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NEPSAC ® News
SPECIAL SECTION NEPSAC in Paris: Meet some of the NEPSAC alumni 2024 Olympians
Catching Up with Shelli and Mark Perkins
Building a Winning Mindset
How to Model Sportsmanship through Emotional Regulation
GPresident’s Letter
Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School
reetings to all, and happy new year! I hope this note and NEPSAC News finds you all doing well and not too overwhelmed and crazy at the start of another school year. The NEPSAC Board has been back at it, too, working to help ensure another successful year of fairly played competitions among our 180 member Independent schools across New England.
Thank you to Laurie Sachs and all our contributors. With your help, we have another outstanding issue for you all. Please be sure to check out all the great articles, particularly the Olympics special section.
While the magazine always highlights some of the amazing things in our communities, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for the many amazing day-today things you do to provide outstanding communities, learning opportunities, and homes where our young people can grow and learn. I also want to extend a personal thank you to the amazing folks of the NEPSAC Board for their countless hours of volunteer service to all of our schools and our entire organization. NEPSAC could not function without your dedication and hard work.
As a small update, I would like to ask that everyone take time here at the start of the year to review the rules and regulations from the NEPSAC Handbook, not only for yourself as an athletic director but also for your school administration, coaches, students, and families. In recent years, we have seen an exponential increase in programs pushing boundaries, schools being unaware of rules and regulations, and an increased sense that “others are not following the rules so why should I?”.
If you have a question about what a school or program might be doing or if you feel they are not following the rules, please start with an AD to AD conversation. If that does not clear the air or solve the problem please use this Google Form to file a grievance with
the NEPSAC Board. When filing a grievance, it is imperative that it comes from the athletic director of the affected school. The form needs to have as much detail as possible and, when possible, any supporting evidence. We are not equipped as a board to be a full investigative unit and we can not respond to the feeling someone may or may not be doing something wrong.
If your school has something they want to appeal to the board for special consideration or something you are looking for support on please use the NEPSAC Appeal Form
Please know that the NEPSAC Board is here to help and support all of our member schools through service to our organization. NEPSAC was established in 1942 as an organization of athletic directors from accredited New England independent schools. While the Association does not function as a regulatory or oversight body (like the NCAA or state public high school associations), NEPSAC does sanction New England championship events in many sports and provides guidance in a variety of issues involving interscholastic athletics in our schools. In recent years the NEPSAC Board has been increasingly asked and charged with overseeing an increasing number of grievances, appeals, and issues between schools.
The Board will continue to do this, but asks for the assistance of all members schools in helping to ensure that each of our own programs are following the rules and regulations and having open conversations with fellow ADs when something arises. If there is anything I or the board can do to help you all please reach out.
All the best, Ryan
TREASURER’S REPORT
by Jim Smucker, Berwick Academy, NEPSAC Treasurer
Thank you in advance for your support this year.
DUES:
All NEPSAC, District and Coaches Associations dues are to be paid online by October 15th.
REMINDERS/TIPS FOR MAKING PAYMENTS ONLINE:
The following resources are behind the password at www.nepsac.org to serve you better and streamline communication within NEPSAC:
» NEPSAC By-Law and Policy Handbook
» NEPSAC NIL Registration
» NEPSAC Grievance Form
» NEPSAC Expulsion Documentation Form
» NEPSAC NIL Policy and Registration Form
To be most efficient it is important that schools only create one account when making their payments. If you don’t remember your login information, simply click on the “Forgot your username or password?” link to enter your email address to receive instructions to reset your password. Remember to check your spam/junk folder for these instruction emails.
Please be aware that there is a processing fee to off-set our cost with every online transaction. We are not able to refund processing fees, so please be diligent about this process and your record keeping.
How To View Your Account
If you already have a Username and Password, go to ‘View My Account’ and enter your credentials to log in. After logging in, you will have access to ‘Payment History.’ Use the available filters to view ALL of them or choose any date range or period.
NEPSAC 2024–2025 MEETINGS
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Tuesday, September 17
Remote 8:15
Tuesday, October 8
Remote 8:15
Thursday, November 21
Boxborough, MA 4:00
Friday, November 22
Annual Meeting, Boxborough, MA
Tuesday, January 7
Remote 8:15
Tuesday, February 11
Remote 8:15
Tuesday, April 29
TBD 9:00
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Thursday, March 27
Fay School 10:00
DISTRICT I
All meetings at Hyde School
Monday, September 9 10:00
Monday, November 11 10:00
Monday, February 24 10:00
Monday, May 19 10:00
Zoom meetings may be held if needed in October, January and April
DISTRICT II
Thursday, October 17
Holderness School 9:00
Thursday, February 13
Tilton School 9:00
Thursday, May 1
New Hampton School 9:00
Bi-weekly meetings on Zoom from August 2024 to May 2025.
DISTRICT III
All meetings at Phillips Academy Andover
Tuesday, October 1 10:00
Tuesday, January 21 10:00
Tuesday, April 30 10:00
DISTRICT IV
All meetings at Westminster School
Thursday, September 26 9:00
Thursday, April 24 9:00
SPORTS MEDICINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT
by Amy Wiggins ATC, LATC; SMAC chair
Neck Guards
All NEPSAC schools are mandated to require hockey neck guards for all games and practices staring this year. Any questions please reach out to Ryan Frost at rfrost@cardigan.org
Rule for blood stains on clothing
CLEAN IT OR CHANGE IT. Please review with your school AD and make sure you have a plan in place for all sports.
Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Every school should have an Emergency Action Plan. If you are in need of help please reach out to SMAC; we can help you! smacchair@nepsac.org
Work Balance
NATA SSAT Committee recently published a paper entitled: A Data-Centric Overview
of job satisfaction and Strategies for Risk Reduction, Recruitment and Retention. We are hopeful this can be shared with athletic directors, medical directors, human resources, business managers to assist you in your work balance.
This will be my last newsletter for SMAC; I am rolling off in November. Grady Congleton will be your new chair with Zach Kershaw as co-chair. I started my career many, many years ago at Lawrence Academy and through all the twists and turns ended my NEPSAC career at Phillips Academy. Thank you for this opportunity. Wishing you all much success in your careers. Best, Amy Wiggins
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Got news to share with other NEPSAC schools? Send the details to communications@nepsac.org and we’ll put it in the next issue.
NEPSAC Annual Meeting
Friday,
New Initiative to Honor Championship Officials
NEPSAC is excited to announce a new initiative to recognize and show our appreciation for the officials who play a crucial role in the success of our tournament championships. Starting with the 2024 fall tournament championships, NEPSAC will provide and honor the officials who work our championship finals with a special “NEPSAC Championship Official” patch.
This patch symbolizes our deep gratitude and acknowledges the high professionalism and dedication these officials bring to every game. By wearing this patch, officials will be recognized as key contributors to the integrity and excellence of NEPSAC championships.
This initiative will not only express our appreciation but also reinforce the standards of professionalism that are vital to the spirit of competition within NEPSAC. We look forward to seeing these patches worn with pride as we continue to uphold the values of fair play and sportsmanship across all NEPSAC events.
Thank you to all the officials who make our championships possible. Your commitment is invaluable, and we are proud to honor you in this meaningful way.
Got news to share with other NEPSAC schools? Send the details to communications@nepsac.org and we’ll put it in the next issue.
NEPSAC ONLINE DIRECTORY
Please continue to update your school information in the online directory with any changes that you might have. It is extremely important that we have accurate contact lists of our athletic departments for a variety of communications. The online system allows for the most efficient way to collect information. Examples of use: Our coaches associations, athletic trainers, schedulers, sports information directors, and equipment managers all need accurate email lists for their important communications. Contact Laurie Sachs communications@nepsac.org if you have any questions.
National Equipment Managers Appreciation Week
Lots of NEPSAC schools showed their love for their equipment managers during National Equipment Managers Appreciation Week in early September.
Remember to tag #nepsac in your social media posts!
