Around NEPSAC

TREASURER’S REPORT Online Payments and Bank Transfers

by Jim Smucker, Berwick Academy, NEPSAC Treasurer

Reminder

Dues are available for online payment (www.nepsac.org): » Coaches Association Dues (paid by Oct. 15, 2020) » NEPSAC Dues (paid by Oct. 15 2020) – $225 per school » New for this year, District Dues are available to be paid online.

NEPSAC Directories

Please pay for your Directories online (www.nepsac.org) as soon as possible.

Online Payment Account

For efficiency and to help with our record keeping, we ask that you only create one online account per school.

Coaches’ Associations and District Banking Transfers:

Completed: Football, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Boys Ice Hockey, Girls Ice Hockey, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Alpine Skiing, and District II

If you have any questions or need any assistance please reach out to Jim Smucker.

Boys Soccer, Wrestling, XC/Track, Swimming/DIving, Field Hockey, and Boys Tennis: NEPSAC anticipates moving forward with transferring these accounts to TD Bank so that these Associations can comply with NEPSAC’s 501(c)(3) status.

Jim Smucker will be in touch with these Association’s Presidents and Treasurers to begin the process.

FROM THE ARCHIVES NEPSAC Calendar

Note: All meetings are subject to change based on COVID-19 regulations and may be held via zoom.

OCTOBER 6 | Executive Board Remote (8:15 a.m.) 6 | District III Remote (11:00 a.m.) 22 | District II Remote (9:00 a.m.) NOVEMBER 10 | District I Hebron Academy (10:00 a.m.) 16 | Executive Board Remote (8:00 a.m.) 17 | Remote Business Meeting

JANUARY 12 | Executive Board Remote (8:00 a.m.) 26 | District III TBD (11:00 a.m.) FEBRUARY 4 | District II TBD (9:00 a.m.) 16 | Executive Board Remote (8:00 a.m.) 23 | District I Hebron Academy (10:00 a.m.)

Got news to share with other NEPSAC schools? Send the details to communications@nepsac.org and we’ll put it in the next issue.

Uncle Mark and Worcester

by Sean Kelly, Director of Athletics & Boys Basketball Coach at The Wheeler School, President of the NEPSAC Boys Basketball Coaches Association

The City of Worcester has always held a special and Bancroft battles in emotional place in my basketball life. In 1998, I played the late 90’s and my first high school game at the Bancroft School where I early 2000’s, to sank a long three-pointer — my first varsity points — to help my future opponents, team to victory. and so on. Two

Between 2005 and 2007 there were other sentimental hours later, I hung moments that happened in Worcester. In February of 2005, up with a friend, a at Harrington Auditorium on the campus of WPI, my Wheaton mentor, and a number College basketball team dropped a heartbreaker in the NEWMAC stored in my phone as Championship narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament. Two “Uncle Mark.” years later, I was fortunate to begin my coaching and teaching Much to my dismay, I career as an assistant for Marcus O’Neil while working at the was out-coached again a year Tilton School. It so happened that it was at Worcester Academy, later (although in my youthful denial I was quick to blame in the Thomas Blackburn Holiday Tournament, that my parents Worcester officiating and not my stubbornness of staying in first saw me coach a basketball game. man-to-man defense). It would be the last time we played at

Given my complicated relationship with basketball in Bancroft because of classification changes and a desire for Worcester, there is no real surprise that my reuniting with both schools to schedule differently, but Uncle Mark and I never Coach O’Brien, the man who coached against me as a player let the change hinder our communication. After all, I recognized two decades before, began the way it did. just three games into my coaching career that I had attracted

That December day ten years ago in Worcester was a cold a great mentor. one with snow on the ground, and it seemed symbolic of the As a young coach, I admired the way Obey’s teams competed type of basketball experience one has in the city limits as a and the affection he had for his players. I valued and mimicked the visitor - part magical and part bleak and forbidding country. As way he communicated with those players and his coaching peers. I exited the bus with my Wheeler team, preparing to coach my He was kind-hearted, sarcastic, funny, sharp, and occasionally alma mater for just the third time ever as head coach, I was a bit too straightforward, which always led to laughs and never determined to evoke and recreate the positivity I felt leaving confrontation, which is a hard thing to accomplish in today’s that same Bancroft gymnasium 21 years before as a freshman world. After working with him for a decade, his passion and point guard with my first high school game, my first high school dedication to and for his kids and his school was so consistent, win, and my first high school points tucked away in my gym bag. so strong, and so clear. Those were the qualities I made every

Instead, I left two hours later scratching my head after a effort to implement into my own relationships at Wheeler and in 2-point loss. I played the possessions of the game over in my the culture of my basketball program. head as the bus made it’s way down Route 146. We started Over the years I enjoyed my time texting, speaking, or the game so well and had squandered a late lead. The more I meeting up with Uncle Mark. Those conversations usually thought about it, the more I felt Coach O’Brien’s players were began with talk about basketball, but in recent years, when grittier, more physical, and smarter than us — they seemed to I became a father myself, those discussions changed to talk accurately represent the demeanor of their Bulldog mascot, and about family, too. I listened to stories from everything about his as I would soon learn, their head coach. The more I reflected on daughter’s dance recitals to being by his mother’s side before the game I came to one simple realization: I was out-coached. her passing. I shared with him my own stories along the way

