2023 NEPSAC Spring News Magazine

NEPSAC® News

NEW ENGLAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL ATHLETIC COUNCIL

Girls* in Sports Leadership Summit at Cushing Academy

New England Preparatory School Athletic Council

President

Martha Brousseau Greenwich Academy Vice-President

Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School Secretary

Rob Quinn Berwick Academy Treasurer

Jim Smucker Berwick Academy

Co-Directors of Championships

Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School

Bob Howe Deerfield Academy

Lisa Joel Phillips Andover Academy Director of Classifications

Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Lamar Reddicks Milton Academy Past Presidents

George Tahan Belmont Hill School

Bob Howe Deerfield Academy

Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School

Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School

Richard Muther St. Paul’s School

Middle School Representatives

Rob Feingold The Fay School

Amber Kuntz Beaver Country Day School

District I Representatives

Stefan Jensen Hyde School

Caddy Brooks Hebron Academy

District II Representatives

Tara Brisson Tilton School

Jenna Simon Holderness School

Connor Wells Brewster Academy

District III Representatives

Betsy Kennedy Pingree School

Jen Viana Cushing Academy

Sean Kelly The Wheeler School

Andrew Mitchell Lexington Christian Academy

District IV Representatives

Mike Marich The Frederick Gunn School

Tim Joncas Westminster School

Mo Gaitán Pomfret School

Catherine Conway School of the Holy Child 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).

21 KUA’s Adam Fantilli wins Hobey Baker

34 Pictures and Powder

23 Boston and Soule Make NEPSAC Basketball History

39 Cardigan Hockey StudentAthlete Plays in Canada Winter Games

40A Love Letter to Andover Wrestling

42 Six Things to Avoid When Talking to Athletes about Sports Nutrition

TREASURER’S REPORT

President’s Letter

Martha Brousseau Greenwich Academy

Greetings and happy spring! If you are not currently being besieged by allergies you are out enjoying all that the spring season has to offer as our teams hit the course, courts, fields, and track with our water polo teams getting a reprieve from the outdoor elements. As I type this I cannot believe it is April 17th as the close to the season is fast approaching and our return to spring training down south still feels fresh.

The NEPSAC Board continues to delve in matters big and small responding to feedback from our membership on varying topics with persistent focus on compliance to our out-of-season coaching policy. We strive to be an organization that relies on its membership to know and follow our rules as found in our NEPSAC Handbook. If and when a concern arises we act accordingly to determine what has taken place and what repercussions may be warranted. We continue to examine policies and procedures in hopes of promoting and maintaining a level playing field for all of competitors, coaches and fans. And, in the event that anyone forgot, this is the purpose of NEPSAC as found in the handbook:

NEPSAC’s primary purpose is to encourage all member schools to conduct the affairs of games, leagues and tournaments according to high standards of fair play and cooperative goodwill. Because athletics are an integral part of the educational programs of member schools, affording young people innumerable opportunities for personal growth and development, NEPSAC shall be concerned with seeing that enjoyable and healthy interscholastic programs for students are provided. In every way at its disposal, NEPSAC will provide leadership and legislative action for its member schools to ensure that the intentions of this organization are met. The NEPSAC Executive Board will, in every way at its disposal, provide leadership, direction and legislative action for its member schools and related coaches’ associations pursuant to the administration of interscholastic athletics. A further purpose of NEPSAC is to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas and to help with the problems of its member schools. NEPSAC will advise and guide, particularly when asked in a situation where an impasse exists.

I hope you take the time to read through this issue of the magazine. As always there are stories from around our campuses: Forman’s Scott McCarty receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association, “A Love Letter to Andover Wrestling,” former NEPSAC student-athletes receiving NESCAC accolades and so much more! So sit back and enjoy!

by Jim Smucker, Berwick Academy, NEPSAC Treasurer

Thank you for your continued support and efforts this winter season.

DUES

Beginning on July 1, 2023 all NEPSAC, District and Coaches Associations dues will be available to be paid on online and all dues need to be paid by October 15th.

