NEPSAC News ®
NEW ENGLAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL ATHLETIC COUNCIL
2020 Wrestling Championships: A Historic Day in a Historic Building SPRING 2020
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In this issue
NEPSAC®
New England Preparatory School Athletic Council President George Tahan Belmont Hill School Vice-President Martha Brousseau Greenwich Academy Secretary Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School
10
NEPSAC Wrestling Tourney Finds New Home
13
Meet George Tahan, the new NEPSAC President
27
Treasurer Jim Smucker Berwick Academy
T hrive League Boosts NEPSAC Players
Co-Directors of Championships Tiz Mulligan Westover School Bob Howe Deerfield Academy Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School
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Director of Classifications Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School Past Presidents Bob Howe Deerfield Academy Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School Richard Muther St. Paul’s School Middle School Representatives Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School Rob Feingold The Fay School District Representatives DISTRICT I
Leslie Guenther Hebron Academy Stefan Jensen Hyde School DISTRICT II
Matt Lawlor Brewster Academy Alexei Sotskov Vermont Academy Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School DISTRICT III
Rachel Horn St. George’s School Rob Quinn Berwick Academy Rick Forestiere Thayer Academy DISTRICT IV
Geoff Barlow Avon Old Farms School Rob Madden Taft School Tauni Butterfield Greens Farms Academy Communications Specialist Laurie Sachs The Rivers School “NEPSAC” and the NEPSAC logo are registered trademarks of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council and may not be used or displayed without permission. New England Preparatory School Athletic Council qualifies as a public charity under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).
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17
Sauders Relative is ThreeSeason Athlete
21
Girls Hockey Tourneys Renamed to Honor Coaches
24
Eighth Grader Becomes Sports Writer
emembering R a Long Ago Championship
31
yan Frost R Named NEPSAC Secretary
Focus on Community Engagment 35 Cardigan Mountain
36 Brunswick School
Spotlights
37 Berkshire School
Service Learning ����������������������������� 43 King School
Parley Hannan ’15 ��������������������������� 39
Milestones ��������������������������������������� 45
Westover School
Marie Philip School for the Deaf
Dan Driscoll ��������������������������������������41
Matt McDonnell �������������������������������46
Berkshire School
Governor’s Academy
Janna Anctil ������������������������������������� 42
Facility Update ��������������������������������� 48
Rivers School
Rivers School
Departments 4 Around NEPSAC
8 Laurels
50 #ICYMI
ON THE COVER: 2020 NEPSAC Wrestling Championships at Governor William A. O’Neill State Armory, Hartford, CT. Photo by Stan Godlewski.
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 3
AROUND NEPSAC
President’s Letter George Tahan Belmont Hill School
I
hope this note finds everything well with you, your family, and your entire school community. I know the current state of affairs in the world present unprecedented challenges to everyone. With that in mind, I am writing today to update you regarding NEPSAC’s continued response to COVID-19.
I want to thank you for continuing to update the NEPSAC Spring 2020 COVID-19 Response Survey Google sheet with information regarding each school’s response to the virus. I hope that resource has been helpful to you and your school. I hope we can all continue to keep it current. After careful review of the responses to the above survey, as well as the review of various state restrictions, the NEPSAC Executive Board has decided to cancel all 2020 NEPSAC spring championships. As a vast majority of schools are engaging in extended periods of remote learning, some for the remainder of the school year, it became abundantly clear that canceling our
NEPSAC Annual Meeting Update I thought it might be nice to share some positive NEPSAC news, so I want to let you know of two changes with respect to our 2020 NEPSAC Annual Meeting. Next year’s meeting will have both a change in date as well as location. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at the Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center. We will no longer hold the meeting at the DCU Center in Worcester on the traditional Friday date. The reasoning behind the change of location was twofold. First, the new location will work better for our vendors as well as the meeting sessions we hold. As you know, our vendors are important as they help to offset the cost of holding our Annual Meeting. Second, the Executive Board determined that the DCU Center had become cost prohibitive for our event, even with vendor support. The date change was due to the availability of the new location. We believe the new location in Boxborough will serve NEPSAC extremely well and are excited to make the move. The Board is in the process of putting together the schedule of events (keynote speaker, workshops, award winners, etc.) for the meeting. We thought it would be wise to communicate the date and venue change to you as soon as it was finalized. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Stay well!
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spring championships was the prudent and appropriate thing to do. In conjunction with the cancelation of the 2020 NEPSAC spring championships, the Board has also decided that moving forward we will honor the predetermined 2021 championship host sites. We understand that those schools that were slated to host championships this spring will miss out on hosting, however the Board feels it makes the most sense to move forward with hosting schedules in a normal fashion. That said, the Board also determined that with respect to individual school 2021 spring schedules, the default position is to honor 2021 spring schedules as if the 2020 schedule/season was played. This means we would not try to play the current 2020 spring schedule in 2021. Individual schools can certainly contact opponents if they have any issues with respect to any contests. (i.e. locations of contests, whether or not to continue playing an opponent if 2020 was to be the last year your schools were to play, etc.). The Board has also decided to cancel the NEPSAC summer basketball showcases that were scheduled to take place in June. As you may recall, last summer the NCAA changed its rules regarding summer basketball showcases that resulted in the creation of a NEPSAC sponsored summer showcase. As is the case with the spring 2020 NEPSAC championships, the Board feels it is prudent and appropriate to cancel this event as well. Finally, in an effort to help and continue to support member schools, NEPSAC has put together a Google Doc that will allow ADs to share information regarding how they are programming/ handling athletics while schools are teaching remotely. It is our hope that sharing this information will help you to encourage physical activity for students during this time of remote learning, as well as provide ideas for activities for spring teams.In closing, I wish you and your school community good luck and good health during this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
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AROUND NEPSAC
TREASURER’S REPORT Online Payments and Bank Transfers by Jim Smucker, Berwick Academy, NEPSAC Treasurer Reminders for making payments online 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. For the 2020–2021 athletic seasons every member will need to pay for their dues (NEPSAC and Coaches Associations) and tournament/championship fees online through the NEPSAC website. 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. If you have any concerns about this process please feel free to reach out to Jim Smucker jsmucker@berwickacademy. org or Laurie Sachs communications@nepsac.org
Coaches’ Associations Banking Transfers Completed: Football, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Boys Ice Hockey, Girls Ice Hockey, Alpine Skiing, Boys Basketball and Girls Basketball. If you have any questions or need any assistance please reach out to Jim Smucker. Field Hockey, Boys Soccer and XC/Track: NEPSAC anticipates moving forward with transferring this account to TD Bank during the summer months so that these Associations can comply with NEPSAC’s 501(c)(3) status and making transfer of money easier for all involved. Jim Smucker will be in touch with those Treasurers and Presidents to begin the process.
Check out the NEPSAC Online store for all of your NEPSAC gear!
Former Cheshire Academy Athletic Trainer Jennifer Tirillo Honored at EATA Conference
F
ormer Cheshire Academy athletic trainer Jennifer Tirillo received the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association President’s Recognition Award at its annual convention in January. The award is given to that person who shows unselfish and dedicated efforts that have advanced the EATA and the athletic training profession. EATA consists of over 8000 athletic trainers and athletic training students from Maine to Delaware. EATA provides educational sessions, scholarships and research grants to athletic trainers in District 1 and 2 of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Tirillo left Cheshire Academy in 2018, but continues her work in athletic training. “I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to speak about mental health and the secondary school athlete at two regional athletic training conferences on the east coast in 2019,” she said. “In the spring of 2020, I will continue on to the Southeastern Athletic Trainers’ Association meeting and then west to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers’ Association conference to again present on mental health to fellow ATs. “For the past two years, I have been working as an injury prevention specialist in the workplace and the change in patient population has been a welcome one. The change in pace has afforded me to opportunity to tap into a greater range of my skillset. Rather than treating and rehabilitating athletic injuries, my role centers upon education, ergonomics/safety, and prevention of work-related injuries. “I continue to be involved in advocacy of the profession by way of service in state, regional, and national committee work. Working with the athletic population will continue to be a passion of mine.” Jennifer Tirillo is also the former chair of NEPSAC’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), which promotes safe participation on sports and all aspects of health and wellness. The SMAC advises NEPSAC concerning sports medicine issues as they relate to rules writing, as well as other programs of NEPSAC. It also provides guidance and direction to NEPSAC and its membership relative to current sports medicine issues and collaborates with NEPSAC to educate its constituency concerning sports medicine and safety issues of general concern to the NEPSAC membership.
COMMUNICATIONS NOTE The NEPSAC AD email list is updated throughout the year. Please remember to check for the most recent version before sending an email blast. You will find it in the Athletic Directors section of the NEPSAC website.
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NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 5
AROUND NEPSAC IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM
Paul Vaillancourt
Arthur Valicenti
P
aul Vaillancourt loved all things athletic and made a life for himself with this passion. He was working in the sports medicine department at Worcester Academy since 2012 where he was a familiar and respected trainer and colleague. A graduate of Minuteman Technical High School with the class of 1999 he played on the football and wrestling teams. He then earned his Bachelor’s degree from Franklin Pierce University and his Master’s degrees from both Salem State University and Southern New Hampshire University. Paul died unexpectedly at home on Monday, December 30, 2019. He was 38. Paul Jason Vaillancourt was born April 20, 1981 in Aurora, Colorado was a son of L. Paul and Leslie A. (Ashe) Vaillancourt. He moved to Massachusetts as a young child settling in Waltham. Paul found love and married Jennifer M. Rapoza on September 10, 2016. They lived a short while in Boxborough before moving to Clinton last year. He adored his son Jason and any time spent with him and his large family at holidays and family gatherings. Paul was dedicated to staying in shape and working out regularly. He was creative, funny and a dedicated fan of the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. In addition to his wife, Jennifer M. Vaillancourt of Clinton he leaves his son, Jason E. Vaillancourt of Ashby/Clinton; his parents, Leslie A. Angelo (Robert) of Moultonborough, New Hampshire and L. Paul Vaillancourt (Karen) of Austin, Texas; his brothers, Thomas A. Vaillancourt (Carla) of Waltham, Robert J. Angelo Jr. (Leyla) of Haverhill, Michael G. Angelo (Casey) of Revere and Richard L. Angelo (Nichole) of Arlington; son-inlaw of James H. and Carol B. (Bergman) Rapoza of Winthrop; uncle of Abigail, Jacob, Annabelle, Isabella, Robert III, Anthony, Michael Jr., Joseph, Robert, Kailyn, Cole and Warden; brother-inlaw of Sarah Sheehan (Taylor) of Kensington, New Hampshire; grandson of the late John and Ann (Sutherland) Ashe and Leo and Rose (Mancuso) Vaillancourt; grandson-in-law of Antoinette Bergman of Winthrop; also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Family and friends honored and remembered Paul’s life at a Funeral Mass on January 6. Burial will follow in Saint Patrick Cemetery, Watertown. Memorials in his memory may be made to Worcester Academy, Athletics Department/Sports Medicine, 81 Providence Street, Worcester, MA 01604.
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A
celebration of the life of Arthur Valicenti ’51 P ’75, ’75, ’77 GP ’10, ’14 was held Sunday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. in the Academy’s Center for the Arts (CFA). Valicenti, an iconic figure in the history of Thayer Academy, died Thursday, Jan. 23, at age 87. The Weymouth native served Thayer Academy for decades in a number of roles including football, hockey, and baseball head coach as well as longtime athletic director. He founded Thayer’s hockey program in 1958, was integral to Thayer’s admittance into the ISL, and coached the Academy’s famed “Un-Un-Un” football team in 1964. He is a member of both the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame and the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 1991, he was inducted as the sole charter member of the Thayer Academy Sports Hall of Fame. In the fall of 2019, the beloved coach witnessed the dedication of the Arthur Valicenti Rink at Thayer Sports Center, the culmination of his lifelong dream. “Coach Valicenti was among the most influential figures in our school’s long history,” wrote Head of School Ted Koskores ’70 P ’10, ’13 in a Jan. 24 letter to the Thayer community mourning the loss of Valicenti. The Feb. 9 celebration was the sole public remembrance for Coach Valicenti. All members of the Thayer community were invited to attend to honor a coach who changed so many lives for the better. In lieu of flowers, the Valicenti Family requests that donations be made to the Arthur T. Valicenti ’51 Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to a Thayer student who demonstrates a commitment to academics, athletics, and sportsmanship both on and off the playing field. A member of Thayer’s Class of 1951, Valicenti founded its hockey program in 1958.
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AROUND NEPSAC
NEPSAC and Leagues Keep Getting the Job Done The NEPSAC Executive Board met at the end of March.
The Southeastern New England Independent Schools Athletic Association also got into the act.
Independent School League members showed up in their school colors at their recent meeting.
FROM THE ARCHIVES … AS SEEN ON EBAY
W
e all know you can find some interesting items on eBay. Have you ever searched for your school? We searched for NEPSAC and found a selection of track and field medals. Back in the day (from the right) there were medals for individual events, like high jump and discus. In the 80s, the medals were simply for “track and field” (left).
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NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 7
NEPSAC Schools Receive NATA Safe Sports School Awards
Waring School (left) and Rocky Hill Country Day School are among several NEPSAC schools that recently earned a Safe Sports School awrad from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
R
ocky Hill Country Day School, Waring School, Berkshire School, Middlesex School and Hebron Academy are the recipients of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Safe Sports School award for its Mariner athletic program. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that have met the recommended standards to improve safety in sports. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention, and treatment. “The health and safety of studentathletes is critical as it has both immediate and long-term effects,” said NATA President Tory Lindley, MA, ATC. “NATA created the ‘Safe Sports School Award’ to recognize and champion schools nationwide that are committed to enhancing safety in sports. We are proud to see the list of award recipients grow exponentially each year as schools see the immense value in holding themselves to best practices and policies that ensure a high standard of athlete care.”
