a few weeks this summer when she decided to jump into the Holderness 100, an annual 100-mile bike ride through the White Mountains.
lifelong fitness and a love of the outdoors. Throughout the process, Jenna has asked for significant input from her athletics staff—including newcomers like Cayla and Strength and Conditioning Coach Andrea Sweet.
“When I heard there was a 100-mile ride, I thought ‘What a way to see the neighborhood that was around me. Let’s give it a shot,’” says Cayla, the school’s new assistant athletics director and field hockey coach.
“I’m super psyched about both of their fresh eyes and new energy to see, what can we do? What’s possible for athletics here at Holderness?” Jenna says. “What can we say yes to, and what makes sense to say yes to that makes our experience for our whole community better?”
While Cayla saw a bit more of the neighborhood than she anticipated—her group took a wrong turn somewhere near Sanbornton and added 15 miles to the ride—her enthusiastic, let’s-give-it-a-shot attitude perfectly exemplifies the energy and new perspectives driving Holderness athletics this season. Led by new Athletics Director Jenna Simon, the department is busy implementing an athletics master plan that emphasizes a holistic approach to high school athletics, with a focus on encouraging
26 | Holderness School Today
THE PLAN The school’s new athletics master plan has been several years in the making. In 2017, the school convened an Athletics Council to consider what the future of Holderness athletics could look like. The council decided athletics at Holderness should focus on five main areas: character development and athletic culture; strength and conditioning; nutrition;