Reminders/Tips 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. Remember to check your spam/junk folder for these instruction emails.

Please be aware that there is a processing fee to off-set our cost with every online transaction. We are not able to refund processing fees, so please be diligent about this process and your record keeping.

How To View Your Account: If you already have a Username and Password, go to ‘View My Account’ and enter your credentials to log in.

After logging in, you will have access to ‘Payment History”. Use the available filters to view ALL of them or choose any date range or period.

NEPSAC PARTNERSHIPS

Over the course of this year, NEPSAC has been collaborating with Fundraise4U, a company that provides fundraising solutions for athletic organizations. What we value about this group is that their founder, a former NEPSAC coach, and his colleague, a former NEPSAC athletic director, both understand and appreciate our needs and mission. We are identifying potential partnerships and sponsors for NEPSAC to help ensure that the the intentions of this organization are met, all while staying true to our mission and values. We hope to be announcing our first partnership soon.

NEPSAC ONLINE DIRECTORY

Please continue to update your school information in the online directory with any changes that you might have. It is extremely important that we have accurate contact lists of our athletic departments for a variety of communications. The online system allows for the most efficient way to collect information. Examples of use: Our coaches associations, athletic trainers, schedulers, sports information directors, and equipment managers all need accurate email lists for their important communications. Look for reminders for 23–24 school year updates in May.

Contact Laurie Sachs communications@nepsac.org if you have any questions.

NEPSAC Winter 2022–2023 Tournament Champions

BOYS BASKETBALL

Class AAA South Kent School

Class AA Worcester Academy

Class A Milton Academy

Class B The Rivers School

Class C The Harvey School

Class D New York Military Academy

All-NEPSAC List

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Class AA Noble & Greenough School

Class A Loomis Chaffee School

Class B St. Luke’s School

Class C Hamden Hall

Class D Watkinson School

All-NEPSAC List

BOYS ICE HOCKEY

Stuart/Corkery Tournament (OPEN) Avon Old Farms School

Martin /Earl Tournament (LARGE) Taft School

Piatelli/Simmons Tournament (SMALL) Lawrence Academy

All-NEPSAC List

GIRLS ICE HOCKEY

Chuck Vernon ( ELITE) Bracket Williston Northampton School

Patsy Odden (LARGE) St. Paul’s School

Dorothy Howard (LARGE) New Hampton School

All-NEPSAC List

WRESTLING

Boys Greens Farms Academy

Girls Phillips Andover Academy

All-NEPSAC List

BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING

Division 1 Phillips Andover Academy

Division 2 Williston Northampton School

Division 3 Hamden Hall

All-NEPSAC List

GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING

Division 1 Phillips Exeter Academy

Division 2 Westminster School

Division 3 School of the Holy Child

All-NEPSAC List

BOYS ALPINE SKIING

Class A St. Paul’s School

Class B Brunswick School

Class C The Forman School, Austin Preparatory School

All-NEPSAC List

GIRLS ALPINE SKIING

Class A Noble & Greenough School

Class B The Rivers School

Class C Dublin School

All-NEPSAC List

NORDIC SKIING

Boys Gould Academy

Girls Holderness School

All-NEPSAC List

BOYS SQUASH

Class A Kent School

Class B Choate Rosemary Hall

Class C Noble & Greenough School

Class D Middlesex School

Class E Suffield Academy

All-NEPSAC List

GIRLS SQUASH

Class A Greenwich Academy

Class B Phillips Andover Academy

Class C Taft School

Class D Portsmouth Abbey School

Class E Canterbury School

All-NEPSAC List

BE SURE TO HIT THE LINKS UNDER EACH SPORT TO SEE THE LIST OF ALL-NEPSAC ATHLETES

ACADEMY | EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Nicole Benson’s Triple Play

Exeter Parent, Coach Tapped as New Equipment Manager

by Adam Loyd

Seated on a stool sandwiched between racks of red and white jerseys, Nicole Benson P’20, P’23, P’25 thumbs through a binder of dogeared pages. “We call these our bibles,” she says. “We’re working out of the winter one now.”