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In order to achieve Safe Sports School status, as these NEPSAC schools did, athletic programs must do the following:
»» Create a positive athletic health care administrative system »» Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations »» Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities »» Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment »» Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes »» Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions »» Provide or facilitate injury intervention »» Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan »» Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/ education »» Be sure athletes and parents are educated about the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities
To apply, schools complete an in-depth questionnaire that assesses adherence to best practice standards and recommendations. For more information about the Safe Sports School Award, please visit www.athletictrainers.org. About NATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) – Health Care for Life & Sport. Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association represents and supports 45,000 members of the athletic training profession. For more information, visit www.nata.org. At Your Own Risk is NATA’s public awareness campaign designed to educate, provide resources and equip the public to act and advocate for safety in work, life, and sport. In an effort to provide comprehensive information, the association has launched a website that provides recommendations on keeping student athletes and communities active and employees safe on the job. Visit AtYourOwnRisk.org.
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ALL-NEPSAC
Check out the NEPSAC Online store for all of your NEPSAC championship gear!
Follow the links for a list of honored athletes in each fall and winter sport.
FALL 2019
WINTER 2019–2020
Boys Football
Boys & Girls Nordic
Girls Field Hockey
Boys Swimming & Diving
Girls Soccer
Girls Swimming & Diving
Boys Soccer
Girls Basketball
Girls Volleyball
Boys Basketball
Boys Water Polo
Girls Alpine
Girls Cross Country
Boys Alpine
Boys Cross Country
Wrestling Girls Ice Hockey Boys Ice Hockey Boys Squash Girls Squash
Winter 2019–2020 NEPSAC Championships Wrestling
Girls Northfield Mount Hermon Boys Belmont Hill School
Class C Middlesex School Class D Kingswood Oxford Class E Portsmouth Abbey
Girls Swimming and Diving
Girls Alpine
District 1 Greenwich Academy District 2 Miss Porters School District 3 Holy Child
Boys Swimming and Diving
District 1 Phillips Academy Andover District 2 Williston Northampton District 3 Hamden Hall
Girls Squash
Class A Greenwich Academy Class B Hotchkiss School Class C Middlesex School Class D Newton Country Day School Class E Greens Farms Academy
Boys Squash
Class A Brunswick School Class B St. Paul’s School
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Class A St. Paul’s School Class B Thayer Academy Class C Lawrence Academy
Boys Alpine
Class A Deerfield Academy Class B Pingree School Class C Dublin School
Nordic
Girls Holderness School Boys Gould Academy
Girls Hockey
Chuck Vernon (Elite) Bracket Noble and Greenough Patsy Odden (Large) Bracket St. Paul’s School Dorothy Howard (Small) Bracket Cushing Academy
Boys Hockey
Stuart/Corkery (Open) Bracket Salisbury School Martin/Earl (Large) Bracket Loomis Chaffee Piatelli/Simmons (Small) Bracket The Gunnery
Girls Basketball
Class AA Noble and Greenough Class A Tilton School Class B Brooks School Class C Beaver Country Day School Class D Vermont Academy Class E Darrow School
Boys Basketball
Class AAA New Hampton Class AA Wilbraham & Monson Academy Class A Loomis Chaffee Class B Canterbury School Class C Hyde School Class D Darrow School
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 9
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2020 Wrestling Championships: A Historic Day in a Historic Building SPONSORED BY: SPORTSGRUB
by Bob York | Photos by Stan Godlewski
T
he New England Independent School Wrestling Association found a home for its championships this weekend: the Governor William A. O’Neill State Armory in Hartford, Conn. The move to the armory was made out of necessity, rather than any sense of nostalgia, when a member school was unable to host the championships. So, when this long-revered structure, which was built in 1909 and dedicated by President William H. Taft, proved itself available, it seemed like a natural to host a round of championship wrestling. After all, the building serves as headquarters for the Connecticut Military Department and has come to represent a home away from home for many a war hero for more than a century. And by Saturday night, it indeed turned out to be the right place for a perfect ending as far as the Belmont Hill boys were concerned as they captured their third straight NEISWA tournament title by beating out 46 other teams with 194.5 points. They did so by chalking up a pair of gold-medal finishes in addition to two silver medals and a bronze. The championship marks the third straight for Belmont Hill, which posted an undefeated (12–0) dual-meet regular season mark this winter, as well as their fourth regional title in five years and the sixth since 2007. In addition, they have won the Graves Kelsey Tournament championship 17 times now, including the past six years, as well as the Independent School League Dual Meet 17 times, including the last six. “It’s very gratifying to be working with folks you really enjoy working with … kids families and coaches … at something that’s really hard to accomplish and then succeeding at it,” said Don Bradley, the Belmont Hill wrestling coach, as to how it feels to win three straight championships. “As for a key to our success, our program is blessed with strong administrative support … particularly from Head of School Greg Schneider and Athletic Director George Tahan,” added Bradley, who has been coaching at Belmont Hill for three decades and who was named New England Independent Schools Coach of the Year in 2006. “Beyond that, I have the finest coaching staff in New England in Dave Leonardis, Todd Davis, Steve Kaplan and George Sullivan, all of whom teach at Belmont Hill.” Northfield Mount Hermon wound up second with 184 points, following a pair of gold- and bronze-medal finishes, while Brunswick closed in third with 180.5 points, due in large part to two gold- and three silver-medal performances. Greens Farms Academy, which wound up fourth with 167 points, recorded a meet-high four gold medals as well as a pair of silver medals. As for the girls, there’s been no time to reminiscence — yet. That time will come, however, and they will remember Saturday night as the night they shattered the glass ceiling in this
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relic of a building by competing in the NEISWA championship tournament — and it was the girls of Northfield Mount Hermon who brought the hammer down. NMH walked off by pacing the 16-team team field with a 103-point effort and was highlighted by five medal-winning performances: one gold and two each in silver and bronze. “Building the female side of the program has been something we’ve been working on for the last few years,” said NMH mentor Zack Bates. “In my second year at NMH we were very fortunate to have a core group of girls that came out together. Then, the year after, they convinced more of their friends to come out. “That was the year that Katie Gatza came to NMH,” added Bates. “She is the only female wrestler who has come to NMH with prior wrestling experience. Katie quickly emerged as a leader with the group that now has grown to include 11 wrestlers. “As for key performances, Katie was our only New England champ,” added Bates, “but the key to our female team’s success wasn’t the work of just one wrestler. It was because of our numbers and the cumulative points scored by all 11 of our wrestlers.” Middlesex School collected For more 2020 Wrestling a pair of silver Championship photos by Stan medals and a bronze on the day, Godlewski, visit our Vidigami while Lawrence slideshow. Academy chalked up one silver and one bronze. Landmark, Loomis-Chaffee, Phillips Andover, Deerfield and Governors all claimed one first-place finish each. “Getting to this point has really been exciting,” said Kassie Archambault, the Phillips Andover Academy coed wrestling coach, who is the first — and only — female head wrestling coach in New England prep school annals and who was Andover’s first female wrestler in 2004. “This is the first year that the NEISWA girls tournament was officially sanctioned and we had girls representing 16 schools in this tournament, so this marks a really important step in the growth and popularity of girls wrestling.“ Adding to the luster of Archambault’s first year at the helm was that five of her wrestlers qualified for next weekend’s Nationals at Lehigh University including Marisol Nugent, her lone entry in the girls competition, who won the 144-pound weight class and was named the Outstanding Wrestler in the girls tourney. As far as the coed competition is concerned, the eighthplace finish Avon Old Farms carved out for Coach John Bourgault could have only heighten the sense of sentimentality he must
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 11
have been feeling standing in this military venue’s massive drill hall that measures 269 feet by 189 feet and clears 100 feet in height. “It’s quite a place … it’s quite appropriate for a wrestling championship,” said Bourgault, who must have felt right at home in the hall, having earned the rank of Major during a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps. The former Avon (80) standout probably even provided a sneak peak or two to teammates and opponents alike as to what a Marine in the making looks like, as he played football and lacrosse for the Beavers and was captain of the wrestling team his senior year. To be sure, Bourgault, who shares Avon’s athletic director duties with Geoff Barlow, the NEPSAC District IV president, crammed quite a bit into his resume during a two-decade stint in the military. The Cal. State University at Hayward grad held a number of command and staff positions, including infantry officer and CH-53E pilot. The CH-53E, known as the “Super Stallion,” in which Bourgault flew more than a dozen combat missions during Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-91, is a cargo helicopter designed to transport up to 55 troops or 30,000 pounds of cargo or carry external slung loads up to 36,000 pounds. He graduated from the Amphibious Warfare School, as well as from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and was an adjunct faculty member of the Marine Corps University. It was his final assignment in the Marines, however, that may be a bit more revealing, at least as far as his coaching background is concerned. Bourgault’s final mission saw him named as deputy director of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. The program
12 | NEPSAC News | Spring 2020
was developed to combine existing and new hand-to-hand and close-quarter combat techniques with morale and team-building functions while stressing mental and character development, including the responsible use of force, leadership and teamwork. And speaking of teamwork, there was a lot of it on display prior to the tourney. With the competition taking place throughout the weekend, the groundwork for this tournament was put down — literally — 24 hours earlier. That’s when Friday’s and Saturday’s adversaries stood up as teammates on Thursday, as wrestlers from eight NEISWA schools lugged their mats to the armory and laid them out to serve as the floorboards for this year’s showcase. In a fitting portrait of camaraderie in an often-intense sport such as wrestling, coaches and wrestlers representing Taft, Avon Old Farms, Northfield Mount Hermon, Belmont Hill, Loomis-Chaffee and Greens Farms descended upon Hartford with mats that measure 42-feet-by-42-feet and even when separated into three pieces, can still weigh up to 300 to 400 pounds. There, they spread out their mats, divided them, and laid them end-to-end on the floor of the drill hall. The NEPSAC SPECIAL NEWS is sponsored by SportsGrub. SportsGrub provides athletic teams with nutritional meals delivered directly to their event. We provide a diverse menu that athletes can order from directly in our app. Don’t just play to win, plan to win with healthy and delicious meals from SportsGrub. Contact us for more information at www.sportsgrub.com
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Meet NEPSAC President George Tahan SPONSORED BY: SPORTSGRUB
by Bob York
T
here are no elevators or escalators to whisk you away to the boardroom of the New England Prep School Athletic Council. Here, you get there the hard way by taking the
stairs. There are no short cuts to obtaining your seat and nameplate at the roundtable. Here, you earn them the tough way by persistently campaigning for what NEPSAC stands for: giving its student-athletes the opportunity to compete on a fair playing field. Smoothing bumps and filling potholes along NEPSAC’s Yellow Brick Road to help guarantee impartial athletic arenas looms large on this committee’s bucket list, so with 12 years of troubleshooting on his resume and much wear and tear and asphalt on the soles of his shoes, George Tahan is now the Council’s clerk of the works. The 20-year veteran Belmont Hill School athletic director earned that distinction when he became Council president on Nov. 15. “I’m both excited and thrilled for this opportunity,” said Tahan, who was sworn in as NEPSAC’s 46th president during its Annual Meeting. “There’s been some tremendous work done by this council throughout the years, particularly in its attempts to make life fairer and less complicated for our student-athletes, our athletic directors and our coaches. It’s now my hope to see that that trend continues. “Getting to this point has been a long process and at times some persistence has been needed,” quipped Tahan of navigating the stepping stones the Council laid out for him — as it does for all of its aspiring members — to afford opportunities
George Tahan, left, with his predecessor, Bob Howe.
Secretary Ryan Frost of Cardigan Mountain School and Treasurer Jim Smucker of Berwick Academy — will now head the committee that oversees the athletic programs of 162 full-member independent schools and another 21 associatemember schools. Tahan made his NEPSAC debut in 2007 the same way all board members do: as a District secretary. For Tahan, that meant the District III secretary’s job, which is home to Belmont Hill and with 77 member schools is the largest of NEPSAC’s four districts. Following a two-year stint as district secretary, Tahan served two years each as the region’s vice president and president before accepting the Council’s nomination as Director of Championships. “The Director of Championships oversees and deals with all issues pertaining to the staging and running of all NEPSAC tournaments and championships,” explained Tahan. “They work directly with, and support the coaches’ associations work in seeding, staging and siting of NEPSAC championships. “They,” added Tahan, “along with the NEPSAC president and Coaches Association president, are the ultimate arbiters for any disputes associated with tournament eligibility, tournament management, as well as regular-season issues, including, but not limited to determinations concerning forfeits, non-contests and other schedule- and contest-related issues.” In 2015, Tahan was named secretary of the executive board and in 2017 moved up to become Howe’s right-hand man as vice president.
“I remember asking ‘geez, is it always like this?’ … he just chuckled.” to gain experience, “but it was well worth it … there’s no better way of preparing for this job.” Despite all that preparation, there was one facet of the job that Tahan quickly realized he had overlooked. It was his phone — and how busy it would get. “It started ringing off the hook that very first day,” remembers Tahan. “They were people with questions … looking for answers. Some I had … some I didn’t. “It got so busy in fact that I finally called (outgoing president) Bob Howe,” added Tahan. “I remember asking ‘geez, is it always like this?’ His response wasn’t overly reassuring, either … he just chuckled.” Tahan — whose teammates on the Executive Board will be Vice President Martha Brousseau of Greenwich Academy,
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NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 13
“George and I have become very good friends while serving on the Council together,” said Howe, who is Deerfield Academy’s athletic director and, combined with a previous stretch at Loomis Chaffee School, has invested 16 years as an AD in western New England. “I’ve come to know what a tremendous person he is and what kind of an outstanding leader he is and that makes stepping away as council president an easy move for me. George will make a great council president … he just gets it. “George has a good head on his shoulders,” added Howe. “He’s very fair minded … he listens to what everyone has to say and then makes a decision that is always well thought out … he never rushes to conclusions.” Mark Conroy, the athletic director at Williston Northampton School and a past president (2008–10) as well, echoed Howe’s sentiment when he said, “NEPSAC will be in great hands with George Tahan at the helm for the next two years. He has sat on the Executive Board for a number of years and has contributed to NEPSAC in numerous capacities. “George has been both a District president and representative, a director of championships and Executive Board officer and a liaison to boys hockey,” added Conroy, who is the Council’s current director of classifications. “ He is the consummate professional whose dedication of the highest ideals of NEPSAC has been demonstrated many times over in his leadership roles. I have every confidence he will do a terrific job following in Bob Howe’s shoes.” Looking ahead to his two years on the clock, in addition to gaveling in agendas that will continue to make life better for
You can’t be afraid to pull the dart out and throw it again players, coaches and ADs, Tahan also has a pair of pet projects he would like to tweak a bit. One is to continue to upgrade the Annual Meeting in an attempt to help make NEPSAC a more valuable resource for its ADs. The other is to create a more efficient website. “I think it’s been the goal of every NEPSAC president to try to offer a more rich and beneficial experience for ADs attending the Annual Meeting,” said Tahan, who is proud to be the fourth Belmont Hill AD to serve as NEPSAC president, following in the footsteps of Bill Croke (1958), Chip Dewar (1984–85) and Ken Martin (1997–98). “While we understand that ADs are required to attend the Annual Meeting in order to keep their school’s membership in good standing, we have tried to make the experience something they can look forward to. We continue to do that by offering interesting and pertinent keynote speakers, AD workshops on a variety of important topics, access to a plethora of vendors and the ability to network and connect with each other in person and all under one roof on one day.”