BELMONT HILL SCHOOL | BELMONT,
MASSACHUSETTS
Golfer CJ Winchenbaugh ’24 wins New England Amateur Championship
Recent Belmont Hill graduates CJ Winchenbaugh ’24 and John Broderick ‘22 showcased their exceptional talents at the 95th New England Amateur Championship, held at Laconia Country Club in New Hampshire this week. CJ, who heads to Georgetown in the fall, delivered a stunning performance with a course-record 11-under-par 61, including an impressive albatross on the par-5 13th hole. His remarkable play culminated in a playoff victory against John Broderick ’22, a standout golfer at Vanderbilt, securing the championship title.
Broderick, the 2020 champion, demonstrated his skill and competitive spirit, finishing as runner-up for the second consecutive year. His consistent play, marked by six birdies in the final round, brought him even with Winchenbaugh at 11-under before the playoff.
“It’s great to get a win at a tournament like the NE Am,” said Winchenbaugh. “I played some great golf last summer and didn’t feel like I was playing to my expectations so far this summer, so it’s great to feel like my game is back where I want it. I’m ready to see what’s at stake for the rest of the summer and getting into competition at Georgetown.”
Also participating this year were Conner Willet ’21 and Aidan Monahan ’24.
Belmont Hill Head Golf Coach Charlie Doar expressed how meaningful this year’s event was. “It’s pretty special for CJ and John to have had so much success, especially because John has, in many ways, been CJ’s mentor for a few years,” said Coach Doar. “When John was a senior at Belmont Hill and our #1 player, CJ was a sophomore and our #2, so they played a lot of matches against each other in practice and in the same foursome as teammates against other schools, so CJ got a crash course not only in what it means to play great golf, but also how to succeed in the classroom, how to be a leader on
and off the course, and how to represent yourself and your school. John always took so much interest in CJ and his game while CJ always quietly watched how John carried himself. I’m sure the playoff they had at the New England Amateur was surreal and oddly emotional for both of them it was for me too!”
Click here to read the Mass Golf coverage of the event.
On the heels of this incredible win, CJ headed to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship where he played through the round of 16. In August he capped his junior golf days when the Massachusetts boys squad defended its team title in the New England Junior Amateur Championship at GreatHorse. CJ Winchenbaugh earned the individual title for the first time.
Recent Belmont Hill Golf Championship Winners
2024 New England Junior Amateur CJ Winchenbaugh ’24
2024 New England Amateur CJ Winchenbaugh ’24
2023 Massachusetts Young Amateur Joey Monahan ’28
2022 Massachusetts Amateur Conner Willett ’21
2022 Massachusetts Junior Amateur John Broderick ’22
2020 New England Amateur John Broderick ’22
THE
August 2024 Alum of the Month: John C. Virden III ’64, P’89,’91
by Erin Reid P’01,’05
For more than 30 years, John C. Virden III ’64, P’89,’91 served Hotchkiss in various positions, including associate head of school, dean of students, college advisor, and teacher. Perhaps most notable was his role as a coach and steadfast supporter of girls’ athletics.
Virden entered Hotchkiss as a prep. “I hadn’t thought much about going to Hotchkiss, but my father always envisioned me there. At times, I missed my family and wanted to leave, but due to my dad’s support, I always ended up staying,” he said, referring to his father, John C. Virden Jr. ’41, P’64, GP’89,’91. It was the right decision as Virden developed several lasting friendships, including a special bond with Jody Nachman ’64, P’91,’93,’00, GP’21,’23. He was also a member of the Student Council and was active in varsity swimming, baseball, and football.
Virden majored in economics at Lake Forest College and never considered working in education. But after marrying a Lake Forest
undergrad, Martha Recht, in 1969, he took a job teaching math in a public school, followed by 11 years as a math teacher at Lake Forest Country Day School. He was also Lake Forest’s business manager during his final five years at the school.
When the news that the Hotchkiss Board of Trustees had voted to admit women and girls, who first came to campus in the fall of 1974, reached Illinois, Virden was pleased. “I was proud of their decision and wished it had been so when I was a student.”
An opportunity to return presented itself in 1981 when Rusty Chandler ’53, P’82,’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’16,’22,’27 asked Virden if he’d consider running the Hotchkiss Annual Fund. “We decided to move our family to Lakeville—the fact that Hotchkiss had become coeducational was a defining factor as we hoped our girls would qualify for admission. By the time they applied, we knew Hotchkiss would be a great place for them with the quality of the faculty, the curiosity and positivity of the students, and the outstanding facilities. The timing was perfect.”
Virden loved athletics, though he admits his career was sometimes “less than stellar—I learned humility from a Hotchkiss football season of 0 wins, 11 losses! I was in awe of some of the talented athletes I ‘coached’ and was sympathetic to those who worked hard to contribute to the team’s success. ‘Sportsgirlship’ mattered, and winning did not play a decisive role, although I preferred that! We played games well, to be sure, but never lost sight that it was only a game.”
As a coach, he was a natural. Virden started the girls varsity squash team in 1984, leading them to eight Founders League Championships. In 1987, he began his 16 years as head coach of girls varsity tennis, capturing the Founders League Championship seven times.
Former co-director of athletics and longtime coach Robin Chandler ’87 said, “It was a privilege to work with John. Over 22 years, I learned so much, watching him as dean of students, advisor, coach, and my longtime assistant coach with the field hockey team. His care in developing players as athletes and teammates went well beyond the athletic arena, something I always deeply admired.”
Virden received the Martin Williams Souders Memorial Award from the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council in 2015, one of only two awards given annually to a graduate of a New England independent school “who has a distinguished record in sports and who has since made a distinguished record in life through his/her high ideals, leadership, and accomplishments.”
Building character was a significant goal for him, on and off the field. His time as dean of students brought some substantial challenges. “I tried to be fair in the Discipline Committee to respect the rules while at the same time helping kids to understand that we all make mistakes. I hoped those who made mistakes could move on
Coach John Virden with the 1999 girls varsity squash team. He started the team in 1984, leading Bearcats to eight Founders League Championships.
Hotchkiss Alum of the Month August 2024 John Virden
to feel good about themselves. It is character that perseveres and has the greatest impact on young lives.”
Former Head of School Robert H. “Skip” Mattoon Jr. offered the following tribute: “When I arrived at Hotchkiss in the fall of 1996, I had the good fortune of having John just down the hall. I’d already sensed the depth of his commitment, but I soon realized how profound his dedication was. From the heavy student traffic into and out of his office, I could see students sought his advice. As chair of the Discipline Committee, John was both sympathetic and firm. When the verdicts for disciplinary action reached my desk, I almost always concurred. But even in the few cases when I did not, my working relationship with him remained strong. John made my job immeasurably easier by handling many issues, large and small.”
Mattoon also praised Virden for his coaching skills. “By the time I arrived, he had established his credentials as a coach of girls squash, tennis, and field hockey. No doubt this drive was fueled in part by his wife, Martha, and their two daughters, Sarah ’89 and Marnie ’91, but John’s commitment to girls’ athletics was genuine. I witnessed this while watching many games. I particularly enjoyed the team of Robin Chandler and John Virden, two alumni children, as they led the girls field hockey team to one victory after another.”
Virden says he will be forever grateful for his Hotchkiss experience and is happy that his life trajectory brought him home to Lakeville. “The mentors who showed me a better way from 196064 and from 1981-2015 were, and in many ways still are, so important to my growth as a man and professional. I would like to cite and thank three people, among many, who made singular impacts on my life: George Stone, Christy Cooper P’08,’11, and Rusty Chandler.”
THAYER ACADEMY | BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS
Hockey Hall of Fame welcomes Thayer’s Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick ’88 has achieved so much in the world of hockey, but the game’s highest honor had eluded him … until now.
Earlier this week the Hockey Hall of Fame named Roenick to its seven-member Class of 2024. The Marshfield native joins four others in the player category: Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, Krissy Wendell-Pohl, and Shea Weber. Colin Campbell and David Poile were both selected in the builder category.
“I’m so happy,” said Roenick after the announcement was made June 25. “I can’t thank everyone who was behind this honor enough. I’m at a loss for words, and I’m never at a loss for words. Getting over this last hockey hurdle means so much to me.”