Never one to walk away from a potential moment of self- and I was always pleasantly reminded that our relationship was growth, regardless of how painful it might be or how much about so much more than basketball. humility would be needed, I grabbed my phone and sent Coach Coach O’Brien’s presence and personality will be missed O’Brien an email with my phone number and asked if he had a immensely on the sidelines at Bancroft and across all of New few minutes to talk. I wasn’t entirely sure if he would respond, England this year and for many years to come. Though my but there was something in his demeanor that made me feel trips to Worcester will feel a bit different without Uncle Mark, comfortable reaching out. And sure enough, he called back. his friendship and mentoring distinguished and solidified the

I began the conversation in a cordial way, but then shifted specialness of Worcester to me, within and beyond the game to a somewhat abrupt and youthful directness: “How did you of basketball. I can also say, with both certainty and confidence, beat us!?” Mark chuckled and said, “We just stuck a guy in the that his legacy will be forever present in the huddles and locker high post and beat you on the boards.” Oh. The conversation rooms of his surrogate nephew’s teams about 50 minutes moved from attacking zone defense, to memories of Wheeler- south on Route 146.

Lamar Reddicks Named First NEPSAC Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our membership provided the necessary votes to amend the NEPSAC constitution and bylaws to create the position of Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) to sit on the

NEPSAC Executive Board. It is with great excitement that we are able to share that Lamar Reddicks from Milton Academy will take on this position in its inaugural year. Many of you already know Lamar but for those who don’t, he has served as Milton’s

Athletic Director and head boy’s basketball coach since 2011. Equally important, Lamar has been engaged in equity and justice work both on campus and in the Town of Milton at large, serving on its Equity and Justice for All Advisory Committee. We are looking to having Lamar in this leadership role and know that we will all be committed to supporting him in this work.

“I was pleased to hear that NEPSAC thought this position was one of importance,” Lamar wrote in his application. “I want to be a part of change and I think we are swiftly approaching a time where people are ready for change. I have seen a lot of momentum in our country and even within our own coaching groups.”

Lamar has been working with students of color at Milton since he arrived 13 years ago and is well known in the town for his work on their Equity and Justice for All Advisory Committee.

He is inspired by the words of Angela Davis, who said, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

“I feel strongly about the need for this position and I am deeply committed to the work that needs to be done across all of NEPSAC,” he said. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to create some real change in our wonderful league.”

2019-20 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award Winners Announced

Hopkins School and Noble & Greenough School Honored

The American Baseball Coaches Academic Excellence Award following Association is proud to recognize the conclusion of their spring semesters the over 400 member college prior to the nomination deadline of July and high school programs from across 17. To be honored, teams had to meet the country who have been awarded the following criteria: the 2019-20 ABCA Team Academic » Must be a high school or college Excellence Award. Teams from every team level of college and high school baseball were honored with this year’s award, which highlights programs coached by » Head coach must be a current ABCA member ABCA members that posted a GPA of 3.0 » Team must have a minimum or above on a 4.0 scale for the entire cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.0 2019-20 academic year. scale during the 2019-20 academic

A record 451 college and high year (Due to some schools changing school programs submitted nominations to Pass/Fail grading, spring and received this year’s award. In total, semester grades were not required 148 high school teams along with 303 to be included in the cumulative programs from the NCAA Div. I, II, III, calculation). NAIA, and Junior College levels were The American Baseball Coaches recognized. Association has a long tradition of

“In light of the challenges faced by so recognizing the achievements of many programs across the country, we baseball coaches and student-athletes. are humbled to be able to honor a record The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams number of teams for their outstanding are the nation’s oldest, founded in 1949, academic achievements,” said ABCA and the ABCA’s awards program also Executive Director Craig Keilitz. “It is includes the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region a testament to the leadership of our Awards, the ABCA/Diamond Regional member coaches and the commitment & National Coaches of the Year and of their student-athletes who persevered several other major awards such as the during an unprecedented academic year.” ABCA Hall of Fame and the Dave Keilitz

Coaches were able to nominate Ethics in Coaching Award. their teams for the ABCA Team

Deerfield Athletic Complex Named Facility of Merit

Congratulations to Deerfield Academy for their award from Athletic Business magazine� Facilities of Merit entries are evaluated on the following criteria: » Functional planning, including efficiency, traffic flow, use of space; » Design, including finishes, lighting, materials; » Site, including problem-solving and integration with surroundings; » Cost, including cost-saving measures, financing and energy conservation measures� The site and appearance were particularly appealing to this year’s judges, as both give a nod to Deerfield’s setting in the rolling farmlands of western Massachusetts�

The facility includes a field house and arena and provides community gathering space as well� A central spine connects existing structures to the new ones and clarifies the traffic flow among them�

Got news to share with other NEPSAC schools? Are congratulations in order for a student, coach or team?

Send the details to communications@nepsac.org and we’ll put it in the next issue.

Visit the Athletic Business award showcase for more photos of the project