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“As for our website, our goal there is to move to one hundred percent online payments,” continued Tahan. “These payments include annual membership dues, annual coaches association dues and tournament entry fees. These payments were all previously done by checks and snail mail, which meant someone had to receive the checks, account for them and go to the bank to deposit them. “This process was extremely time consuming and it also created delays in collecting the funds that are used to run the organization and its tournaments. The ability to do all of this electronically will create incredible efficiencies for both ADs and for NEPSAC.” Tahan is likely the owner of one of the most diverse resumes any NEPSAC president has ever brought to the roundtable. In 1992, he graduated from Boston University Law School and took a job as a litigation attorney in Philadelphia for three years. His role as a litigator was to represent defendants in civil law suits and would manage all phases of the litigation from the investigation, pleadings and discovery through pretrial, trial, settlement and appeals process. “I just didn’t enjoy it, though,” admitted Tahan of his lawyering days. “I felt it was time to make a career change and I’d always wanted to teach and coach.” So, he wound up at Belmont Hill in January 1996, but he didn’t go straight to the athletic office — he started off in the business office. “My career at Belmont Hill began as the assistant chief financial officer and director of financial aid and I began teaching economics my second year there,” explained Tahan, who would later move over to the athletic office in 2000. He didn’t cut the cord to the classrooms with his move to head up the athletic department, however. In addition to economics, he has taught science classes such as Introduction to Engineering and Conceptual Physics, art classes such as Beginning Woodworking and an English elective: Maine Coast: A Cultural History. In it, seniors build skin on frame canoes and use them to study the cultural history of the Maine seacoast as well as its geography. “When I applied for the job as AD I didn’t know much about it,” admitted Tahan, “but I talked Rick Melvoin, who was the headmaster at the time, into giving me a shot ... I sure hope he feels that he made a good decision.” He should, considering Belmont Hill participates in the highly competitive Independent School League, where its teams are frequently the last ones standing. In fact, during the 2018–19 school year alone, 10 of the school’s teams chalked up 15 championships either on the league or New England level — or both. Despite a school policy that says no athletic director can serve as the head coach of a varsity team, Tahan, who is the assistant middle school hockey coach and the former head coach of the middle school lacrosse team, “still got the opportunity to learn from one of the very best by spending 15 years as varsity hockey coach Ken Martin’s assistant.” Martin, who was elected into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, is one of the most successful high school/prep school coaches in the Commonwealth — and the entire country, for that matter, “and I was right there with him
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when he won his 500th, 600th and 700th games as well as his 707th … which was his final game at Belmont Hill.” Coaching with Martin didn’t mark Tahan’s debut behind a hockey bench, however. That came during his law school days at BU, when he was named head coach of a fledgling women’s team, which was classified as a club team at the time. “I don’t remember too much about those two seasons, except that our second season we tied 11 games. So, after the season, the players gave me a box of neck ties,” said Tahan, who, during his time in Philadelphia, spent his winter evenings and weekends as coach of the University of Pennsylvania men’s hockey team. Tahan, who hails from Whitesboro, N.Y., played both hockey and lacrosse at Whitesboro High School before moving on to play hockey at the University of Buffalo, where he served as captain his senior year and described himself as “a mediocre Division III defenseman.” Looking back over the past quarter century, Tahan feels good about the choices he has made in life, opting for athletic arenas over courtrooms ... Belmont Hill over Philadelphia … student-athletes over clients. “You can’t be afraid to pull the dart out and throw it again,” said Tahan. Looks like on his second try, he hit the bull’s eye. The NEPSAC SPECIAL NEWS is sponsored by SportsGrub. SportsGrub provides athletic teams with nutritional meals delivered directly to their event. We provide a diverse menu that athletes can order from directly in our app. Don’t just play to win, plan to win with healthy and delicious meals from SportsGrub. Contact us for more information at www.sportsgrub.com
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NEPSAC’s First President Would be Proud of Great Great Niece SPONSORED BY: SPORTSGRUB
by Bob York
M
artin Souders never met his great-great-niece Marjorie Plants but if he had, you can bet he would have introduced himself with a hug and a high five to let her know how proud he was of her. Plants is a three-sport athlete — soccer, skiing and tennis — at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn., and she’s a pretty good one, too. This fall, the talented junior helped lead her mates to the No. 1 seed in the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class A Girls Soccer Tournament, where they fell to Buckingham, Brown & Nichols in the championship game by a 1–0 count. Last winter, meanwhile, Plants highlighted her sophomore year by finishing second in the Giant Slalom and fifth in the Slalom to lift Miss Porter’s to a sixth-place finish in the NEPSAC Class B Alpine Skiing Championships. Such showings would undoubtedly have rated a thumbs-up from any great great uncle but for Souders, who was a threesport athlete in his own right in high school and college, just the idea of Plants simply competing would have been more than enough to bring a smile to this man’s face. That’s because Souders has become the icon for the cause and stature of physical education and athletics in New England’s prep schools. Souders began his quest of melding brawn with brain a century ago when he was named director of physical education at Milton Academy in 1919 and spent 10 years there before moving on to Phillips Exeter Academy from 1930 to 1962. There he was named head of physical education as well as director of athletics and coached the Big Red varsity football team from 1930 to 1938. As director of athletics at Exeter, Souders concentrated on the development of the school’s intramural program. He established a system that featured competition between clubs rather than classes and increased the number of games with other schools. He also initiated the requirement that all students participate in four periods of athletes a week and added crosscountry and fencing to the school’s athletic program. His affirmative approach on athletics also got him elected as NEPSAC’s first president (1942–1944) and following his death in 1964, the council honored him in 1967 by creating
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Marjorie “Mojo” Plants with Avi Dubnov, her soccer coach at Miss Porter’s School.
its most prestigious accolade: the Martin William Souders Memorial Award. As inscribed, “This award is in recognition of the leadership, vision, dedication and the constant and valuable contributions which he made to Physical Education and Athletics among New England Independent Schools.” Furthermore, it is presented annually to a graduate of a New England Independent School “who has made a distinguished record in sports and who has since made a distinguished record in life through his/her ideals, leadership and accomplishments.” “I really enjoy competing at the prep school level throughout New England and I’d love to be able to thank him for what he helped create here,” said Plants of her great-great-uncle, who grew up in Auburn, Neb., where he played football, basketball and baseball at Auburn High School. “No matter the sport you play at a New England prep school, you can always be certain that you’re playing at a high level. This organization (NEPSAC) has helped prepare thousands of athletes for successful collegiate careers throughout the years and to think someone in my family helped make this all a reality is really pretty awesome.” Souders went on to attend Kansas State College, where he also played football, basketball and baseball prior to graduating in 1914 with a bachelor of science degree. He then moved east
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to Massachusetts, where he earned a bachelor of physical education degree from Springfield College in 1916 and while doing so, proved yet again to be a man for all seasons by competing in football, basketball and baseball. In fact, during his collegiate career, Souders may have become fodder for trivia buffs when he was elected captain of basketball teams at both Kansas State and Springfield. In 1930, Souders received his masters degree in physical education and physiology from the University of Southern California, but even that didn’t seem to quench his knowledge for athletics. Thus, he began making it a habit of spending his summers attending coaching schools at Stanford, Colgate, Northeastern and Lafayette to study the finer points of that profession. In 1916, Souders, who married Edna Ross and together had a son and The five Souders brothers were known to their nephew David as “The Brotherhood.” a daughter, landed his first job when he was named director of physical education It was while wearing his athletic director’s hat, however, of the Milton, Mass. public school system. He then took over that Souders may have achieved his most endearing act at the same position at Milton Academy in 1919. Exeter when he opened the school’s pool three mornings a “Martin was my great uncle but unfortunately, I never got to week to Navy and Marine personnel at the nearby Portsmouth know him well … I was just nine years old when he died,” said Naval Hospital who had been wounded fighting in World Was David Plants, Marjorie’s father. “I can remember him coming II. The swimming sessions, which allowed these wounded down from Exeter to visit us in Connecticut a few times and warriors therapeutic exercise, was supervised by the hospital’s he’d always bounce me up and down on his knee. My mother, medical department. He also set aside some time on Saturday Marjorie, was Martin’s niece, and she just adored him. mornings so that the children of officers at the Naval Hospital “He was one of five boys in his family … I always referred to could use the pool as well. it as ‘The Brotherhood,’“ quipped Plants, “so, when it came to “Martin was a good guy,” said Plants, “and I think the sports, I figure that’s where he got his competitive nature from. reason for that is because he indeed possessed the qualities of I can imagine that growing up with four brothers can cause the leadership, vision and dedication … those very same qualities competitive tendencies to begin at a very early age.” that are inscribed on his NEPSAC award … the same qualities the council looks for in its award winners.” When it comes to the Souders’ family tree, it would appear as though the Plants occupy one of its sturdier branches. David, as well as his two older siblings — Ken and Muffy — all proved to be chips off the old block. All three attended NEPSAC schools and all three competed in athletics. Ken attended Avon Old Farms School (1961) where Athletics proved to be only a part of Souders’ life, however, he played soccer. Muffy, meanwhile, went to Greenwich Academy as he soon became a pillar of the Exeter community. In addition (1970) and competed in field hockey and lacrosse. David attended to being the school’s athletic director, head of its physical Brunswick School (1973) and earned All-Fairfield County laurels education department and head football coach, he still found there for his achievements on the soccer field. plenty of roles to fill away from campus. Among those was his Now it’s Marjorie Plants turn to place an exclamation point church, the Exeter Congregational Church, where he served as on her family’s athletic exploits — and she’s doing just that. a Deacon. He was also a trustee of the Exeter Hospital and With the exception of that 1–0 loss to BB&N in the title tilt, president of the hospital corporation, trustee of the Eventide one couldn’t have asked for a better season than Miss Porter’s Home, chairman of the Exeter Red Cross Blood Bank, chairman put together this fall and at 5’ 3” and 105 pounds, the girl they of the board of the Emerson School and a member of the Exeter call “Mojo” stood tall right in the middle of the fray. Historical Society.
He was one of five boys in his family … I always referred to it as ‘The Brotherhood
18 | NEPSAC News | Spring 2020
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“We positioned her as a midfielder,” said coach Avi Dubnov of Plants, who was one of three players on his squad to earn allstar laurels after leading it to a 17–1–2 showing, with that lone setback coming in the tourney finals. “That’s because she’s very aggressive and by having her play a midfield position, we could use that aggressiveness both offensively and defensively. “In my opinion, the key to Majorie’s success is a combination of hard work … particularly on her own, and her perseverance … she just never stops trying to improve, ” added Dubnov. “They’re tremendous traits to have in life and she’s made the most of them in the athletic arena as well as in the classroom.” In addition to earning the top seed in the New England Class A soccer tourney, Miss Porter’s also breezed to the Founders League title. Putting a rather surreal quality to its trek to the medals podium, however, was the fact that this showing came just one year after Miss Porter’s (18–1–1) had earned the top seed in the tourney’s Class B competition. “Marjorie’s always working to make herself better, whether it’s on the soccer field, on the side of a mountain, on a tennis court or in a classroom … her priority is to always improve,” said a proud pop of his daughter, who is on the school’s high honor roll as well as a resident adviser to some 30 freshmen. “We’ve always considered Marjorie to be a natural athlete but through her hard work and determination, she’s made herself an outstanding athlete as well.” Last winter, meanwhile, Plants again showed why she’s called “Mojo,” as the diminutive dynamo outraced all but one skier to the finish line in the Class B Giant Slalom, earning a time of 89.48 over two runs and missing out on a gold medal finish by a mere 2.21 seconds. In the slalom, meanwhile, her two runs were clocked in 70.75, which proved good enough for fifth place, just 4.9 seconds off the winning pace. “It’s really remarkable when a sophomore finishes inside the Top 10 in both the Giant Slalom and the Slalom races at
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the New England Championships,” said Rich Lucas, the Miss Porter’s ski coach. “Marjorie just defies the odds, though. And so, we’re hoping for more great things from her this season as well.“ While Plants isn’t leaving herself much wiggle room for improvement, she still sees some areas to grow when she takes to the field for her senior year of soccer. “We’re losing a number of seniors from that team,” explained Plants, “so I think I’ll need to step up and try to be more of a presence … try to be more of a scorer … try to be more of a leader.” Martin Souders would be proud. The NEPSAC SPECIAL NEWS is sponsored by SportsGrub. SportsGrub provides athletic teams with nutritional meals delivered directly to their event. We provide a diverse menu that athletes can order from directly in our app. Don’t just play to win, plan to win with healthy and delicious meals from SportsGrub. Contact us for more information at www.sportsgrub.com
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NEPSAC Girls Ice Hockey Association Honors Coaches with Tournament Names SPONSORED BY SPORTSGRUB
by Bob York
T
he New England Prep School Girls Ice Hockey Association playoffs will take on a new look this season – start to finish. The revisions will begin when the selection committee gathers at its roundtable on Sunday to hand out more invites to more tournaments than it ever has before. This season, the entry field is expanding and teams will now be seeded into three tournaments, not two.