A nine-time NHL All-Star, the hard-nosed center more than earned the honor. He joined the Chicago Blackhawks in 1989 at age 19 and never looked back, playing eight seasons there before heading to the Phoenix Coyotes. In all, Roenick played 20 NHL seasons for five different
teams, amassing 513 goals and 703 assists in 1,363 games. Roenick finished his career as the second-highest American-born goal scorer in NHL history.
Internationally, Roenick was twice a member of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. He competed at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and earned a silver medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
During Roenick’s playing days at Thayer, varsity hockey games were simply not to be missed. He and his incredibly skilled teammates — which included Tony Amonte ’89 P ’16, ’18, ’19, ’23, a fellow silver medalist in 2002 who played 17 NHL seasons and, like Roenick, is a member of the USA Hockey Hall of Fame — won both ISL and NEPSAC championships in 1986 before repeating the feat the following year. Roenick was inducted into Thayer Academy’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2002; both the 1986 and 1987 varsity hockey teams were inducted in 2012.
Roenick and his wife, Tracy (Vazza) Roenick ’88, have two children, Brandi and Brett.
Mike Gartner, chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, welcomed Roenick and his fellow honorees and congratulated them on their accomplishment.
“The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these hockey legends as honored members,” said Gartner. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well-documented, and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.” Induction ceremonies are scheduled for Nov. 11 in Toronto.
Got news to share with other NEPSAC schools? Send the details to communications@nepsac.org and we’ll put it in the next issue.
Catching Up with Shelli and Mark Perkins
by Bruce Barton P’13’16, Assistant Director of Major Gifts
Arainy, windy and otherwise dreary April day did nothing to dampen the spirit of welcoming Shelli and Mark Perkins back to campus this spring. The two walked up the steps of Livermore Hall almost as if the intervening 30 years from when they last called Holderness home had somehow magically disappeared. Perhaps it was the fact that the two look ageless. “Trust me, we’re not,” quipped Shelli. Perhaps it was how easily the conversation flowed, as it can with old friends, like we had just seen each other last week. Or perhaps it was just that like so many in the Holderness family, the fact that the Perkins family has been away for some time does nothing to diminish the impact of or their enthusiasm for this little school in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Shelli and Mark came to Holderness in the fall of 1969, Mark having just graduated from Hobart College (All-American in Lacrosse) and Shelli having decided that her final year at William Smith was not enough to keep her away from the person she knew then she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. For the record, Shelli did get her degree from Plymouth State College shortly after arriving at Holderness. So, on to Holderness they came at the
request of Head of School Don Hagerman, and then immediately under the guidance of folks like Ford and Alice Jane Hinman, Don and Pat Henderson, and Ed and Norma Caley. After a brief 18 month hiatus in 1971 in Virginia at the US MIlitary Academy Prep School, which fulfilled Mark’s military obligation during the Vietnam War, they came back to Holderness in 1973. Little did they know at the time that they would spend the next several decades of their lives here. Along the way four children were born and raised, Shelli worked expertly in the Admissions Office welcoming generations of new students, including some who are on the faculty today, and Mark taught math, coached (football, lacrosse and a variety of winter sports), and ran a dorm. Mark’s first administrative assignment was to take over the Athletic Department when Ford Hinman retired after 40 years in that role. If you ever wondered where the design came from for the iconic Holderness sweatshirt (HOLDERNESS in big block letters across the front and the big blue H on the back) wonder no more it was Mark Perkins. “I was at Middlebury College for a game and saw the nice gear they were wearing and I thought, we should do that.” And so, the look that still endures to this day was born.
By the mid-1980s, Mark had moved into the Dean of Students role, a position he would hold until he was appointed Head of School at the Forman School in Connecticut in 1995. After 13 years, Mark retired as HOS at Forman and joined up with old Holderness friend Jay Stroud (then HOS at Tabor Academy) and worked for six years before retiring for good in 2014.
Their easy manner, their concern for and interest in others, and their commitment to building community (big and small) are still in full view in 2024. Walking, recreating on golf and tennis courts, book reading, and various local community committees and initiatives fill their days. Having retired to Woodstock Vermont, Mark and Shelli also now spend much of their time immersed in the lives of their children and grandchildren. Son Jesse ’92 is a lifelong educator currently working at the Frederick Gunn school in Connecticut where he is, no surprise here, an Assistant Dean of Students and runs the school’s summer programs and coaches basketball. Daughter Nina ’94, also a life-long educator, is Associate Head of School and Director of Admissions at the King School in Connecticut, where she shepherds new students to her school the way her mom did at Holderness back in the day. Daughter Juley ’97 is currently in Phoenix working as a Managing Director for JP Morgan Global Asset Management. And son Christian (a proud alum of Forman) lives in Connecticut and works in the education sector for Alumnifire, a company building networks for school’s alumni populations. Five grandchildren also keep Shelli and Mark “on the run and connected to young people just like we have always been” adds Shelli.
Holderness memories endure with Shelli and Mark. Mark recalled building booths for students to sit in at the old snack bar in lower Weld with fellow teacher Steve Gaskill. “The room in lower Weld was big and empty, we needed a space for kids to gather, so Steve and I got to work that was how things were done at Holderness.” Shelli offered that when it was time for Christian to be born, “it was pretty late in the night, so we drove around campus to see if anyone’s lights were still on and we found Bill Burke (current HOS at St. Sebastian’s School in Massachusetts) awake. We said, ‘Bill, we need to go to the hospital. Will you go over to our house and sleep there to look after our kids?’” And of course, he happily did. That was, for the Perkins’, the feeling here, ”we are all raising each other’s children, and all our kids knew both the moms and the dads of the kids they were playing with on campus.” That community bond “ran deep and was so wonderful to raise a family in,” Shelli concluded.
Along with his talents as a “triple threat” faculty member (teacher, coach, dorm parent), Mark was innovative and forward thinking. It was Mark who created, at the urging of Pete Woodward, a Special Program we now call Project Outreach to go with Artward Bound (AB) and Out Back (OB). “I wanted the program to do for returning 10th graders some of the things Out Back did for juniors–push them hard, get them off campus living and working together, and show them just how big the world is,” Mark said. The original name for the program was “Habitat for Humanity” because their mission and Holderness’ mission “were so beautifully aligned.” In the first five years of the program, Mark said, “we went to southwestern PA because they were the first place to say, ‘yes, bring your high schoolers down and let’s get to work’.” Living in church basements, preparing all their own meals and working 8
hours a day building homes, “we had the kind of transformative experience that fit Holderness.” And, not surprisingly, the program has endured. Mark also recalled serving as Director of Technology laying the first cable lines for campus-wide computer connectivity in the mid-1980s. “I would bring Jesse with me, he was all of 12 at the time, and he would get in the crawl spaces under places like Hoit and Rathbun.” Mark would look at Jesse and smile, “drag this with you, and I will meet you at the far end of the building.” Mark summed up Holderness this way, “I was always so happy to get up every day and go to work at Holderness. The students were wonderful, I was doing what I loved, my family was surrounded by great people and I even got paid. What could possibly be better!” Though 30 years separate Shelli and Mark from their active time at Holderness, and granting that they went on to do wonderful things at both Forman and Tabor, they remain firmly rooted in the soil of Holderness School. Legions of students here were the beneficiaries of their talents and care, and the sweatshirt they look best in will always say HOLDERNESS.
Mark Perkins has been working behind the scenes with NEPSAC for almost 10 years. He created the NEPSAC bracketing program for tournaments and designs software that several NEPSAC schools currently use for athletics, academics, admissions and student affairs. Be sure to stop by and say hello to him at the Annual Meeting in Boxborough, Massachusetts on Friday, November 22, 2024.
On the Go with Phillips Academy Andover Phillips Andover Field Hockey does 11-day GoPlay tour to the Netherlands, Belgium & France
Andover head coach Kate Dolan summed up the tour after reflecting on the day trip to Paris to watch the US Women’s Olympic Hockey team in action.
“I think we all wished we could have slowed down time and made that last longer to absorb it all.”
Dolan and her squad were fortunate enough to witness a 1-0 win for the US against a tough South African side, in Paris.