Contained in the well-worn folders: all the essential information Benson, the newly appointed athletic equipment manager, needs to outfit 60 Big Red teams across 23 sports over three terms. “I would love to integrate some technology into our process,” she says, “but for the day to day, this system really is valuable and simple.”

The no-tech method is a holdover from recently retired Donald “Mac” McElreavy, who held the post for four decades. Benson trained under McElreavy for a year, soaking up the tools of the trade. “Mac made it look so effortless, but the hamster in my brain is constantly running,” Benson says. “He always seemed to keep on top of things and have everything ready to go seamlessly. I’m just sitting here like, ‘When’s the shoe going to drop?’”

Inspired by field trips to equipment rooms at the University of New Hampshire and Harvard University, Benson has begun implementing her own approach to the position, which includes managing an endless stream of laundry and patching gear. “You’re thinking of three things at one time, all the time,” she says. “You’re thinking about what we need to do for the day, what needs to be done for the week, what needs to be done for the season, and then for the year.”

Before taking on her current role, Benson was well acquainted with Exeter and the athletics department. As a former Division I swimmer, she began coaching junior varsity boys in the pool in 2015. A short while later, three of her five children, Andrew ’20,

Amy ’23 and Ali ’25, talented swimmers in their own right, enrolled at the Academy. Around that time Benson’s husband, Tom, was given the option to retire early, prompting her to seek a new opportunity. She says: “My friend Kate told me about the opening and said: ‘No one’s more organizationally based than a mom of five. This looks like it could be a good match.’”

Now entering her third term working out of the stockroom in the George H. Love Gymnasium while also coaching girls varsity swimming and diving Benson continues to settle into the role at the school she has come to know from many angles. “I’m proud to be here, and I’m also humbled that I get to be part of a huge tradition like working at Exeter,” she says. “If I get to leave a little bit of my own stamp on that in some way, that’s fun.”

PHILLIPS EXETER

Photos courtesy Phillips Exeter Academy

MAC MADE IT LOOK SO EFFORTLESS … HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS AND HAVE EVERYTHING READY TO GO SEAMLESSLY.

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Running to Recharge

by Matt Liebowitz

Thanks to the Cain Sabbatical Fund, faculty member and head track and field coach Chris Pelliccia was able to combine his love of science and running while on the trail

In early August, faculty member Chris Pelliccia had an aweinspiring moment. It was the third day of the Tour de Mont Blanc, a seven-day mountain running trip during which Pelliccia and 11 other avid trail runners circumnavigated Mont Blanc, covering 100 miles on trails through the Alps in France, Switzerland, and Italy.

“We woke up at a mountain refuge in France,” explained Pelliccia, who at Williston teaches chemistry, heads the science department, and serves as head track and field coach. “It was absolutely wild, no paved roads, super remote.” The group “power hiked” to a mountain pass which would take them into Italy.

“Standing on a mountain pass looking down into Italy and having this bonkers run in front of us, this beautiful winding dirt trail down the Aosta Valley— it was absolutely unreal,” Pelliccia says.

Pelliccia’s trip was made possible by Williston’s endowed Cain Family Sabbatical Fund. Established in 1987 by Dan Cain ’64 and Jim Cain ’68, the fund underwrites summer travel opportunities for Williston

faculty that serve both professional and personal goals. The central purpose is to enable a faculty member to have an experience that they might not otherwise be able to afford. Williston’s teaching faculty become eligible for this summer enrichment grant on a rotating basis every four years.

Pelliccia’s Mont Blanc group, led by a guide, covered 17 to 19 miles per day. Sights along the trail included Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, and La Casermetta al Col de la Seigne, an alpine museum where the group learned about the history and geology of the Mont Blanc range; native animals such as marmot and ibex; and, of particular note to Pelliccia, the area’s “rapidly receding glaciers.”