This year, the top eight teams will enter an Elite Division, to be called the Chuck Vernon Tournament. The Large School Tournament, meanwhile, has been renamed the Patsy Odden Tournament, while the Small School Tournament is now the Dolly Howard Tournament and they will host six teams each, based on school enrollment. The three tournament winners will then receive their respective trophies the following Sunday after the finals at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center — from the people those trophies are named after. What this means is that the Elite champion will receive the Chuck Vernon Trophy from Vernon, a long-time Loomis Chaffee mentor, while Odden, a former coach at the Taft School, will hand out
Taft coach Patsy Odden with one of her teams. The Large School tournament is now the Patsy Odden tournament. Photo courtesy Taft School.
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her newly minted trophy to the Large School winner. The Small School victor, meanwhile, will earn a trophy honoring Howard, a former coach at St. George’s School. Howard, however, is currently living in Florida and will not be on hand for the ceremonies. “Over the past two to three years there has been a group of girls hockey coaches who wanted to see the tournament expanded to include more teams,” explained Christa Talbot-Syfu, the co-president of the NEPSGIHA and head coach at Williston-Northampton School. “In an effort to do this, a proposal was put together to move to one division and create three tournaments … similar to the boys tournament, which took on this format back in the 2008–2009 season. Ultimately, we voted on it last spring and implemented it this year. “The naming of the tournaments came from talking with Robin Chandler of Hotchkiss, Chuck Vernon of Loomis and Caroline Heatley of Lawrence,” added Talbot-Syfu. “All of them have been involved in the game for a long time and gave us a good sense of the history of girls prep hockey and the key players involved in getting the sport off the ground.” “They say I coached a total of 135 teams during my career at Loomis,” quipped Vernon, and considering the recently-retired veteran coached all three seasons, mentoring both boys and girls sports at all levels from varsity to JV to thirds as a head coach as well as an assistant coach for 52 years, “they’re probably right.” Vernon’s half-century of coaching at Loomis included any sport that needed a scoreboard. In the fall, there was varsity
The Elite Division tournament is now named for Chuck “Bruno” Vernon, center, with Loomis coach Liz Leyden (left) and Loomis AD Sue Cabot. Photo courtesy Loomis Chaffee School.
and JV football, varsity and JV boys’ soccer, as well as varsity and JV girls’ soccer. The winter featured varsity and JV girls’ hockey, plus varsity and JV boys’ hockey, while the spring highlighted lacrosse: boys varsity and JV, as well as girls varsity and JV. The important thing, however, was that like his counterparts … Odden and Howard … Vernon was around when the sport of prep school girls hockey needed him most — during its fledgling days in the early 80s. Today, there are 54 New England prep schools fielding girls hockey teams, but when Vernon and Odden were on hand there were just six, the Original Six: Loomis Chaffee, Taft, Choate, Pomfret, Northfield Mount Hermon and Williston. “It’s hard to believe now, but that’s all there were back in those days … just six teams,” said Vernon, who began coaching boys hockey at Loomis in 1967, then took over the girls program in 1981 and remained there — in one coaching capacity or another — for 38 years until his retirement in 2018. “Back then, not even the prep schools down around the Boston area had begun competing yet.” One key factor, according to Vernon, that helped put girls hockey on the map
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 21
Dolly Howard started the girls hockey program at St. George’s School. Photo courtesy St. George’s School Archives.
throughout western New England prep schools was that during the early 80s, girls in the Hartford, Conn., area were able to play up to Bantam-level youth hockey (ages 17–18) on boys teams and therefore, many of the more talented girls had been skating on boys teams for their entire careers and were thus more than ready, willing and able to take their talents to their nearest girls prep school hockey team. Despite a lack of competition, the Original Six made the most of the rivalries they developed among themselves via home-and-home series, which gave them 10 games each. Plus, they managed to attract a few independent games throughout the season — from the collegiate ranks. “I remember we picked up some strong opponents from the Ivies … teams like Princeton and Cornell, who we beat that first year we played them, as well as Dartmouth, who we tied,” said Vernon. “It was a very competitive schedule and it went a long way in attracting talent from all over. “Heck,” added Vernon, “back in those days, there wasn’t really even much going on in girls hockey up in Canada, so you’d often find a number of Canadian girls on our rosters, too.”
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Back in those days, Patsy Odden, who was both Vernon’s good friend and chief adversary, was coaching what Vernon described as “the best girls hockey team on the planet … I don’t know of a better girls hockey program anywhere back then … not even on the collegiate level.” “Chuck and I go back a long way … he’s a good friend, a great coach and a tremendous advocate of girls hockey,” said Odden, who began the girls hockey program at Taft in 1973, making it one of the oldest girls hockey programs in the country. “I had never coached hockey prior to that,” admitted Odden. “In fact, the closest I ever came to playing hockey was when I played with my brothers on neighborhood ponds. As I got older, I took up figure skating, but I never really thought much about hockey until my husband (Lance), who was the headmaster at Taft, decided we should have a girls hockey program.” Like Vernon, Odden was able to lure some of the premier girls hockey players from throughout the country to Taft during the early 80s and her first bluechipper proved to be Katey Stone (’84). Stone, who is in her 25th year as coach of women’s hockey at Harvard University is the game’s winningest coach as she closes in on the 500-win plateau (492), showed what she could do as a player as she helped lead Taft to a 17–0–1 record during the 1983–84 season. Another notable recruit Odden landed in the early 90s was A.J. Mleczko (’93) who helped propel the program to an unprecedented three consecutive New England prep titles (’91–’93) before moving on to become an All-American at Harvard under Stone as well as a goldand silver-medal winner for the U.S. in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympic Games, respectively. In addition to Mleczko, Odden also landed two other future Olympians. One was Tammy Shewchuk (’96), a gifted skater and natural scorer who also went on to play at Harvard, where, by the time she graduated, was the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in career goals (160), career assists (147) and career points (307) before earning a berth on the 2002 Canadian Olympic team where she
earned a gold medal. Away from the ice, Shewchuk is married to Michael Dryden, son of Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden. The other Olympian coming out of the Taft fold was Chanda Gunn, a goaltender who won a bronze medal with the US team at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games after playing collegiately at Wisconsin and Northeastern and registering a pair All-American honors on her resume. Not to be outdone, Vernon landed his own golden girl during those formative years. Ironically, that recruit of yesteryear is now employed about an hour down the road at Taft, where she is its girls’ hockey coach. Her name is Gretchen Silverman, but during her days at Loomis Chaffee, she was Gretchen Ulion. The name Ulion should ring a bell, as she was yet another member of that 1998 U.S. gold-medal winning women’s hockey team. In fact, Ulion scored the first goal of that gold-medal game, marking the first goal ever scored in an Olympic women’s ice hockey gold-medal game — and she was featured on a Wheaties box later that year. Following her graduation from L oomis Chaffee, Ulion attended Dartmouth College, where, 26 years after her graduation, she is still the Big Green’s all-time leading scorer with 312 points and leading goal getter with 189. She was also rewarded for her efforts by being named twice as Ivy League Player of the Year. “I can tell you that both Patsy and Bruno were strong advocates for the girls game from the beginning,” said Silverman. “They fought for equitable treatment of their respective programs and continued to grow the game throughout their careers. Both created the model for other programs to follow, which fostered the growth of the Founders League and ultimately the NEPSAC league. “Bruno would build his team around a few experienced hockey players, by finding some of the best non-hockey playing athletes in the incoming classes and then proceed to teach them how to play hockey,” added Silverman. “We would not have had enough players for a full roster without Bruno’s ability to teach the game and identify those athletes.
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“Bruno was a mentor to so many of us both on and off the ice,” she continued. “He helped shape me into a supportive teammate, a contributing community member and a skilled hockey player. As I work with my own players and students today, I find myself reflecting on my years at Loomis and asking myself, how would Bruno have handled this.” It won’t come as any surprise to those who follow sports at St. George’s School that its home for hockey is known as the Skip and Dolly Howard Ice Rink. Not after Skip was the school’s long-time athletic director and served as its boys hockey coach for 16 years, while his wife, Dolly, headed up the girls program for 29 years. “Guess what we talked about around the supper table,” quipped Dolly. One
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thing that was probably mentioned was how she took over the girls program in 1973 and started it from scratch. “Back then, the girls played on the boys thirds team,” remembers Howard, who also coached field hockey and lacrosse in a highly competitive Independent School League throughout her career. “Back then it was sort of a combination of coaching hockey and teaching how-to-skate classes. We had a few girls who knew something about hockey during those formative years but for the most part, we started from scratch. “I’d say it took us about 10 years or so to become competitive in the ISL,” added Howard. “We never really got to the dominating point but we
did get to the middle-of-the pack and once we got there, we pretty much stayed there. Starting from scratch was difficult, but I know I got a real sense of accomplishment from what our kids did and how they built up the program and I’m pretty sure they did, too.” The NEPSAC SPECIAL NEWS is sponsored by SportsGrub. SportsGrub provides athletic teams with nutritional meals delivered directly to their event. We provide a diverse menu that athletes can order from directly in our app. Don’t just play to win, plan to win with healthy and delicious meals from SportsGrub. Contact us for more information at www. sportsgrub.com
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 23
Write On! Berwick Academy’s Andersen Pickard Makes His Mark as a Sports Writer SPONSORED BY SPORTSGRUB
by Bob York
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s an aspiring sports writer and passionate baseball fan, it didn’t take Andersen Pickard long to comprehend what the adage “Wait till next year!” was all about. The Berwick Academy freshman got the message loud-and-clear three years ago when he missed his very first deadline. For Pickard, it wasn’t a writing deadline that went awry, but rather the deadline for submitting a story proposal. He was about to make his pitch — pardon the pun — “when I realized time had run out to present it,” explained Pickard. “So, I guess you could say I learned my lesson the hard way and I just made sure I was ready when the deadline came around the next year,” — and he was. Although Pickard, who hails from Strafford, N.H., was a sixth-grader in Berwick’s middle school at the time, he wasn’t planning to drop this idea on his English teacher’s desk. Nope, he had bigger plans, he was preparing to submit it to a national publication: Sports Illustrated for Kids. The story Pickard proposed the following year — which was ultimately approved for publication by the SI for Kids staff — pertained to his first love: baseball. The story, which was published on May 15, 2018, examined, as Pickard wrote, “how minor league teams serve as guinea pigs for some of the radical rule changes meant to shorten the length of games.” Pickard researched his story during a road trip he and his father took to Portland, Me., to attend a Double A League game between the Portland Sea Dogs, a Boston Red Sox affiliate, and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets). His investigation, which included interviews with Doug Fenster and Luis Rojas, the Portland and Binghamton managers, respectively, focused on how teams were reacting to the rule changes in general and on one in particular: the pitch clock, which allowed a pitcher just 15 seconds to throw the ball. “I was both pleased and shocked when Sports Illustrated contacted me and informed me that it would be publishing my story,” said Pickard, who has had nine more stories published by the magazine since his debut. “It’s been a dream come true as far as I’m concerned because I’ve been an avid writer since I was in fourth grade and I’ve loved sports for as long as I can remember.” Pickard’s latest article, which hit the streets on March 6 of this year, featured a New England Prep School Athletic Council girls’ hockey game between Berwick and Tilton School. The bottom line of his story wasn’t so much about who won — which Berwick did, 3–2 — or who lost, but rather a deeper meaning the game held for the players on both squads. “The teams were skating that night in support of a campaign known as ‘Stick it to Stigma,’ and I felt their effort was deserving of a story and fortunately, the magazine did, too,” explained Pickard. “Stick it to Stigma, which both the Berwick boys’ and
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Andersen Pickard seized the opportunity for a walking Q&A with Joe Torre, the legendary Yankees manager and MLB bigwig.
girls’ hockey teams have represented for the past three years, was created by an organization known as ‘Connor’s Climb’ and its goal is to raise awareness about the issues related to mental health.” In the story, Pickard introduces Tara Ball, the president of ‘Connor’s Club’ to the reader and explains how she dedicated the club to her son, Connor, who died by suicide in 2011. Ball told Pickard that she enjoys seeing schools support Connor’s Climb as they continue to spread awareness of mental health issues. She also emphasized to him that some myths regarding mental health are still present, despite the increase in awareness over the past few years. “The biggest myth is if you talk about suicide, you will cause a greater increase in suicide,” Ball told Pickard. “The truth is, if you talk about suicide, you normalize it and give kids who might be experiencing suicidal thoughts a chance to talk about how they feel.”