But amazingly their Olympic jaunt was not the highlight for Dolan and her squad. Instead, the three friendly games that Andover played were where the long-lasting memories were made.
“They allowed us to interact and spend time with the club players and their coaches,” said Dolan, whose squad traveled to Ghent and Bruges to take on Belgian opposition.
“When not on the pitch, we visited the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, and toured Amsterdam via bikes and boats. We experienced Ghent and Bruges, Belgian towns with buildings and history dating back several thousands of years. In these towns, we played our three friendly matches.”
The Belgian hosts provided great hospitality and the opportunity for the to two squads to eat together and socialize after the games proved invaluable.
“The experience was beyond anything any one of us could have imagined. Going into it, I think we all felt it would be great, and after it was over, I think we all felt an incredible sense of awe and immense gratitude,” said Dolan.
“It was learning in the world, being in the world, interacting in the world it fulfilled its purpose in every way. We learned a lot about the places we visited, traveling in general, different cultural norms, hockey, each other, and ourselves. To be in the Netherlands, where ‘hockey’ is the sport was amazing. The kids had two practice sessions with amazing Dutch and South African
Sofia Viarengo from KHC Brugge with Andover coaches. coaches, we got to go into the stadium where the FIH World Cup was held a few years back, and into a real ‘hockey shop’.”
Andover’s training base in central Amsterdam had hosted the FIH World Cup several times and it was there the team took on the mindset of playing in Europe.
“One of our biggest takeaways from the training was the coaches’ emphasis on playing in your growth zone where you should be making mistakes by challenging yourself!”
Dexter Southfield Boys and Girls Soccer does 12-day GoPlay Tour to England & Scotland
While Andover students were enjoying themselves in the Netherlands, Dexter Southfield soccer teams were arriving in historic Edinburgh.
Among their cultural experiences was a visit to the famous Edinburgh Castle, which was built around 900 years ago. Having the opportunity to visit a place which such history had a lasting effect on a lot of the students.
Desmond O Connor, Dexter sophomore and captain said: “I enjoyed Edinburgh Castle the most because of the history behind it and the views.”
O Connor also enjoyed watching the English and Scottish soccer games live.
Dexter were lucky enough to see Liverpool vs Sevilla live at Anfield and they also watched St Mirren in action in the Europa League, while they took in a game in London, watching Charlton vs Birmingham in the Carabao Cup. On the Go with Dexter Southfield
Dexter freshman Brett Wohletz also enjoyed the live matches.
“The most exciting part of this trip was going to watch the professional soccer games because it was fascinating to see the environment of those games,” said Wohletz.
Cooper Solomon, Dexter sophomore goalkeeper, also loved the live games that GoPlay arranged.
“The best part of the trip was being able to go and watch professional teams play and see how passionate the fans are,” he said. “It was very cool to see the style of play and the technicality of the players in Europe compared to the U.S.”
Solomon, who said the trip was the ‘highlight of my summer’, also enjoyed the stadium tour at EPL champions Manchester City and he is ‘dying to do it again!’.
“My favorite tourist attraction was the tour of Manchester City. It was amazing to see behind the scenes of a professional European soccer club,” added Solomon.
LEARNING NEW TRAINING METHODS FROM THE U.K. PROFESSIONAL COACHES ON OUR TRIP HAS MADE AN INSTANT IMPACT ON THE PLAYERS’ ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT.
HEAD COACH STEVE CONWAY
Dexter’s boys and girls also played three friendly matches with local opposition and split their time in the U.K. between Edinburgh, Manchester and London.
Head coach Steve Conway said he saw huge benefits for his students.
“From a personal development view, seeing a new culture gives a greater understanding to how people from different parts of the world live. Gaining a better understanding of how people live in different cultures is immediate personal growth.
“Learning new training methods from the U.K. professional coaches on our trip has made an instant impact on the players’ athletic development,” said Conway.
“I couldn’t be happier with how the trip went from the moment we arrived at the airport right until our return. The organization from GoPlay was of the highest customer experiences I have seen. Our bus driver, tour guide and all parties went above and beyond at all times to make this the best experience possible for everyone, including parents and travelling siblings.”
Conway was also impressed with GoPlay’s flexible approach to the itinerary.
“I would encourage any coach to participate in one of GoPlay’s trips. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience for your players, school or club, you should really reach out to GoPlay.
“GoPlay personalized the trip to our needs and showed a lot of flexibility and gave us more than we could have hoped for. Included in all of this was their trip price, making it affordable for everyone that goes a long way. And that is why I will most definitely be going back again for another trip in the future!”
Building a Winning Mindset
by Emma Lange | photo by Paul Thompson
As the summer draws to a close, fall sports are in full swing on campus, with athletes preparing for the upcoming season.
The football team arrived at the end of August, kicking off preseason training, while the boys soccer and girls volleyball programs recently returned from training trips. Joining them back on campus last week were the girls and boys cross country teams, boys water polo, field hockey, and girls soccer, all gearing up for a competitive fall.
In addition to their rigorous two-a-day practices, preseason athletes focused on overall well-being through yoga sessions with the school’s instructor, engaging talks with a sports psychologist, and a variety of team-building activities designed to strengthen camaraderie and boost performance. Energy is high, and the teams are ready to hit the ground running as they prepare for what promises to be an exciting season. Here is a look at opening days competitions.
Devin Markle, a clinical sports psychologist from Quinnipiac University, worked with preseason athletes on cultivating a successful mindset in sports. In a session with the athletes on Wednesday, September 4, in the Olcott Center, Ms. Markle explained that her approach centers on three key pillars: confidence, clarity, and control, each working together to create a mental foundation that empowers athletes to perform at their best.
Confidence is often at the core of the mental game that separates good athletes from great ones, Ms. Markle said. It is not something that just appears; it’s built through intentional habits, one of which is self-talk. Athletes can harness the power of their inner dialogue to reinforce belief in their abilities. She noted that humans have 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day, with about 80 percent of their thoughts being negative. To balance out the negative, Ms. Markle encouraged the use of “I will…” statements simple but powerful declarations like “I will stay focused during the game” or “I will give my best effort.” These affirmations serve as mental cues to remind athletes of their potential, shifting their mindset away from doubt and towards success.
As Ms. Markle moved on to the concept of control, she highlighted the importance of recognizing what athletes can and cannot control. In sports, there are many external factors including referees’ decisions, the weather, and even the actions of opponents that are out of an athlete’s hands. Instead of dwelling on uncontrollable variables, Ms. Markle urged the athletes to focus on what they can control: their effort, preparation, and attitude. By doing so, athletes reduce distractions and perform with greater intensity. The key to mastering control, according to Ms. Markle, lies in focus. When athletes channel their energy into the tasks within their reach, they not only improve their performance, but also feel more grounded and confident.
Clarity, the final piece of Ms. Markle’s mental framework, is about knowing your “why” the deeper motivation behind your hard work and commitment to the sport. For some, it may be the love of competition, while for others it might be about personal growth or achieving a specific goal. Whatever the reason, having clarity gives athletes a sense of direction and purpose, especially when the work gets tough. With a clear “why,” the long hours of practice and the challenges of competition become more meaningful, fueling an athlete’s drive to succeed.
Throughout her session, Ms. Markle weaved together these three elements confidence, control, and clarity — showing the athletes that mental preparation is just as critical as physical training.
The dialogue with Ms. Markle was timely for all athletes, with opening competitions just around the corner. Her advice gave athletes mental tools to handle the pressures of competition, the steadying force achieved by focusing on controllable factors like effort and attitude, and the renewed commitment that stems from identifying one’s personal motivations.
Before working at Quinnipiac, Ms. Markle was a psychological assistant for the Fulton Psychological Group, where she specialized in working with 4- to 18-year-olds, counseling for mental health concerns as well as performance psychology. In 2018, she started her own private practice, which specialized in helping athletes and business people to reach their highest level of performance. From August 2015 to 2018, she served as the codirector of mindset development at the Mamba Sports Academy, where she was responsible for training athletes of all ages and levels and implementing mental skills training with individuals. In addition, she helped design the NBA and NFL Pre-Draft Training Program while working with the Mamba Sports Academy. Ms. Markle earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English at the University of Vermont. She went on to earn a master’s degree in education in counseling and sport psychology from Boston University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from California Southern University.