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“Andersen put the work in and wrote about a very sensitive subject with a great deal of care,” said Sam Page, Pickard’s editor at Sports Illustrated. “He pulled in a lot of voices for that story, people both in and around the game. Sometimes, I think kids, and adults, talk to one or two people and call it a day … Andersen didn’t.” According to Page, writers for SI for Kids typically range in age from seven through 15 and getting an opportunity to write for the magazine can be rather competitive. For example, back in 2018, the year Picard made his debut on the national stage, SI received more than 100 applicants, of which only 10 were selected to write for the magazine. “The Kid reporters begin by pitching their assigned editors … either me or someone else at SI … with ideas,” said Page of the process his writing wannabes follow in hopes of having their stories published. “If an idea is approved, we coordinate with the team or athlete they want to interview to get them whatever credentials they may need. “Once they’ve written their story, they submit it to their editor,” added Page. “The editor then in turn will work with the reporter to improve the story and eventually get it online. “Andersen is a polished writer for his age,” said Page of his young scribe, who also writes for a pair of online sports sites: Prime Time Sports Talk, of which Pickard is editor in chief, as well as MLB Daily Dish, “and has the necessary industriousness to be a good reporter. He started in 2018, and has improved greatly as a journalist during the time I’ve been working with him.” Of the 10 stories Pickard has penned for SI to date, six focus on his beloved sport of baseball and his favorite by far is the trip he made to Las Vegas to cover the 2018 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings. Yes, you read correctly, an eighthgrader was in Las Vegas, covering MLB’s Winter Meetings — and he did so with SI’s blessings. “It was all Andersen’s idea,” said Page. “He pitched his plan to me and so I asked MLB and they said OK. “I crashed the Winter Meetings at age 16, so for him to attend them with permission at 13 puts him way ahead of me.” “I just felt I had to give it a shot … it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Pickard of his Las Vegas venture. “Everything worked out great … I needed some money to make things work and I’m deeply indebted to the Berwick Booster Club for helping out and making the trip possible.” Pickard, who, once again, was accompanied by his father, made the most of his five-day stay, interviewing just about anyone who was wearing a MLB credential and doing so just about any time and any place he could. “Andersen’s a special kid,” said Rob Quinn, the Berwick athletic director. “He’s very dedicated and has a laser focus on anything and everything he does and when it comes to focusing on writing, he does an outstanding job … as the number of stories he’s written for Sports Illustrated will attest. “When Andersen first learned he had an opportunity to attend Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, he shot us an email to see if the school might be able to help him financially,” added Quinn, “and our Booster Club was more than willing to help out. In fact, we jumped at the opportunity
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… Andersen’s an outstanding young man, an excellent student and an athlete who’s played both baseball and basketball throughout middle school. He’s what this school is all about.” “While on the diamond, during practices and games, Andersen always demonstrates the right mindset to earn success,” said Berwick baseball coach Jim Smucker, “and he always looks at situations from a coaching perspective that betters the team. “Andersen has the utmost respect for the game,” added Smucker. “He is like a sponge, he’s always trying to absorb all the information he can to help better himself and the team.” Pickard’s time at the winter meetings, which took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, featured a Q&A stroll
Andersen put the work in and wrote about a very sensitive subject with a great deal of care with Joe Torre, MLB’s chief baseball officer and former New York Yankee managerial legend, while Torre was on his way to a radio interview. He also interviewed former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Then, later in the week, Pickard received an invite to interview Al Avila, the Detroit Tigers general manager, in Avila’s suite atop the Delano Hotel. Another highlight in Pickard’s writing career came in August of 2018 when he had the opportunity to interview three-time MLB MVP Alex Rodriguez. The subjects included Rodriguez’s new life in the broadcaster’s booth as an analyst for ESPN, on business and on his days as a Little Leaguer. “It’s definitely been a blast,” said Pickard of his writing for Sports Illustrated. It’s allowed me to interview people I never would have dreamed I’d ever have had the opportunity to talk to and has allowed me to go places I never thought I’d ever go … it’s been quite a ride. “As for the future, I’d definitely like to continue my sports writing throughout high school and college,” added Pickard. “I’m thinking, right now, that I’ll major in business in college and then I’d like to give my other dream job a try. I want to work in the front office for a big league baseball team … like be a general manager.” And if that other dream job should ever come to fruition, you know Pickard’s team will lead MLB in at least one category: PR. The NEPSAC SPECIAL NEWS is sponsored by SportsGrub. SportsGrub provides athletic teams with nutritional meals delivered directly to their event. We provide a diverse menu that athletes can order from directly in our app. Don’t just play to win, plan to win with healthy and delicious meals from SportsGrub. Contact us for more information at www.sportsgrub.com
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 25
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Thrive League, launched by Matt Kokoszka, gives NEPSAC players boost by Jonathan Sigal, New England Soccer Journal
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hrough his Futbol Goals USA program, which placed roughly 200 kids at boarding schools last year, Matt Kokoszka (Meriden, Conn.) has a unique viewpoint of NEPSAC soccer. Toss in how he’s a former Choate Rosemary Hall studentathlete who won a Division 3 national title at St. Lawrence, and Kokoszka is intimately familiar with the different backgrounds NEPSAC players come from. Or rather, the different life challenges they’ve been dealt. In a space where full tuition and room/board at prep schools can push $60,000, rivaling most private universities, you don’t have to look far to spot families that are well-off financially. On the other end of the spectrum, there are studentathletes, often international students, who come from modest means. They’re in the NEPSAC chasing their college dream with soccer serving as their springboard, just like American kids are. “Wherever you’re born, it’s not really your choice,” Kokoszka said. “And that’s something I’ve really identified and connected with through my work, because I imagine my kids growing up in some places I’ve traveled to, knowing the opportunities they’d have here and then how hard those are to attain elsewhere. For me to give these kids an opportunity to equal the playing field, that’s what’s really important.” And so, the idea for Thrive League was born. A relativelyyoung non-profit organization that’s led by Kokoszka, they’re hoping to expand and alleviate many of the challenges that come with attending these prestigious prep schools in New England. As Kokoszka tells it, some of their international players come from families that make around $2,000 a year, and thus qualify for full financial aid. But there are other associated costs — health insurance, books, clothes for school, new cleats, etc. — that often get overlooked. There’s also the issue of having a place to stay during school vacations and flying back home to visit family. “If they’re looking to go home, and a lot of kids haven’t for sometimes years, it’s helping make that more feasible,” Kokoszka said. As it currently stands, recipients of Thrive League funds would be selected through partner organizations for the 202021 school year. But as the non-profit expands, Kokoszka hopes it’d also benefit domestic players, not just international ones. “I’m a huge proponent of taking care of U.S. kids as well who have the complete package, but maybe not the finances,” Kokoszka said. “It takes time and energy and more personnel to find the kids, but eventually that’s the direction I see it going to help players from both backgrounds.” The non-profit is largely rooted in relationships Kokoszka has developed through Futbol Goals USA. There, he works as an education consultant to link international soccer academies (boys and girls) with prep schools, often in New England. Some of the strongest ties exist with Rising Stars of Africa (Ghana), Ubuntu Football (South Africa) and Ascent Soccer
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South Kent midfielder Joshua Bolma came through the Rising Stars Academy in Ghana. (Mike Gridley/New England Soccer Journal)
(Malawi), while he’s set to soon take over a dozen coaches and school representatives to Guatemala for an event. Acting as a middle-man of sorts, he helps talented players navigate the new soccer world they’re entering in New England. Recent players he’s helped along are Indian Mountain School freshman Jessica Lomo, Northfield Mount Hermon sophomore Augustine Boadi and Berkshire sophomore Athi Msiza. They all project into high-end Division 1 programs, with Futbol Goals USA facilitating their soccer futures stateside. While not a NEPSAC program, Kokoszka also built out the entire roster at Connecticut-based Putnam Science Academy, where the soccer program is in its second year of existence. “There’s going to be 10 kids at a showcase that every school wants,” Kokoszka said, “but then it’s my job to help the family figure out the choices they should consider with their profile. It’s based on the level of football, academics, finances, all these factors. It’s evening the playing field and giving kids access to schools that are appropriate for them and vice versa.” All this work exists separately from Right to Dream, a Ghana-based academy that’s grown synonymous with prep school soccer. But Kokoszka’s network extends far beyond that and into other continents, all as the landscape becomes increasingly international. There’s also the possibility that Thrive League would allow for applicants down the road. But for the time being, Kokoszka is hoping to expand and financially support as many players as possible. “I’ve traveled so much and see what we’re used to on this side of the world,” Kokoszka said. “I’m hoping Thrive League is something people connect with. Your birthright is wherever you’re born, it’s not really your choice.”
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SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST IS THE #1 KILLER OF STUDENT ATHLETES.
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1970 Assumption Prep School Basketball Team New England Prep School Class “B” Champions by Jim “Nubbin” Davis
The 1970 Assumption Prep basketball team Front Row: Dave Noccioli, Peter Coyle, Rich Riley, Jim Davis, Rick Mello, Eric Meza, Peter Shea. Back Row: Coach Bob Boule, André Van Vooren, Glenn Davis, Paul Lizotte, Steve Rosseel, Joe Gay, John Russell, Chris D’Elia, Mike Berry, Assistant Coach Jim McManus, John Massarelli.
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he 1970 Assumption Prep School basketball team was short on stature but long on determination and hard work. None of the five starters measured more than 6’1”, but each could play tenacious defense and box out and rebound with the best of them. The nucleus of the team was four seniors who had attended Assumption Prep for the three prior years and a postgraduate from Shrewsbury High School. The team faced adversity even before the season began when we were told that our New England Basketball Hall of Fame coach Charlie Bibaud would not be able to guide us for our senior year. A player right out of college—a mere three or four years older than us—was going to be at the helm. With great trepidation and doubt the team awaited the first day of tryouts to meet the new coach. The moment Bob Boule—a Division II All American college player at Assumption College—walked into our gym, there was no doubt who was in charge. He commanded immediate respect. The first two weeks of practice were the most demanding that any player on the team had experienced, with many a lunch reluctantly deposited in the gym’s bathroom. Coach Boule felt that with our lack of height, we were going to have to press on defense and run on offense to win any games. In order to do
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that, we needed to be in the best physical condition of our lives and certainly in better shape than our opponents. We definitely accomplished this goal. The season started with two victories, and then we met Robinson School out of Hartford, Connecticut. Robinson would prove to be our nemesis during the regular season, beating us twice at home. The first time was at our third annual Christmas Tournament where no Assumption Prep team had ever previously lost. Next game we rebounded with a victory and then met Robinson again at home in a regular season game. After the six point loss at the holiday tournament, hope ran high for revenge and a sweet victory. It was not to be, however, as we were clearly outplayed and suffered an eleven point loss. Our next game brought more adversity and radically changed our team and season. On the bus ride to Thompson Academy, Rich Riley—our leading scorer and co-captain—became ill and began to vomit. This was not routine pre-game jitters, for it turned out to be hepatitis, a very serious illness that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Riles was averaging somewhere north of 25 points a game so his absence left a gaping hole.
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When a team is faced with losing its star player, it can do one of two things: either quit and blame a losing season on bad luck, or have each player dig a little deeper and develop a special closeness and bond that leads to a can-do attitude. Fortunately, we chose to work hard and do our best to persevere. The team coming together did not happen overnight but the foundation was laid in the Thompson Academy game, a double overtime thriller we won by two points at the buzzer on a Mike Berry jump shot. The team stumbled through the next four games trying to find itself—winning two and losing two. The last seven games showed a team that clearly had gelled, winning six of seven with only a last second one point loss to mar the streak we were on. We finished the season with a 13 and 6 record. With that record we were “on the bubble” for a New England Prep School Class “B” Tournament bid. We eagerly awaited the eventual phone call inviting us as the last seed in an eight team tournament. As fate would have it, we were pitted against our bitter rival Robinson, the tournament top seed with a glittering 20-1 record. The game went well for Assumption and we held an eight point lead with a little over three minutes to play. At this point Nubbin Davis, our leading scorer and co-captain, fouled out and Rich Riley replaced him. The game got really close and Riles ended up on the foul line with 8 seconds to go for a 1 and 1 with us down 83 to 82. Riles made them both and put us up 84-83. Robinson’s 6’5” star player had a last second shot that was blocked by 6’1” John Russell to preserve the victory. In the semi-finals Assumption played the number four seed, Kent School of Connecticut. Kent’s roster included 6’7” Phil Rogers who was averaging over 30 points a game. He went on to become Fairfield University’s all time leading scorer and was drafted by the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers. This was an extremely physical game with Assumption employing a triangleand-two defense designed to shut down Rogers and Kent’s point guard. The strategy worked well enough to eke out another one point victory, 61-60.
Assumption Prep 1970 Team Roster Athletic Director: Charlie Bibaud Head Coach: Bob Boule Ass’t. Coach: Jim McManus Rich Riley Senior Starter, Co-Captain Nubbin Davis Senior Starter, Co-Captain, Team Co-MVP Mike Berry Senior Starter, Tournament MVP Rick Mello Senior Starter, Team Co-MVP John Russell Senior Starter Dave Silvestro Senior Sixth Man Paul Lizotte Sophomore Starter Glenn Davis Junior Reserve Peter Shea Junior Reserve Chris D’Elia Junior Reserve Steve Rosseel Junior Reserve Peter Coyle Sophomore Reserve
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Wheeler School basketball coach Sean Kelly heard this story and invited Assumption team members to have a mini reunion at the tournament. From left: Rich Riley, Mike Berry, Coach Bob Boule, Rick Mello, Sean Kelly, Jim Davis.
In the finals Assumption faced number two seed Williston Academy. The game was a defensive struggle with both teams playing very tough hard-nosed man-to-man defense. At halftime we were down 30-29. Coach Bibaud came into the locker room and told us, in a very emotional speech, that our school was going to close at the end of the year. He asked us to give everything we could so Assumption could go out as champions. The game was nip and tuck the whole way but thanks to the excellent defense of point guard Rick Mello in shutting down Williston’s top scorer, Assumption prevailed 51-49. Fittingly, the five top seniors and an unheralded sophomore were involved in the plays at the end of the game that captured the victory and the New England Class “B” Prep School Championship. With Williston leading 49 to 47, senior center and tourney MVP Mike Berry rebounded a missed Williston shot, passed it up to senior forward John Russell, who found senior co-captain shooting guard Nubbin Davis wide open on the wing, and Nubbin hit a 15 footer to tie the game at 49-49. Senior point guard Rick Mello then stole the ball and passed it to sophomore guard Paul Lizotte, who found senior co-captain Rich Riley open on the baseline. Riles drove and made an easy two-footer for the 51-49 victory. Coach Boule was quoted in the Worcester Telegram as saying jokingly, “This one was a romp,” because of our two point margin of victory following the previous 1 point tournament victories. Very seldom do you read about the last seed in a tournament winning a championship. But Assumption Prep was different. It was a storybook finish, as the Monks proved that hard work, heart, determination, and destiny can help overcome tremendous odds, and bring about success. Three months later, in June of 1970, Assumption Prep School closed its doors forever. The 1970 Assumption Prep yearbook called the championship “ASSUMPTION PREP’S FINEST HOUR”. No one can argue with that point! Assumption Prep went out with class as winners!
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Ryan Frost of Cardigan Mountain First Middle School AD Named to NEPSAC Executive Board SPONSORED BY SPORTSGRUB
by Bob York
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alk about closing out the decade with a bang, Ryan Frost did it with a boom. In January the Cardigan Mountain School athletic director became the first New England Prep School Athletic Council middle school (grades 6–9) representative to ever be nominated to its Executive Board. He shattered that 78-year-old barrier when his peers voted him as secretary during their Annual Meeting. Then, for an encore, Frost proved he is as much at home on the national stage as he is sure to be at the NEPSAC roundtable when he served as the Council’s lone presenter at the annual National Athletic Directors Conference in Washington, D.C., in December. Frost’s presentation was titled “Creating and Sustaining a Captains’ Leadership Council.” Ryan Frost in action with the Cardigan football team. The report marked the third time Frost has been a presenter at the ADs’ national convention. proud. I know if Jim were still around, he would be the first to Last year, he focused on leadership as well, with a presentation give Ryan a big pat on the back.” titled “Coaches Understanding Their Roles as Leaders.” His Frost’s quest to find student/athletes and help nurture initial presentation, which came five years ago, dealt with them to become team leaders is something near and dear to his “Establishing a Captains Leadership Council.” heart. For this former captain of his Franklin & Marshall College Other familiar NEPSAC faces at the national conference lacrosse team and recipient of its Character and Leadership belonged to Matt Lawlor, the athletic director at Brewster Award his senior year, the belief in having the ability to lead is a Academy, and Rick Eccleston, who is currently on sabbatical key component of being successful in the athletic arena. from Holderness School. All projects such as Frost’s presentation on leadership “I’m excited … I’m proud … I’m honored to have been councils come with a co-presenter and in Frost’s case, that elected to the Executive Board by my peers,” said Frost, who partner was Anne Campbell, the Grand Rapids (Minn.) High spent the majority of the past decade — eight years — as School athletic director. The two worked together during the fall NEPSAC’s District II secretary and Middle School Representative. to organize and prepare the presentation. “I’m really looking forward to working closely with my fellow “One of the nice things about it was the fact that Anne does board members. NEPSAC has enjoyed outstanding leadership something very similar with her captains, even at a large school of throughout the years and I’m anxious to help play a part in over 1,100 students,” said Frost, “and thus we were able to talk successfully responding to whatever challenges we may face shop and learn from each other while working on our presentation. in the future.” “The best part,” added Frost, “was the connection and “I’m thrilled to see Ryan move into the next and highest friendship we have made that now allows us to continue to level of leadership in NEPSAC,” said George Tahan, the Council connect and bounce ideas off each other even after we presented.” president. “He’s the first middle/junior school AD in NEPSAC to “Having the opportunity to work with Ryan turned out to be do so and I can think of no one more deserving than Ryan to a tremendous opportunity for me,” said Campbell. “He’s very make such a step. passionate about his captains councils, as am I, and therefor “Ryan has been a fixture at Cardigan Mountain and in I feel as though we were able to help each other along the way. NEPSAC leadership,” added Tahan. “He had the tough task of During the fall, we’d keep in touch by either phone or email and following the legendary Jim Marrion at Cardigan and has done we even Googled parts of the project back-and-forth to each so capably, thoughtfully and in a manner I know would make Jim other whenever necessary.
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Frost hasn’t taken to the national stage just to be a presenter, however. He gets as good as he gives when he’s on the podium, such as he was in 2015 when he was summoned to be an award recipient for his and his team’s hard work. That year, under his guidance, Cardigan Mountain became the first school in New England and only the second prep school in the country to receive the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s Quality Program Award. With Frost at the helm, Cardigan passed all 10 of the assessment categories the association sets forth for high school athletic administrators and then uses those scores for calculating the status of athletic programs and recognizing those that meet the exemplary level. The amount of homework for Ryan Frost represented NEPSAC at the National Athletic Directors Conference in athletic directors to simply apply for a Washington, DC in December. Quality Program Award is extensive and in Frost’s case, “we filled seven binders with information on our athletic programs. “In the end, we both want what’s best for the kids,” added “Then,” added Frost, “once you’ve submitted your information, Campbell. “We want to allow them to have the positive you must earn at least 80 percent of available points in all 10 experiences that will not only help them be successful in categories in order to win an award. It meant a lot of hard work athletics but more importantly, be successful in life.” for a lot of people here, but it was worth it … it’s an award the Perhaps a quote used as a preface on his Leadership entire school can be very proud of.” Council website sheds some insight on how important Frost Frost, who grew up in Chapel Hill, N.C., and attended views team leadership. It’s a quote from Warren Bennis, who is nearby Durham Academy, followed his graduation from Franklin widely regarded as a pioneer in the studies of leadership and & Marshall with a three-year stint at Springfield College, where it reads: “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders he earned masters degrees in Athletic Administration and are born — that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s Education. From there, he served as a physical education nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made instructor and head lacrosse coach at The Kinkaid School in rather than born.” Houston, Texas, before joining the Cardigan staff in 2007. With that philosophy in mind, Frost, who is in his 13th year “I think it’s good to attend conventions such as these as Cardigan Mountain’s athletic director and approaching his whenever possible,” said Matt Lawlor, who has been heading fourth season as the Cougars head lacrosse coach — whose up the Brewster athletic department for the past decade team chalked up a 17–0 record last spring — is now in his 11th and was a self-described spectator at this year’s conference, year conducting Captains’ Councils at Cardigan. “particularly if you want to remain on the cutting edge of change “We hold these sessions throughout the fall, winter and in high school/prep school athletics. spring,” explained Frost. “Everyone who is voted a team captain “You can learn a lot by attending these conventions,” added is required to attend these meetings. We conduct between five Lawlor, “especially through the presentations. I give Ryan and six meetings throughout each season, at which time the (Frost) a lot of credit for getting up there and giving his reports captains meet with their coaches. on leadership. I’ve seen at least two of them and all the work “During these meetings,” added Frost, “the captains and he’s put into researching and preparing them has been well coaches discuss the successes and problems their teams worth it … in my opinion, they’ve been both outstanding and are having and use each other as a sounding board on finding very informative. He does a great job … it’s good for NEPSAC. “ ways to further improve on their successes as well as ways to eliminate or reduce the problems they may have run into. The NEPSAC SPECIAL NEWS is sponsored by SportsGrub. “Overall, I feel as though these councils have served a real SportsGrub provides athletic teams with nutritional meals purpose … to help create leadership in our student/athletes,” delivered directly to their event. We provide a diverse menu that Frost continued, “and it’s been very rewarding to watch former athletes can order from directly in our app. Don’t just play to win, members of these Leadership Councils go on to become plan to win with healthy and delicious meals from SportsGrub. leaders at other prep schools and then continue to do so on Contact us for more information at www.sportsgrub.com the collegiate level.”
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FOR LOVE OF THE GAME, WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE NEPSAC
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FOCUS ON: COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT
Giving Thanks and Giving Back CARDIGAN MOUNTAIN SCHOOL | CANAAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
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or many, the month of November is spent planning and preparing for an abundant Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends who will join together, watch football or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and express gratitude for the blessings in their lives. For others, the Thanksgiving holiday may be a time of lending a hand for those in need. For Cardigan Mountain Athletic Trainer Len Angelli, Thanksgiving consists of a bit of both.
Take for example, the carrots that are needed for the dinner. On Monday morning the Cardigan kitchen staff arrived at 6:30 a.m. to peel 300 pounds of carrots; they finished by 8:30 a.m., just in time for a group of students to begin chopping the peeled carrots into half-moon slices. With industrialsized cutting boards and knives, the students took over every surface area of the Cardigan kitchen and made quick work of the vegetables. Another crew of students and staff worked on Tuesday morning to prepare more side dishes. Last year about 150 volunteers served more than 1,500 meals to the community. In addition to the 300 lbs. of carrots, Mr. Angelli prepared 900 lbs. of turkey, 450 lbs. of potatoes, 400 lbs. of squash, 300 lbs. of sweet potatoes, and over 400 pies!
Each year, Sacred Heart Church in Lebanon hosts a dinner for members of the community in need of a warm meal on Thanksgiving Day. Mr. Angelli, who is also a parishioner of Sacred Heart, has been organizing the effort for the past eight years and spends months collecting donations from local farms, restaurants, and bakeries. He also solicits volunteers from the parish and the local community, including students, faculty, and staff from Cardigan.
Thanksgiving meal prep It’s no question that the Cardigan community is proud to be involved in helping with such a great cause. So proud, in fact, that we’ve included the Sacred Heart Community Thanksgiving Dinner in our Thanksgiving Break programming. Cardigan is happy to offer the use of our state-of-the-art kitchen facilities to help prepare much of the food, as well as offer a number of faculty and student kitchen helpers.
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FOCUS ON: COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT
’Wick Hockey Fights Against Cancer BRUNSWICK SCHOOL | GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT
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he Brunswick School community gathered on February 21 to raise support in the fight against cancer, as the Bruins faced Gunnery in front of a capacity crowd at Hartong Rink. The entire prep school hockey community united to raise funds to assist two special people fight this disease. Katie Kennedy (GA ’32) and Trinity-Pawling’s Head Coach Bobby Ferraris have both been diagnosed with cancer. Katie, the daughter of Brunswick head coach Mike Kennedy, dropped the ceremonial puck and was joined by her family and both teams for a group photo before the game. All proceeds will be split evenly between the Kennedy family’s charity of choice — Alex’s Lemonade Stand (alexslemonade.org) — and the Fighting for Ferraris fundraiser. In the game, Brunswick held an early 2-1 lead in the first period following goals by Andon Cerbone (10th) and Jakub Teply (22nd). The Highlanders, however, closed out the frame with a pair of markers, taking a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
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Joined by her family, Katie Kennedy dropped a ceremonial puck to start the game.
In the second period, Gunnery (1611-3) netted the lone goal of the stanza, a short-handed tally, and tacked on four more in the final frame for the 8-2 road win. Brunswick, ranked eighth in the latest USHR.com weekly poll, is still
in excellent position for a post-season bid with one game to play in the regular season. The Bruins, holding an overall mark of 19-7-2, host Trinity-Pawling on Senior Night on Friday, February 28.
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FOCUS ON: COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT
Sport Opens Opportunities for Girls BERKSHIRE SCHOOL | SHEFFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
by Lisa Marshall The following remarks were shared by Lisa Marshall, Girls Varsity Hockey Head Coach, at all-school meeting on Monday, January 6, 2020. Berkshire girls varsity coach Lisa Marshall has organized the Skate for Her game to coincide with the School’s celebration of 50 years of coeducation.
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hen I was three years old, The Lion King hit theaters for the first time. Before the movie ended, I knew in my heart that when I grew up, I wanted to be a lion. It wasn’t until I saw a man holding onto the back of a garbage truck, zipping around my neighborhood that I was swayed, realizing that maybe I wanted to be a garbageman. When I turned five years old, my parents finally gave in and signed me up to play hockey, just like my older brother. As soon as I had my own equipment, invincible within my armor and beneath my helmet, I had fallen in love. I was born to be a hockey player. A lot of what we dream is based upon what and who we see. I’m up here today to share about a new Berkshire tradition. On Friday, at 6 p.m., the girls varsity hockey team will host BBN for the inaugural Skate for Her game. All proceeds from the event will be donated to this year’s event beneficiary, the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF). In the words of tennis legend and the WSF’s founder, Billie Jean King, “She needs to see it, to be it.” The WSF creates access and funds opportunities for young girls all around the country to play sports. Why only females? Two in five girls compared to four in five boys play on sports teams by the end of high school. Raise your hand if you’ve played an organized sport and learned something from the experience? Sports can change lives. A few examples of events sponsored by WSF that you may be familiar with are: Girls in the Game, Sports 4 Life, Harlem
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Lisa Marshall is head coach of Berkshire School’s girls varsity hockey team.
Lacrosse, and Go-Girl-Go. The Foundation cites that lifelong benefits can be seen through physical, social, and emotional health. Plus, the development of selfesteem, confidence, empowerment, and access to a positive outlet. So where are the women in sports? In 2014, only 3.2% of national sports media coverage depicted female athletes. This year, only one woman made it onto the Forbes Top 100 list of Athletes: Serena Williams at number 63. When polled, 94% of women holding C level jobs (CEO, CFO, etc.) played sports and cited the experience as “lifechanging.” Okay, women, I get it, right? So why is this important to everyone? Well, roughly half of the world population is female. So, to all of us: Our classmates, teachers, moms, aunts, sisters, and a long way down the road, maybe even future daughters, deserve to see female role models. Everyone deserves to learn life lessons, gain confidence, create lasting relationships, and most importantly, to dream.
This week, players will be selling pom-pom hats at lunch, and then on Friday at 6 p.m., in the Jack, we invite you to support Girls Varsity Hockey. There will be little girls joining the teams for starting line-ups. Berkshire will wear custom jerseys that they’ve designed, that will then be auctioned off following the game. Members of the first-ever girls hockey team at Berkshire will be honored during the first intermission. There will be a cash and Venmo concession stand with hot dogs, snacks, chuck-a-puck, and even an opportunity to skate with the Bears following the game. All proceeds will be donated to the Women’s Sports Foundation. So, whether it be a lion, a garbageman, or even a hockey player, let’s create an opportunity for dreams to be seen. We hope to see you all at the inaugural Skate for Her game and look forward to the start of another exciting tradition under the Mountain.