NEPSAC in Paris
Meet some of the NEPSAC athletes who participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer
Our survey of NEPSAC schools with Olympians gave us a list of 23 athletes, one coach and one staff member from 22 schools who represented Bermuda, Canada, Israel, Puerto Rico and the United States. We will share stories about some of these athletes on the following pages. Here is the list of athletes shared with us by press time. Let us know if we missed anyone.
Meanwhile, please enjoy a round up of articles and social media posts about some of these athletes on the following pages. All are used with permission of the schools.
OLYMPICS
Cycling
Women’s Road Race/Team Pursuit | Kristen Faulkner ’11 | Phillips Academy Andover | USA | ● ●
Equestrian
Show Jumping | Isabella Russekoff ’18 | Sacred
Heart Greenwich | Israel
Fencing
Foil | Sabrina Fang ’23 | Rye Country Day School | Canada
Field Hockey
Alexandra Hammel ’15 | Loomis Chaffee School | USA
Beth Yeager ’21 | Sacred Heart Greenwich | USA
Freestyle Wrestling
Kennedy Blades ’22 | Wyoming Seminary | USA | ●
Rowing
Men’s Single Scull | Dara Alizadeh ’11 | Belmont
Hill School | Bermuda
Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls | Molly Reckford ’11 | Phillips Exeter Academy | USA
Men’s Eights
Chris Carlson ’15 | Brewster Academy | USA | ●
Henry Hollingsworth ’17 | Brooks School | USA | ●
Nick Rusher ’18 | St. Paul’s School | USA | ●
Women’s Coxless Four
Daisy Mazzio-Manson ’16 | Newton Country Day School | USA
Emily Kallfelz ’15 | St. George’s School | USA
Sailing
Mixed 470 | Stuart McNay ’00 | Roxbury Latin School | USA
Track & Field
4x400m Relay | Alexis Holmes ’18 | Cheshire Academy | USA | ●
4x400m Relay/200m Dash/4x100m Relay | Gabby Thomas ’15 | Williston Northampton School | USA | ● ● ●
Women’s Basketball
Tayra Melendez ’12 | The Rivers School | Puerto Rico
Women’s Rugby Sevens
Head Coach Emilie Bydwell ’04 | The Hotchkiss School | USA | ●
Women’s Soccer
Alyssa Naeher ’06 | Christian Heritage School | USA
Sam Coffee ’17 | The Masters School | USA
PARALYMPICS
Rowing
High Performance Director Ellen Minzer | Phillips Academy Andover staff
Mixed Four with Coxswain
Ben Washburne ’19 | Hopkins School | USA | ●
Emilie Eldracher ’18 | Phillips Academy Andover | USA | ●
Swimming
400m Freestyle S10/100m Backstroke S10 | Ali Truwit ’18 | USA | St. Luke’s School | ● ●
Women’s Sitting Volleyball
Sydney Satchell ’10 | The Ethel Walker School | USA | ●
Gabby Thomas ’15 captures three gold medals at 2024 Paris Olympics
by Geoff Smith ’07
Before she became one of the fastest female runners in the world, Gabby Thomas ’15 gave a Commencement speech at her alma mater, Williston Northampton, anchored around one idea: There’s no way to find out what will come, until you step up and race.
The words were a powerful sentiment at the time, and proved prophetic this summer, as Thomas took home three gold medals from the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning the 200-meter race and running legs on the U.S. 4-by-100 and 4-by-400 relay teams. The three golds add to her medal collected from the Tokyo games, where she won bronze in the 200 and silver in the 4-by-100.
Thomas, an accomplished runner in her Williston Northampton days, reached the top of the track and field world this summer after years of hard work and dedication. While Thomas ran to New England championships in her time in Easthampton and is still on the school’s record boards, her path to track stardom wasn’t a straight lane like a 100 she was used to running. In the buildup to Paris, Thomas was the subject of an NBC feature in which athletes were asked to name influential figures in their lives outside of their families. Thomas’ answer: her track coach and math teacher, Martha McCullagh.
“I struggled with running and finding my place in that,” Thomas said of McCullagh, who retired from Williston in 2022. “She was always there for me, and she really helped me fall in love with it. She saw the potential in me and helped me stick with it.”
The video highlights the tremendous bonds built between faculty and students at Williston. It also highlighted the theme Thomas has built on throughout her professional journey, and her Commencement speech: Get up each day and run your race.
Gabby Thomas spoke at Williston’s Commencement. Photo courtesy of Melanie Zacek
“Because while no one here knows how this next race will end for you, there is one thing we do all know: That there’s only one way to find out.”
Thomas is far more than just a track athlete, however. A scholar in her time at Williston, Thomas has a degree in neurobiology from Harvard University, and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas. Thomas, who lives in Texas now, volunteers her time when she’s not training on the track at a clinic in Austin, Texas, for people who don’t have insurance. Gabby Thomas is truly a Williston Northampton hero!
ADDITIONAL HEADLINES
Thomas and her journey to Olympic gold caught the attention of local and national media outlets alike. Below are a selection of stories about Gabby from her time in Paris:
» New York Times/The Athletic feature
» Sports Illustrated feature
» USA Today video feature
» Daily Hampshire Gazette feature
» NEPM radio feature
» NBC10 Boston feature after 200-meter win
» WWLP video feature after 200-meter win
» Western Mass. News video feature after 200-meter win
» Today Show interview
» Daily Hampshire Gazette feature after Olympics ended
CHESHIRE ACADEMY | CHESHIRE, CONNECTICUT
CA alum Alexis Holmes ’18 wins gold at Paris Olympics
Track star anchors women’s 4x400m relay, runs personal best in solo 400m sprint
by Meredith Guinness
Class of 2018 track star Alexis Holmes won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics this month, anchoring the winning team in the women’s 4x400m relay just a day after running a personal best time in the women’s 400m.
Cheshire Academy’s Olympic fever caught the attention of news and social media with NBC CT and ABC News Channel 8 reporting from campus watch parties and many other outlets chronicling her progress.
“I think a lot of the times, kids think ‘that could never be me,’ and she’s really helping our kids to see anything is attainable,”
HOPKINS SCHOOL | NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
Ben Washburne ’19 Wins Silver!
Congratulations are in order for Ben Washburne ’19, the winner of a Paralympic Silver Medal! Ben (first in from left) competed in Paris for Team USA Rowing. He and his teammates earned a silver medal in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain race, falling behind a dominate Great Britain team by 3 seconds, and ahead of bronze medalists France by 5 seconds. To see the race results, click here. Congratulations Ben!
Hopkins School’s Ben Washburne (left) and Phillips Academy Andover’s Emelie Eldracher ’18 (center) with their U.S. PR3 mixed four boat teammates. Photo by Row2k.com
ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL | MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND
Head of School Julie Anderson said as Holmes began her Olympic journey.
After the 400m race, Holmes, who placed sixth and logged a personal best time of 49.77, said the support from home was key for her during her time in Paris.
“Oh my gosh,” she told NBC.
“It’s meant everything to me. It’s really carried me the last two weeks just keeping me grounded. Knowing that I have that love and support, it really means a lot.”
St. George’s Emily Kallfelz ’15 competed in the Women’s Coxless Fours in Paris, where one of her teammates was Daisy Mazzio-Manson ’16 of Newton Country Day School (page 28.)
Photo courtesy of Cheshire Academy
A “Brings-Tears-to-Your-Eyes Moment” for Olympian
Ally Hammel ’15
Ally Hammel ’15 and her U.S. women’s field hockey teammates didn’t make it to the Opening Ceremonies of the Paris Olympics in July. They had some business to take care of — their first game was the next day. So the team had to sacrifice being part of that spectacle. Of course, any athlete who makes it to the Olympics is accustomed to sacrificing along the way.
But the team did make it to the Closing Ceremonies, a memory that will fuel the players for some time.