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PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Parley Hannan ’15: A Runner Finds Victory and Healing WESTOVER SCHOOL | MIDDLEBURY, CONNECTICUT
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hen Parley Hannan ’15 thinks about the day of November 23, 2019, tears start to build up in her eyes. That day, when she won the Division III NCAA National Cross Country Championship, was more than a single victory. For the Ithaca College junior, the win was a celebration of her journey to get to that very exact day and moment, and an affirmation of what it took to cross the finish line. “Running is what keeps me going through life when I’m really struggling,” Hannan said. “So I couldn’t imagine not winning. I put my heart and soul into it. Crossing the finish line, it was complete and utter elation. I just felt like everything I had worked so hard for, it had all come together at that moment.” For Hannan, a 2015 graduate of Westover School, her story isn’t about winning one single race, But rather how the sport of running has helped her put one foot in front of the other, and find success amidst a life-long battle with her Parley Hannan and her Ithaca teammates at the NCAA national championship. Photo mental health. courtesy of Ithaca College. “Running has been an outlet for her anxiety, and I think it’s a driving force to continue to work on the things that she struggles with,” Ithaca grade, was diagnosed with depression. She explained that College Head Cross Country Coach Erin Dinan said. “She knows during her time away from Northeastern, working on bettering that to continue to compete at this level, she has to make sure her mental health and well-being, she decided not to return, that’s she’s keeping everything else in check, and that’s hard, instead, transferring to Ithaca. She said between high school that’s really, really hard to do. But to see what she’s done is and college, she’s taken two and a half years off from school. phenomenal.” “I ultimately loved the school (Northeastern) itself but when Hannan, who is from Orlean, Va., never competed in cross contemplating the idea of returning, I realized that being in the country or track at Westover. An all-around athlete, she instead city definitely did not help my mental health issues,” she said. played soccer, lacrosse, squash and swam. For Hannan, running Before her competitive running career took off at Ithaca, was her safe space, and as a high-schooler, something she Hannan was on the tennis team. While still continuing to run on wanted to be able to do on her own terms. the side, she realized how much she enjoyed playing a collegiate “(Running) kind of became a passion of mine to help me sport. So in the summer of 2018, about a week before the start channel any negative energy that I had,” Hannan said. of the cross country season, she reached out to Dinan, asking Hannan’s path to Ithaca has been untraditional. She started if she could try out. at the University of Colorado in 2015 and then transferred to “She sent me an email, her information, saying, ‘Hey, I run a Northeastern University after a year. lot of miles, I’m interested in trying out,” Dinan said. “She was “After two weeks at Northeastern, I realized that something doing some longer distance stuff, and I loved her energy and was definitely up with my mental health, which was affecting my her drive. And she was very open and honest about the things ability to perform in not just the classroom, but in day-to-day she struggled with over the years. And I said, ‘Let’s give this a life,” Hannan said. go.’” Hannan, who developed an eating disorder when she was Hannan ended up making the Bombers roster and a spot 15, and has struggled with anxiety since the eighth or ninth in the top 7 for the fall 2018 season. Dinan explained that
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PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Hannan’s struggles didn’t dissipate (she missed the 2019 spring track season due to a medical leave), but being part of a team, a supportive community, and having a purpose have served as a positive reinforcement. “Doing it (running) on a competitive level offers me another form of therapy,” Hannan said. “I like the fact that I get to see my success and progress, and to be congratulated for that is really awesome. I want to use that not just for my benefit, but for my team, and all areas of my life.” Hannan said this past summer she made a lot of life shifts in regards to her lifestyle, including going off medications, which she says helped her tremendously, but also made some things more difficult. “Ultimately, it was the best decision I had made,” she said. “But when you are on medications for such a vast majority of your life, and then you go off, things kind of come to surface level that hadn’t before, as well as you kind of have to learn how to tackle life differently.” While navigating a tough semester, running proved, once again, to be the outlet that Hannah desperately needed. She experienced a breakout cross country season as the No. 1 runner for the Bombers. In the regular season she placed in the top 5 in all of her races, including winning the Connecticut College Invitational in a time of 20:52.2, a new personal record and course record. Hannan went on to win the Liberty Conference title in a meet record time of 21:19.9, guiding her team to a second place finish. At the NCAA Atlantic Regional, she clocked 21:01.2 to win the title. She was named the Liberty League Runner of the Year. “Seeing how she’s developed really on her own has been incredible,” Dinan said. “And the biggest work that she’s done has been emotionally and mentally.” Heading into the national race on Nov. 23, both Dinan and Hannan knew winning was a real possibility. Hannah remembers thinking she had to win this race. There was no alternative. “I said, ‘Let’s do this,’” Dinan said. On the 6,000-meter course at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky., Hannan didn’t leave anything to chance. About midway through the race, she was able to build on her lead over Genny Corcoran of Geneseo. She crossed the line in 20:53.8, winning by 18 seconds. “I remember throwing my hands in the air and saying, ‘Yeah! and just kind of crying and laughing,” Dinan said. “It was a strange feeling of emotion, and it was such a different level to see her to do it, because of everything I know she’s gone through. People see numbers on a paper, but she’s so much more.” Hannan was the first student-athlete in school history to win a cross country national title. She was also named Liberty League All-Academic for the second straight year. “It was a pretty hard semester for me mental health-wise, but I think having the successes of my running made it a lot more manageable,” she said. “It was still really hard but I think OK, I am good at something when I felt like I wasn’t good at anything. Being able to win these races and for my team to be doing well, allowed me to continue to hang on through a very difficult semester.”
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This winter, in her first full season of track for the Bombers, Hannan hasn’t missed a beat. On Jan. 10, she set the school 3K record at the Spartan Invitational, clocking a time of 9:34.22, which is an all-time top 10 mark in DIII history. In the team’s home-opener on Jan. 18, Hannan ran the mile for the first time in her career, winning in 4:54.81, and setting a school and facility record. “I think her level of commitment and drive puts her at the elite level,” Dinan said. Hannan said she has goals this track season of breaking the Division III 3K and possible 5K national records. She also lists goals of staying healthy — mentally, physically and emotionally. “I would say that anything I put my mind to I can achieve,” she said. Hannan, who has changed her major multiple times, is set to graduate in 2021 with a degree in Outdoor Environmental Stewardship with a focus in Special Populations (Special Education). She said she still has a year of eligibility left. “I am not one who really thrives in school,” Hannan said. “I do pretty well for the most part but I have a lot of issues with our traditional education system, especially in colleges and universities, (Westover was very special in the way it approached its teaching, I loved it). I also just have really bad anxiety that makes school really hard, another reason why I haven’t been able to rush through college like most. I don’t know if I would be able to finish my degree if I didn’t find running and the outlet it offers me.” For now, Hannan is keen on living her life to the fullest, which includes not shying away from her own story. Dinan, who has a background in mental health, said Hannan’s voice and boldness of speaking her truth are powerful tools to help break down the negative stigmas that swirl around mental health. And that it’s OK to be struggling, it’s OK to get help. “I have gone through a lot with eating disorders, depression, anxiety and really felt like I was at rock bottom,” Hannan said. “But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I think when you’re in a place of discomfort and pain, I think you just need to remind yourself that there are things you don’t even know are out there that could offer you this sense of true joy.”
New Date and Place!
NEPSAC Annual Meeting Tuesday, November 17 Boxborough Regency Hotel and Conference Center BOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS
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COACH SPOTLIGHT
Berkshire Hockey Coach Dan Driscoll Wins 400th Game BERKSHIRE SCHOOL | SHEFFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
by Michael Hayes
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successful coaching career is hardly defined by wins alone. Still, there’s something special about milestone victories—in this case, Berkshire Varsity Hockey Coach Dan Driscoll’s 400th career win. Driscoll, who’s coaching in his 14th year at Berkshire School and 24th year of prep school hockey, reached win No. 400 when his Bears defeated Williston Northampton 7-1 in Easthampton on Saturday. Driscoll celebrated the milestone, albeit briefly, on the ice, surrounded by his players, assistant coaches, and his family. “I haven’t really thought about it, and I’ve never really thought about it,” Driscoll says about reaching the mark. “To get to 400, honestly, I’ve hung around long enough,” he adds. “I’ve Berkshire School Varsity Hockey Coach Dan Driscoll is surrounded by his team after coached at schools where there’s been winning his 400th game, a 7-1 victory over Williston Northampton on January 18, 2020. a lot of support and I’ve also been fortunate and blessed to coach great kids and great players. It’s more a testament of the kids I’ve “He told me some hard truths I hadn’t really been told before. He been around. It’s really a celebration of them.” was my dad away from home. I am a better man for knowing him.” It’s hardly a surprise to hear Driscoll downplay the Corcoran, a member of Berkshire’s 2012-2013 team which impressive collection of wins he’s compiled over a two-decadesenjoyed a 20-game win streak and finished the season with plus coaching career, but his players are more inclined to give a 22-4-3 record, helped Driscoll earn his third New England credit where credit is due. championship. Driscoll had previously guided Winchendon Prep “The 400 wins he has aren’t his only wins,” says former to two Division II titles before spending five years at Pomfret, Bear Kevin Sullivan ’10, who Driscoll helped prepare for Div. I where his teams always finished with a winning record. collegiate hockey at Union College. “He’s a part of all his former For all his success, Driscoll has been named New England player’s wins, at every level.” Prep School Coach of the Year four times: in 1997, 1999, 2007, Sullivan, in fact, credits his former coach with helping and 2013. the Dutchmen win the team’s first ever NCAA Div. I National Known as a serious coach on the ice, and for his fairness Championship back in 2014. “Coach Driscoll taught me the and sense of humor off of it, Driscoll’s kindness once earned a importance of working hard not only in hockey, but in life,” former player the nickname, “the sixth Driscoll.” Sullivan adds. Thomas Regan ’08 got the nickname after he was invited to Similar sentiments are repeated over and over again by live with Driscoll and his wife, Dory, as well as the couple’s five Driscoll’s former players and, like his wins, begin to add up to children, at their off-campus home at Pomfret. The offer, Regan an impressive record of achievement. recalls, allowed him to attend the school as a day student “Playing for Coach Driscoll has been an honor and a and play hockey for coach Driscoll. When the Driscolls moved privilege,” says Berkshire senior Briggs Gammill ’20, whose to Sheffield in 2006, Regan joined the family and enrolled at two older brothers also played for Driscoll. “He’s taught me so Berkshire as a junior. much about the game but more importantly he taught me how “I know that my experience with Coach Driscoll wasn’t to be a leader on and off the ice.” exactly like every athlete he coached… I mean he only had so “Coach Driscoll kept everyone accountable, regardless of many bedrooms to spare,” jokes Regan. their role on the team,” says former Berkshire hockey standout Yet, Regan’s experience isn’t all that unusual. Charlie Corcoran ’14, who now plays professionally in Europe. Continued on next page
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COACH SPOTLIGHT
Rivers Coach Anctil Honored by State, Region RIVERS SCHOOL | WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS
by Jane Dornbusch
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ivers School field hockey coach and associate athletics director Janna Anctil was sitting at lunch when the word came, via Twitter. Her colleague Susanna Donahue was the first to offer congratulations and to share the news: Anctil had just been named New England Region Coach of the Year and Massachusetts State Coach of the Year by Max Field Hockey. In naming her for the awards, the organization, which ranks the nation’s high school and college teams and players and tracks college commitments, said of Anctil: “She led Rivers to the program’s first-ever ISL title and NEPSAC B Conference title since moving up from the C Conference (they won C titles in 2014 and 2015). The Red Wings finished the 2019 season undefeated at 18-0-1, never trailing a game, and with a final ranking of number two in the New England region. In the B tournament, they knocked off the 2018 champions Brooks School 3-2 in overtime in the semifinal and then Governor’s Academy 3-0 in the final to claim the title.” All true, as far as it goes, and it leaves no question that Anctil deserved the honors. But despite their name, the “Coach of the Year” designations are not awarded solely on the basis of that year’s record. Anctil has had consistent success over her six years at the helm of the program, and that’s at least part of what led to her receiving this year’s honors. Athletic Director Bob Pipe notes, “They’ve been good for a long time, and it all came together for them this year.” For her part, Anctil is grateful for the recognition and especially pleased by the fact that the news has inspired former players and others to reach out with their congratulations. “It’s nice to hear from a lot of alumni and parents and others in the community,” says Anctil. “It really reinforces all you do and all the hard work you put in during the season.” It also served as a welcome reminder of a season that has inevitably receded a bit in memory, as winter sports come
Field hockey coach Janna Anctil was named New England Region Coach of the Year and Massachusetts State Coach of the Year.
to the fore. “The excitement had faded a little, so it’s a nice reminder of how good our season was,” says Anctil. Anctil was surprised to learn of the awards, which, she says, “were not something I was expecting or hoping for.” But while Pipe was pleased to see Anctil receive the recognition, it seemingly came as no shock to him. “Janna deserves a lot of credit; she’s a fantastic coach and a fantastic leader of young women,” he says.
Driscoll, continued from page 41 Take current Boston Bruins player and former Bear Kevan Miller ’07, who left California to play for Berkshire in 2005. In just one season together, Miller and Driscoll formed a close bond, a connection the pair shares today. “Whether it was school, hockey, or any other activity, he always demanded we give our best,” says Miller. “My favorite memory of coach is a collection of memories from Buck Dormitory, whether it was breaking up a rowdy bunch of boys or bringing everyone down to watch the game after study hours, he ran a tight ship but was always good for a few laughs.” In addition to leading by example in the dorms or from the bench, Driscoll has also served as Berkshire’s director of athletics for a dozen years and he worked for many years as a college counselor. Along the way, he also got to coach his two sons, Dan Jr. and Mark.
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“I think Dad’s strongest ability is reading kids,” says Dan Jr. “We always had fun at practice and on road to trips to games, and of course there were times when things got serious, but he is always a fun, loving and respectful coach.” Head of School Pieter Mulder believes Driscoll’s connections to his players transcend the rink and their days as players. “So much of Dan’s success lies in his ability to inspire young people to commit beyond themselves to the larger goals of the team,” says Mulder. “He changes lives with every practice and every game. As a school leader with a reach well beyond the rink, Dan has also been an integral member of our team, making the entire Berkshire community that much stronger because of it. I couldn’t be happier or prouder for what this leadership milestone represents for Dan and his players.” As Driscoll himself would say, ‘Go Bears!’
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SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
King School Takes Global Approach to Giving Back through Athletics and Service Learning KING SCHOOL | STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT
by Wendell Maxey, King Sports Information & Social Media Liaison
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hen the 2019–2020 basketball season officially kicked off in mid-November at King School in Stamford, it was the first time many of the students had been on the same court together since suiting up for the Vikings against the Jianhua School in Beijing roughly 6,800 miles away in China. Last spring, an integrated and interwoven program was established for members of King School’s Boys Basketball Team, in combination with Global Studies and Mandarin language students, to share in a truly unique and transformative learning experience. The group of students spent 12 days in China visiting ancient cities, including Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an and took part in an immersive academic program at the Jianhua School in Beijing. Along with walking The Great Wall, taking-in the history and vibrant culture in Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and visiting the National Panda Center and famed Shanghai Bund, the Vikings united on the court to bond, practice, and compete with and against their counterparts from Jianhua and other Chinese schools and club programs. It was on the basketball courts around China that King’s global approach to athletics and service learning really came to life and made a lasting impression. “I’m still in contact with kids we met in China and really enjoyed having friends on the other side of the globe whose life is so different than mine,” explained King School senior, Taylor Perlman. Taylor continued, “Traveling to China and being part of this program was an experience my friends and I will talk about forever.”
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King’s global approach to education offers students the opportunity to learn about different cultures and communities while taking an active part in a reciprocal learning experience through service and outreach, a key component of King’s mission statement. The global approach to athletics and service is not limited to the basketball court at King. This March, for the third year in a row, King student-athletes, including members of the Boys and Girls Soccer Teams, will visit an orphanage in Colombia sponsored by the Orphaned Starfish Foundation. OSF is a nonprofit organization that supports computer literacy programming at orphanages across Central and South America and assists the orphans with finding jobs. Over the past 8 years, the Vikings Boys Soccer team has worked closely with OSF, and the initiative has now expanded to also include home stays by the Colombian orphans with King families. This has presented the opportunity for even stronger relationships to be formed, both through travel opportunities for the King students to Colombia and the Colombian students to King, as well as through the common language of the sport of soccer. In addition, King student-athletes from many fall teams were involved in planning and executing the Annual King Cares 5K walk-run event benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greenwich and Stamford, as well as the Orphaned Starfish Foundation. The annual event not only brings together the King Community but also empowers students to make a difference and support children in need.
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SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT This fall also marked the third-straight year runners, coaches, alumni, and parents from the King Cross Country program traveled to Washington D.C. to take part in the Army Ten-Miler in October. Now in its 35th year, the 10-mile race featured 35,000 runners taking to the streets of Washington to help raise awareness about Army outreach, build morale, and promote physical fitness. Thanks to the tremendous work done by the King Cross Country team and their past participation in the Army Ten-Miler, a partnership with the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation was considered and led to yet another athletics and service learning initiative. Prior to the start of the 2019-20 school year, King School announced their support of Children of Fallen Patriots, a non-profit organization helping to provide college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. “It felt great to run alongside a bunch of active soldiers, veterans, and their families. I had the privilege of meeting a couple of them and I really admire what they do for us and this country. The race supports programs that support their families, so I was extremely happy to contribute to that effort,” said Dean Kaduboski, a sophomore at King. “All of us at King are very fortunate in life. We get to go to a great school and we live in an amazing country. It’s our obligation to make sure that their families are supported. Children of Fallen Patriots is a tremendous organization that does just that, so we as a Cross Country team are very happy to help support this cause.” During the holiday season, both Vikings Varsity Ice Hockey and members of the King Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams came together to spread some holiday cheer of their own with Personto-Person and Harlem Lacrosse. Prior to skating to a 7-0 victory over the Forman School at Stamford Twin Rinks, Vikings Hockey hosted their Annual Teddy Bear Toss match with several stuffed animals thrown onto the ice by fans being donated to Personto-Person, the local non-profit organization serving children and families in need in Stamford, Darien, and Norwalk. “It’s about coming together as a team and helping students discover their own passion for giving back. They get to see how they can make an impact on the field or court, and in their community too. This really is a daily focus for us as we discuss service learning programs with students and how they can develop into leaders through these programs and events,” said Director of King Cares and Student Services, Karen Raidt. Raidt explained, “That is one of the best parts about watching how students have grown through service learning and how they can come together to help. They get to not only experience what it means to ‘give back,’ but also reflect and share the impact that experience had on them and someone else. It has been fantastic to watch students develop in this way by building these relationships and connections. Those connections will only continue to grow.” For Dr. Gilles Chosson, Director of Global Education at King, providing the opportunity for students to learn and connect with different communities and cultures is one of the benefits that allows them to better understand themselves and their place in the world as global citizens. “My hope is to affect young students so they will have a richer life experience by being open-minded and working together to
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create a better future and world is the biggest reward for me, both here in Connecticut and abroad,” explained Chosson, who traveled to China with students last spring. “It’s amazing to see this take shape. Students gain a deeper understanding, acceptance, and thrive in new ways through these shared experiences with their peers. That’s when students really realize the planet is so big, but it’s also so small in a lot of ways. From team building, to applying critical thinking, and communication I have seen students grow tremendously as leaders thanks to the relationships that come from global studies and through athletics. That’s one of the biggest attributes in all of this.” Looking ahead to spring at King, the Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams continue to rack up wins away from the game with Harlem Lacrosse, a school-based non-profit organization that provides academic intervention, leadership training and lacrosse to atrisk youths. King Lacrosse members spent hours assembling and packing-up gift bags to be distributed to Harlem Lacrosse student-athletes in December and will conduct lacrosse clinics and equipment donation drop-offs throughout the year. “What I love most about Harlem Lacrosse and King School coming together each year is the continuity. King puts on a great event for our kids year after year, which enables them to form positive relationships and come back to see the same people they made memories with in the past,” Elise Van Arsdale, a Senior Program Director at P.S. 149 with Harlem Lacrosse. King School’s commitment to service affirms the belief that all students can learn and become responsible, productive citizens, locally and globally and thanks to King Athletics, that message is being spread from China to Colombia, Washington D.C. to Harlem, and all our surrounding communities. In helping others through service and enriching the learning experience, King Athletics continues to make strides in preparing and planning for future unique and transformative Global Education and athletics programming for studentathletes. These programs include this year’s Colombia trip (March 2020), the next China trip (Spring 2021), and a new Baseball and Softball service and training trip to the Dominican Republic (Spring 2021), as well as a Girls Volleyball trip to Japan in 2022, as King reinforces the belief that service to the broader community, both locally and globally, is central to educational excellence educational excellence in the classroom and around the world.
New Date and Place!
NEPSAC Annual Meeting Tuesday, November 17 Boxborough Regency Hotel and Conference Center BOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS
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SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Milestones for Marie Philip Coach and Team
MARIE PHILIP SCHOOL AT THE LEARNING CENTER FOR THE DEAF | FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
T
he Galloping Ghosts of Marie Philip School at The Learning Center for the Deaf participated in the Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association (ESDAA) 88th Boys Basketball tournament at Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia. Seven teams from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, participated in the tournament. The Galloping Ghosts played against Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf (NJ) in the first round and won the game, 80–36. That win netted Coach John Monahan his 300th career win! The New York School for the DeafFanwood (NYSD) proved to be a tough opponent. NYSD led at halftime by 1 point, frustrating the defense with their three point shots. The Galloping Ghosts held on and made strong runs in the second half to win the game, 75– 61, thus earning their fifth trip to the championship match in 12 years. Next, the Galloping Ghosts took on defending ESDAA champs Lexington School for the Deaf (Jackson Height, NY) for the title. They got off to a good start in the first quarter, however Lexington came
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back in early third quarter to lead by 2 points. The team regrouped, regained the lead and never looked back. Marie Philip won their first ESDAA Division 1 championship and have become the first school in history to win ESDAA Division 3, Division 2 and Division 1
titles! Sophomores Kyle Florio and Slavik Sukhovtsev and junior Luke McBrine were selected to the All Tournament team while sophomore Amogne KonkelHarmon was named Most Valuable Player for the Championship game.
NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 45
NESTMA SPOTLIGHT
Ten Questions for
Athletic Fields Coordinator Matt McDonnell GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY | BYFIELD, MA
MATT MCDONNELL »» Curry College graduate »» NESTMA member since 2010 »» Serves on NESTMA Board of Directors »» NEPSAC/NESTMA Liaison »» Assistant boys varsity hockey coach, Governor’s Academy
What was your first job in the industry? The Governor’s Academy was my first job in this field. I began working as a caretaker of all the grounds of the 500-acre campus. Prior to that, I worked for 18 years in site construction, with an emphasis on land development.
Where did you go from there? After a few years, a position opened up for coordinator of the athletic fields and I jumped on that opportunity.
Who were your mentors when you first started in the business? Dennis Brolin, of STS and Peter Thibeault of Nobles and Greenough School helped me a great deal right out of the gate. Dennis did a big job on our baseball field and he allowed me to pick his brain during the project, asking countless questions and getting great advice. I called Pete with many questions and went to his workshops at Nobles. I have a lot of respect for these two gentlemen and appreciate the experience they have, as well as the advice they’ve shared with me.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received? “Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
What advice would you share with people starting out in sports turf management today? Get involved with NESTMA. It’s a perfect way to meet great professionals who love to share their expertise as well as their experiences with day-to-day issues. It’s a good way to learn about successful products and quality contractors who
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can save you time and headaches. NESTMA Field Days provide opportunities to meet one-on-one with professionals and see useful demonstrations of new products.
Since the beginning of your career, what is the biggest change you’ve seen in the sports turf industry? The biggest change is definitely seen in the machinery. There have been technical advances that have changed the workforce and the quality of the work. The machines now do more of the precision work and cut down immensely on the labor, which decreases fatigue and human errors. There are now more people with specialized skills who can focus on more specific needs such as irrigation, laser grading, sodding, tree cutting, soil experts, etc. I have met many of these specialists and seen demonstrations of the new products at NESTMA field days.
What is the next “game-changer” you see on the horizon for the sports turf industry? With technology racing forward, there will be more machinery and less labor in the field. There are already robots painting soccer and lacrosse fields, technology available to control irrigation, and drones to monitor moisture on fields. The biggest game changer might be the challenge to adapt to new technology and find ways for labor to be more efficient and productive.
What’s your favorite/most useful:
Equipment? The AERA-vator is a multi-purpose machine that loosens up the ground and plants seed at the same time. It does a fantastic job and saves the crew a lot of time and labor.
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NESTMA SPOTLIGHT
Experience is everything.
McDonnell and his crew in their “office.”
Product? I’m a firm believer of an organic approach to healthy fields. We get great results from the 6-0-6 fertilizer and vermacast which seems to help our athletic fields and campus grounds stay green, look full and healthy, keeping grubs and insects at bay.
NESTMA members advance professionalism in sports turf management and athletic field safety through education, research, and advocacy.
Technology? Irrigation technology has had the biggest impact on the grounds and athletic fields we maintain.
What have you enjoyed most about being a NESTMA member? The networking through NESTMA is priceless. I constantly learn useful bits of information at the workshops. I always walk away with new ideas to put into practice and share with my crew. My fellow NESTMA board members provide a wealth of knowledge and experience. I’m proud to work with such great professionals and leaders of our industry.
NESTMA.org
Can you share a bit about your family life and what you enjoy doing in your free time? My wife and I are proud parents of five children. We have one grandchild and our daughter and son-in-law are expecting another child in December. Our children live in different places throughout the country, so we spend time getting together at various destinations to enjoy time and activities together. Hockey has been a lifelong passion of mine and coaching has kept me involved. I have been a part of the Governor’s hockey program for the past 34 years. I’m fortunate to be in the ISL, which is arguably the best high school hockey league in the country. My players know that I am readily accessible. They can always find me out and about on the athletic fields: “the biggest office on campus!”
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NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 47
FACILITY SPOTLIGHT
Two Fields of Dreams (Plus a Pavilion) Rivers Unveils New Athletics Complex RIVERS SCHOOL | WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS
by Stephen Porter
W
hen Rivers School student-athletes returned to campus in September, they were introduced to a brand-new athletics complex comprising two stateof-the-art artificial turf fields and a new pavilion. The updated complex dramatically improves Rivers’s athletic facilities. Construction began in May and proceeded at a breakneck pace all summer, with a goal of having the fields available for the fall sports season. “I couldn’t be more pleased with how this project has gone,” says Head of School Ned Parsons. “We were fortunate to have nearly perfect weather all summer, so there were virtually no construction delays. I am so grateful to the donors who not only provided the funds to make this project a reality but encouraged us to get the complex built as quickly as possible so that it would be ready for use during this fall’s sports season.” Situated in front of the MacDowell Athletic Center, the new complex is in roughly the same location as the old playing fields. The first field, called Davis Field, runs parallel to Winter Street and will be used for football, field hockey, and lacrosse. Baker Field, at the far end of the complex next to Hovey Avenue, will be used for soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse. Between the two fields sits a pavilion consisting of a fieldhouse and large patio area. “The pavilion is a really nice addition to our campus facilities,” says Parsons. “We’ll be able to use it to serve food to spectators during games, and it will be a gathering spot for our community during special events.”
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The entrance to the complex is framed by a new stone wall and two stone pillars. On a stone pedestal between the pillars, the school has placed a bronze statue of a red-winged blackbird in honor of the native species that serves as the inspiration for school’s sports nickname, the Red Wings. On game days, Rivers athletes entering the field will be able to touch the statue for luck. Homecoming weekend in October saw the official unveiling of the new complex, amid the fun and festivities of traditional sporting events, school spirit, and Red Wing pride. “We were thrilled to celebrate the opening of this new complex at Homecoming with our full Rivers community of parents and alumni,” says Parsons. “I know our kids are going to love it.”
THE MAKING OF THE NEW ATHLETICS COMPLEX »» 159,846 square feet of »» More than a mile of synthetic turf carpet drainage pipe runs were installed underneath the field »» More than 550,000 »» A stormwater storage pounds (275 tons) of system under the field rubber were installed has the capacity to in the field hold 32,849 cubic feet (245,710 gallons) of stormwater
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“ PLAYSIGHT IS A VEHICLE THAT ALLOWS US TO BE THE BEST THAT WE CAN BE AS STUDENTATHLETES, COACHES AND EDUCATORS.”
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HEADMASTER TRINITY-PAWLING SCHOOL
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NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 49
#ICYMI #NEPSAC
I
n the spirit of the Final Four and March Madness, the @PlaySight team put together a @NEPSAC Basketball “One Shining Moment” video to recap exciting moments of this past season. Thank you @ PlaySight !
S
even touchdowns in one game get you noticed. So does a Hail Mary pass that clinches a win over Middlesex School with seconds to go. Caleb Coleman of Wellesley, MA, a senior co-captain of Groton School’s football team, has caught the attention of Boston-area media, again and again, thanks to a season of extraordinary plays. First came a profile in the Boston Globe, which noticed the news of his seven touchdowns (during a 55-30 Groton win against Rivers School). Next, Mike Lynch devoted his “High 5” segment on ABC’s Boston affiliate to Caleb. And finally, NBC Boston recently profiled the all-around athlete, focusing on his leadership at Groton and his prowess on the basketball court. Caleb plans to play football at Princeton next year.
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NEPSAC News | Spring 2020 | 51
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