“Closing Ceremonies were amazing,” Ally said in an interview after she returned home from France. “To see everything the IOC [International Olympic Committee] put into the Games and how much it meant to Paris to host the Olympics, and to see the transfer from Paris to Los Angeles was pretty spectacular. To be able to stand there and sing our national anthem and know the Games are coming to the United States in ’28 was just an incredible feeling, a brings-tearsto-your-eyes moment.”
Ally is refilling that cup because her life has been busy, and not just on the field. Not that she’d trade it for anything else. She became engaged to Travis Kauffman in June, right around the time that the United States named its field hockey team for the Olympics. “It was a pretty crazy June,” she said.
And a pretty crazy July in Paris. Travis and her parents were there to see her compete in the Olympics.
“Family means everything to me, so to have them there and for them see me compete was a priceless moment,” Ally said.
She didn’t start playing field hockey until she was in the seventh grade on a club team started by her mother on the South Shore of Boston and became a three-time league champion at Duxbury (Mass.) High School, an All-American in her post-graduate year at Loomis Chaffee, and a two-time All-American at Boston University.
The U.S. field hockey team was eliminated in pool play in Paris; the team finished with one win, one draw, and three losses. Ally would like to make it to LA in 2028 but knows there is a lot of time between now and then.
“It depends on where I am mentally and physically, and we always talk about international careers [being] fleeting and you have to take advantage of it when you have the opportunity,” Ally said. “I am very grateful to have had the opportunity and experience at the Paris Games and of course would love to make ’28, but it is four years away and I understand things change. Right now, we’re looking forward to the World Cup in ’26 and making an impact.”
The World Cup will be held in August 2026 in Wavre, Belgium, and Amstelveen, Netherlands. The team will begin training this fall for the World Cup qualifying tournament, the Pan Am Cup, to be held in March 2025. For now, Ally has some much-needed down time.
“Something we talk about and is a huge value for us is joy,” Ally said. “We understand that to contribute to the team and program, your own cup has to be full. I can’t be my best self if I am not taking care of myself. So, we’re taking the time we need.”
“She introduced me to field hockey,” Ally said of her mom, Jennifer. “She had played at the University of Connecticut under Nancy Stevens, such a legend in field hockey in the U.S. I definitely owe my mother a big thank you. She is the one who encouraged me to dream, to work hard. My parents, both of them, were so encouraging [her father Bill was a swimmer at UConn]. They never said I couldn’t. And they were always realistic with me and where I stood, which was very helpful because I think I have a realistic view of where I am day to day, ... so I am very grateful and appreciative of them for pushing me, always believing in me, and loving me no matter what happens.”
Her mother was an NCAA first-team regional All-American for Coach Stevens, who led UConn to 520 wins and three national titles in 30 seasons.
Ally said she also owes a big thank you to Loomis Chaffee.
I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND EXPERIENCE AT THE PARIS GAMES
“Loomis Chaffee helped me grow as an individual and an athlete,” Ally said. “I played for Bobbi Moran, who is an absolutely incredible woman. She really pushed me to work hard for what I have. I was pretty skilled going into Loomis, but she showed me I needed to work my butt off for what I wanted. She’s involved in the U.S. program, so I was able to pull that experience from her and understand what I needed to
Ally Hammel in Paris in the Ralph Lauren-designed Team USA jacket.
do to achieve my goals. I knew I wanted to play field hockey in college, and I knew I aspired to play on the U.S. team. She taught me how to set goals and, again, work for what I wanted rather than just relying on my skills.”
Ally said the classroom at Loomis “is very much like a college or university. ... It is your responsibility to take care of everything that you need to take care of. To have that experience and learn how to manage my time on and off the field was important to me going into BU, which was a challenging school academically and, on the field, so having that experience at Loomis was everything I needed to have success later on in my career.”
A career that now includes the Olympics.
She said she’ll never forget the feeling of stepping onto the field and sharing that moment with her teammates, calling it “something I will remember for rest of my life.”
That and all the other experiences — meeting Olympians in other sports, living in the Olympic village, going to events after the field hockey team was eliminated, including seeing the U.S. women’s soccer team win gold, and feeling the Olympic spirit up close and personal, when most us can just get a glimpse on TV — are memories for a lifetime.
“So many countries, so many different people able to come together on such a huge international stage. ... You see special moments happening,” Ally said. “Athletes and spectators supporting one another. It’s like the world coming together a little bit, and that is special and what the Olympics are built upon.”
ST. LUKE’S SCHOOL | NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT
St. Luke’s students and staff turned out to cheer on Ali Truwit ’18 from afar, as she earned one of two silver medals in the Paralympic Games in Paris.
CHRISTIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL | TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT
CHS Alum Alyssa Naeher ’06 – 3-time Olympian!
by Alumni Dept.
Congratulations Alyssa Naeher (@alyssanaeher) and the US Women’s National Team (@uswnt) on your Olympic gold medal! These are pictures are from the proud father himself, John Naeher (CHS Director of Operations & Student Life). John says, “We are so thankful to the Lord for all the experiences He has allowed Alyssa to be a part of.” We rejoice along with you, Naeher family!
The Naeher family has been a cornerstone of Christian Heritage School for over 4 decades. John Naeher, our Director of Operations and Student Life, has had influence that can be seen in all aspects of CHS life. His three children have also left their mark on CHS and this weekend Alyssa Naeher looks to leave her mark on the world at the Paris Olympics. We cheer alongside the Naehers for Alyssa, her accomplishments, and how she represents herself, her family, and her community of supporters. She’s hard working, humble, and the epitome of what if means to be a CHS Kingsmen. She credits her family’s support as the foundation of her success in this recent article
Cyclist Kristen Faulkner ’11 and coxswain Emelie Eldracher ’18 win medals at Paris games
by Nancy Hitchcock
Kristen Faulkner ’11, who left a venture capital career and started cycling professionally just three years ago, won two gold medals for the USA Cycling team this summer in Paris. Faulkner won gold in the women’s road race August 4, becoming the first American to medal in this event in 40 years. And three days later, Faulkner helped bring the United States its first gold in the women’s team pursuit.
“I feel like it’s a dream come true,” Faulkner said after the race. “I took a really big risk a few years ago to come to pursue my dream and I made it happen. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
In the women’s road race, after riding for nearly four hours on the 98.2-mile course that started and ended in Paris, Faulkner made a dramatic break from the lead pack, crossing the Seine and then the finish line 58 seconds ahead of the competition— Marianne Vos of the Netherlands won silver and Lotte Kopecky of Belgium took the bronze.
In her Olympic debut, the 31-year-old Homer, Alaska, native initially qualified to compete in track cycling’s team pursuit. She was named as a replacement on the road cycling team just one month ago.
While cycling is a relatively new venture for Faulkner, she is no stranger to athletic excellence. At PA Faulkner balanced three varsity sports—rowing, swimming, and running. She then rowed for two years at Harvard before graduating in 2016. While working as
» Jim McLane ’49 | 1948 | Swimming | Two-Time Gold, and Silver Medalist
a venture capital investor, she started cycling and, in 2021, made the bold decision to focus on racing professionally, which she describes as “living the dream.”
Ahead of her gold medal performance, Kristen Faulkner ’11 sat down with NBC News Correspondent Stephanie Gosk ’90 to discuss her unusual path to the Olympics
Coxswain Emelie Eldracher ’18 led her boat to a silver medal in the U.S. PR3 mixed four at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. See page 23 for a photo of Emelie with her teammates, including Ben Washburne ’19 from Hopkins School.
Another Andover community member, Ellen Minzner, PA Support Staff, was the Rowing Para High Performance Director and received the Order of Ikkos from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
The Order of Ikkos was created by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in 2008. It is presented by Team USA medal-winning athletes to a coach, mentor or other individual who has been instrumental in their success.
Big Blue in Paris: Faulkner ’11 met up with her former Swimming Coach Paul Murphy ’84 P’16, ’19, ’22, and wife Debby ’86, before her historic ride.
Encore! Rower Dara Alizadeh ’11 Competes in His Second Olympics
When Dara Alizadeh ’11 competed at the Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), he became only the third rower in Olympic history to represent Bermuda. “It is the pinnacle of rowing, and I have always admired the Olympic athletes,” he said upon qualifying for Tokyo. Mr. Alizadeh had the honor of being Bermuda’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony of the 2020 games. After Toyko, Mr. Alizadeh took a year off from racing before recommitting to the sport in 2022.
By competing in this year’s games in Paris, he became the first Bermudian rower to make multiple appearances at the Olympics.“Even though I’ve been here before, it’s as thrilling as the first time,” Mr. Alizadeh told The Royal Gazette. “It’s incredibly exciting, and you feel a sense of anticipation leading up to it. The experience within the Olympic Village, seeing all the athletes around, is still very special and exhilarating.” This year, Mr. Alizadeh held the honor of serving as the flagbearer during the closing ceremonies.
After graduating from Belmont Hill, he was a member of Penn’s heavyweight varsity eight crew. He also rowed at Cambridge, winning two Boat Races in 2018 and 2019 while pursuing a master’s degree. He also placed 23rd at the 2021 World Cup and 11th at the 2024 World Cup.
THE ETHEL WALKER SCHOOL | SIMSBURY, CONNECTICUT
Congratulations to Sydney Satchell ’10 and the Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team for winning gold at the Paralympics in Paris!
When interviewed for Belmont Hill School’s Bulletin prior to the 2020 Olympics he said his Belmont Hill experience stayed with him and inspires him in the most challenging circumstances. “I’ve taken a lot away from my time at Belmont Hill, from both the classroom and the river,” he says. “I was very fortunate to have great coaches in Middle School like Mr. Wood and Mrs. Sweeney. I was equally fortunate to then join a varsity program under Mr. Richards. The rowing team at Belmont Hill for me was a lifestyle, one of discipline, hard work, no excuses, and above all, ‘pull harder.’” And when he was asked in 2021 what lies beyond his Tokyo Dreams, he wasn’t sure, but said, “Paris 2024 sounds pretty sweet.”
On August 20, Mr. Alizadeh announced his retirement for the sport on his social media account saying, “It’s been a couple weeks since my final at the Big Dance, but I’ve only begun now to reflect on a most incredible experience.While some things might not have fallen my way, I gave everything in full, and I can live with that. I couldn’t think of a better stage to finally hang up my oars and walk away from rowing. I’ve had enough. Sixteen years have gone by quickly, but I certainly got out way more than I bargained for when I first showed up to the Belmont Hill boathouse many moons ago. I had the best time, and loved every minute of the ride.”
“It has been truly inspiring to witness Dara becoming a twotime Olympian,” said Belmont Hill Head Coach Chris Richards. “The training he has done and the sacrifices he has made to achieve this milestone have been extraordinary. It is amazing to now look back on that middle school novice at Belmont Hill who went on to be our captain and then to do such great things in college, at Cambridge University, and finally at the Olympic level. Dara has remained a loyal alumnus and continues to be a wonderful ambassador for Belmont Hill Crew. We all wish him the best in his retirement from competitive rowing!”
SACRED HEART GREENWICH | GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT
Two athletes from Sacred Heart Greenwich competed in Paris. Beth Yeager ’21 (top) was a member of the US women’s Field Hockey team and Isabella Russekoff ’18 (right) represented Israel in show jumping.
WYOMING SEMINARY | KINGSTON, PENNSYLVANIA
Women’s wrestler Kennedy Blades ’22 came home with a silver medal as a souvenir of the Paris games.
ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL | CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Nick Rusher ’18 joined two other NEPSAC alumni (Chris Carlson ’15 of Brewster Academy, and Henry Hollingsworth ’17 of Brooks School) on the bronze medal Men’s Eights team.
NEWTON COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Newton Country Day School celebrated Daisy Mazzio-Manson ’16 who joined St. George School’s Emily Kallfelz ’15 in the Women’s Coxless Fours (page 23).
THE RIVERS SCHOOL | WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Rivers sent their good wishes and support to repeat Olympian Tayra Melendez ’12, who played basketball for Puerto Rico.
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Sports Surfacing Partner
Tabor Academy Makes Waves with New FieldTurf Surfaces
The “School by the Sea” shows commitment to safety and sustainability with new artificial turf
On the western shore of Buzzards Bay, about eight miles south of the Cape Cod Canal, lies Sippican Harbor and the town of Marion, MA. One of several communities linked by Buzzards Bay, Marion is home to Tabor Academy, also known as the School by the Sea™. Renowned for its marine and nautical sciences courses, Tabor also provides a picturesque seaside backdrop for its outdoor sports fields. And now, thanks to some recent upgrades by FieldTurf, New England’s leading provider of artificial turf, those fields are just as nice to play on as they are to look at.
The September 2023 announcement that a brand-new artificial surface would be installed at Tabor Academy’s Lower Chapel Field, now also called Fish Field, spoke to the school’s commitment to supporting its students through state-of-the-art athletic, fitness, and health facilities. The Fish Field installation was followed by the replacement of the existing FieldTurf surface at the school’s Duffy Football Field.
FieldTurf is part of Tarkett Sports, which also encompasses Tarkett Design and Tarkett Construction. Experts from these
respective in-house teams collaborated to deliver the design and build for both projects, significantly improving performance and safety for the Tabor Seawolves student-athletes.
“Our goal is to provide Tabor student-athletes with a competitive edge by offering facilities that match their dedication and commitment. The new turf surfaces on Fish Field and Duffy Fields will help us elevate our programs to new heights, ensuring a safer and more dynamic environment for athletes across multiple sports, including field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and football,” said Kelly Walker, Director of Athletics at Tabor Academy. “We look forward to the lasting benefits these improvements will bring to all of our teams and the broader Tabor community.”
Tabor entrusting FieldTurf with the project builds on a relationship dating back to 2011 and the installation of a 250,000-square-foot artificial turf surface at what is now the G. Richard Duffy ’56 Athletic Fields. The eight-acre turf complex was created to accommodate various Tabor Academy athletic programs, including football, soccer, field hockey, baseball, and lacrosse.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Tabor Academy again. This has been a 13year partnership culminating with multiple design-build projects over the last few years. We look forward to continuing the relationship for many years in the future,” said Andrew Dyjak, FieldTurf Regional Vice President, New England.
The Fish Field renovation included installing a custom drainage system beneath the turf. The school desired a solution for harvesting rainwater that could serve two roles: averting further flooding in the campus Field House and using the captured water to irrigate upper campus fields at risk of receiving insufficient nutrients.
In addition to providing students with an enhanced playing surface, the drainage system, designed and built by Tarkett Sports, is helping Tabor achieve another goal: improving its eco-footprint. The feature represents a growing desire by institutions to alleviate the impact of severe rainfall and leverage it for the betterment of surrounding communities, whether on-campus or off, and their management of available resources.
“Our priority has always been to provide safe, sustainable, and high-performing facilities for the Tabor community. With the installation of the new turf at Fish Field and the improvements at Duffy Fields, we’ve not only enhanced the quality and safety of our athletic fields but also implemented eco-friendly solutions, like the rainwater harvesting system,” said Joe Irvine, Director of Facilities at Tabor Academy. “This project reflects our longterm commitment to both the wellbeing of our students and the environmental responsibility that Tabor holds at its core.”
“Sustainability is high on the priority list for both Tabor Academy and Tarkett Sports, which was highlighted by the new field’s rain harvesting system and further emphasized by our efforts to recycle as many products as we could. We also locally
stored and sourced materials for construction,” said Chris Hulk, FieldTurf Director of Design and Construction, New England. “All in all, every step of the way, we were guided by our commitment to a sustainable approach. This helped turn a good project into a great one!”
Once Fish Field resumed hosting activities in the spring, the field replacement at Duffy Football Field was completed soon afterward. After a strong 2023 that culminated with the Seawolves football team appearing in the NEPSAC John Papas Bowl, the new artificial surface will be a welcome addition as Tabor looks to take another step forward this year.
As the Seawolves’ fall sports schedule unfolds, some studentathletes may play their first-ever games on FieldTurf artificial turf. They can do so knowing that not only is the provider trusted by countless high schools nationwide but also by numerous elite NCAA programs and on the game fields of eight NFL teams. This includes Gillette Stadium, where the New England Patriots have used FieldTurf since 2006.
“At Tabor Academy, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible opportunities for growth, both academically and athletically. The renovation of Fish Field not only enhances the safety and performance of our athletic facilities but also reflects our broader dedication to sustainability and innovation,” said Tony Jaccaci, Tabor Academy’s Head of School. “We are proud to work with partners who share our values and are excited to see the lasting impact these fields will have on our student-athletes and the Tabor community.”
Photos by Tarkett Sports.
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How to Model Sportsmanship through Emotional Regulation
As a coach, one of your primary challenges is to help your athletes learn and display sportsmanship. When it comes to sportsmanship, TrueSport Expert and Assistant Director of Sport Psychology at Ohio State University, Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC, likes starting with the three E’s: prioritizing effort over outcome, practicing emotional regulation, and developing and using effective communication.
For coaches, teaching sportsmanship through emotional regulation is especially important. But modeling emotional regulation, or the ability to understand, assess, and control emotions in potentially difficult situations, is no small task. Here, Sumler shares a few ways that you can start improving your own emotional regulation and better model sportsmanship along the way.
DEVELOP AWARENESS
It’s important to remember that anytime you’re with athletes, they’re assessing and absorbing your behavior, whether they realize it or not. That’s why it’s important that you’re able to model healthy emotional regulation to your athletes. As Sumler notes, parents and coaches must selfregulate if they’re going to help athletes do the same. Many coaches experience moments when emotions take over and lead them to act in ways they’re not so proud of. They often report feelings
of shame, embarrassment, and disappointment after displaying poor sportsmanship.
START BY IDENTIFYING YOUR EMOTIONS AS THEY HAPPEN
“The first part of emotional regulation is knowing what emotions you’re experiencing in any given moment,” says Sumler. “You can’t regulate your emotions if you don’t understand what emotions you’re feeling.”
Sumler’s favorite journaling exercise for
improving your ability to check in with your emotions is to write down two or three emotions you experienced during the day before you go to bed. Try to be specific, so rather than saying you were unhappy, identify if you were frustrated, sad, angry, or impatient. Struggling to name your emotions? Look at a feelings wheel or list of emotions to find the words that best describe your emotions. This is also a great exercise to suggest to athletes!
RESPOND RATHER THAN REACT
Emotional regulation doesn’t mean hiding your feelings. Instead, it means being able to respond rather than react. “Being able to pause and think about how you want to respond to a situation versus reacting immediately is the next step,” says Sumler. Like physical skills, emotional skills take practice and training before they become second nature. Practicing mindfulness can help you “buy” time in tense situations. Starting this week, try to slow down your responses to emotionally charged events by testing out the following strategies: three deep belly breaths, counting your inhale and exhale to 20, box breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation.
Often, this moment of pause is all it takes to shift your instant (often emotional) reaction to a more measured response. It also helps your athletes realize that it’s okay to take a beat in the heat of the moment rather than instantly reacting.
KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS
Are you a coach who gets frustrated when an athlete shows up late to practice? While it’s reasonable to have rules for the team, yelling at an athlete who is three minutes late isn’t going to help the team’s sense of cohesion or safety. “It’s really helpful when coaches are aware of their hot button issues and can tell when they’re about to become frustrated and have that emotional reaction,” says Sumler.
Instead of reacting with emotions, establish consequences ahead of time for behaviors that are unacceptable and triggering. For example, let the team know at the start of the season that anyone late to practice will be responsible for staying late to clean up after.
In cases where you can’t have specific rules in place, or in highly charged emotional moments, Sumler recommends coming back to the power of taking a pause before reacting.
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EMOTION
If you’re trying to regulate an emotion like frustration, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to shift to being happy or patient. Instead, Sumler urges coaches and athletes to think about emotions as having a volume dial that can be turned up or down. When you find yourself in a moment of frustration, the goal isn’t to change your emotion entirely, it’s to dial it down to a manageable level. Sometimes this means taking a five-minute break, having a drink of water or a snack, or simply reminding yourself to get more sleep tonight.
You can help athletes practice this by
encouraging them to visualize the ‘dial’ for an emotion and by talking about what you need to turn down your dial. Sumler notes that almost all people—adults and youth—will find that their emotions can be turned down simply by fulfilling basic needs of eating, drinking, and resting. Breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness can also be helpful in these moments.
BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN EGO AND HOW IT PLAYS INTO YOUR REACTIONS
“In competitions, it’s important to recognize that there may be points where your negative emotions are taking over,” says Sumler. “Often this happens when our ego is speaking more loudly than our values. In those times, we may respond and react in ways that are intended to protect our ego. But our athletes are looking to us for how to handle the situation and the pressure. For coaches, if you’re able to turn inward and remember your team’s values—like sportsmanship, effort, and teamwork—you’ll often break out of that ego-driven moment.” Many coaches experienced success as an athlete and bring similar expectations to their roles as coaches. It’s important to understand when your personal interests and intentions are rising above those of the team or individual development. It is often in these moments that coaches report higher frequencies of cursing, throwing objects, and speaking disrespectfully to officials. Spend some time at the beginning of the season identifying your coaching “why” for the year. Reflect back to your “why” during times of frustration and disappointment to help you remember your values and intentions.
You can also help your athletes tune into their egos, or the inner dialogue that’s focused on how an athlete is thinking about being perceived, by teaching them to catch the moments when their
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self-talk or emotions become negative during practice or competition. Ideally, you can help your athletes come up with their individual and team values at the beginning of the season, which Sumler says are ultimately the antidote for ego-driven action.
KNOW THAT YOU’LL LIKELY MAKE MISTAKES
Inevitably, we will make mistakes with our athletes. There will be moments when our emotions will get the best of us, says Sumler, especially if you’re new to the practice of emotional regulation.
“In those difficult moments, it’s hard to be vulnerable and to tell the team that you responded to them in a way that you’re not proud of and that doesn’t reflect your values,” says Sumler. “But these moments can be important opportunities for growth, both for you and your athletes. If you can acknowledge and apologize for your actions, you’re letting the team know that it’s safe for them to make mistakes and to own up to them. And that’s a hugely important lesson for athletes to learn.”
TAKEAWAY
In order to regulate your emotions and to teach athletes to do the same, you first need to acknowledge and understand your emotions, as well as what tends to trigger them. You can also practice pausing before your respond, dialing down intense emotions, and focusing on your values to avoid ego-driven reactions. With emotional regulation, both you and your athletes will be better able to display sportsmanship in practice and competition.
TrueSport®, a movement powered by the experience and values of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, champions the positive values and life lessons learned through youth sport. TrueSport inspires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to change the culture of youth sport through active engagement and thoughtful curriculum based on cornerstone lessons of sportsmanship, characterbuilding, and clean and healthy performance, while also creating leaders across communities through sport.
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Join TrueSport and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for a FREE virtual event as we explore mental wellness and the healthy sport family. Together, with athletes, coaches, experts, sports administrators, and youth sport families, we will address the unique mental health stressors facing sport families and chart an evidence-informed path forward with actionable takeaways for families.
WHY SHOULD YOU REGISTER?
Families play a pivotal role in shaping athletes’ attitudes, behaviors, and overall perception of mental well-being. By promoting open communication, resilience, and self-care strategies, sport families can mitigate the stressors inherent in competitive athletics while fostering positive mental attitudes. Moreover, prioritizing mental wellness and the connection to physical activity within sport families not only enhances athletes’ performance but also strengthens familial bonds, creating a supportive ecosystem where individuals feel valued, understood, and empowered to navigate challenges in sport and beyond. As national statistics and stories continue to unveil the scope of the national mental health crisis, sport must own its part in the problem, evolve to champion meaningful change, and implement proactive solutions that help families embrace and implement healthy mental wellness practices.
• FREE to Attend…BECAUSE we believe access to sport opportunities should be available to all athletes and families.
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