Those glaciers, and the forces impacting their future, piqued Pelliccia’s interest. “Part of my scientific interest is it’s this incredibly beautiful location that attracts a lot of visitors, but because it’s so beautiful, these visitors place a burden on the ecosystem,” he explained. A similar situation is created by the numerous ski resorts, he noted, which give access to world-class adventure “but create a mark on the terrain.”

Pelliccia’s predominant reason for taking the trip, however, was rooted in his role as head track and field coach. “Each person was inspired to do this for slightly different reasons,” he said. “Each person went through highs and lows,” he noted, but despite minor injuries, fatigue, and varied skill levels, the members of the group banded together from day one to make sure everyone felt encouraged.

Staying positive while facing 19 miles of Alps with blisters and sore knees is a lesson Pelliccia plans to bring back and instill in his Wildcat runners for the upcoming track and field season.

“Positive talk and encouragement can really help your teammates through a hard workout,” he explained. In working with his athletes, Pelliccia said he’s hoping to relay the feelings, the encouragement, and the camaraderie he had during those seven days on the mountain.

“Even just after a tough day,” he said, “getting out there with your buddies has a lifelong value.”

STAYING POSITIVE WHILE FACING 19 MILES OF ALPS WITH BLISTERS AND SORE KNEES IS A LESSON PELLICCIA PLANS TO BRING BACK AND INSTILL IN HIS WILDCAT RUNNERS FOR THE UPCOMING TRACK AND FIELD SEASON.

Scenes from Spring Break Training

ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL | CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE St. Paul’s School Honored for Work on Athletic Fields

Pioneer® Athletics proudly announces that St. Paul’s School has been selected as a WINNER of the 2022 Fields of Excellence® Award.

As a winner, St. Paul’s School will receive a certificate of recognition and a Fields of Excellence banner that they can proudly display at their winning field. Pioneer may also use the picture of St. Paul’s School’s winning field in their upcoming publications and annual calendar.

Pioneer understands that excellence in athletic field maintenance goes unrecognized and often, unappreciated. The Fields of Excellence Award Program honors outstanding athletic fields and the hardworking field crews who diligently maintain them. The Fields of Excellence Award Program was established in 1997 and has honored 1,464 athletic fields from around the country since its creation.

Colleges, universities, high schools and parks & recreation departments from all over the United States submitted photographs, letters of recommendation and application forms describing their institutions detailed athletic field maintenance program. A rigorous judging process yielded 101 winners from a large pool of applicants, with two athletic fields randomly selected as Scholarship Winners.

Pioneer® - The nation’s leading manufacturer of athletic field marking paint and equipment. Designed for durability and dependability, Pioneer’s line-up of natural and synthetic field paints, antimicrobial coatings, striping machines, high-quality stencils and athletic accessories are used by over 22,000 high schools, colleges and professional athletic organizations throughout North America.

The Ethel Walker School Opens Interactive Museum

The Ethel Walker School Interactive Museum, located in Bell Library, is now open. This museum is unique because it is a “Please Touch” rather than a “Do Not Touch” space. Although some artifacts are inaccessible in their display cases, there are special zones throughout the museum that are dedicated to community interaction. Clear signage indicates which areas are which.

The purpose for tactile exhibitions, according to archivist Kim Thacker, is twofold:

“Because most museums do not encourage touching the artifacts on display, museums in general are not known as friendly spaces to anyone who has vision impairments. I want our museum to be fully accessible at least as much as the physical space and safety and practicality will allow to everyone. That is why anyone who visits will be able to touch items in the museum as well as

be conducted through the space via audio tour. No one should feel as if displays of their history are inaccessible to them.

“In addition, I believe that history really comes to life for people when they can touch the things they read about. They become invested in the process of research and discovery. This is invaluable to an institution like Walker’s, which places such emphasis on understanding principles of research, even in the sixth grade. I took my sixth grade humanities class mudlarking in the Farmington River so they could find old bottles and pieces of pretty porcelain that they could then research. It was an incredible experience for the students and for me. When you combine artifacts and archives, all kinds of magic can happen.”

This topic of combining artifacts and archives in experiential learning, is one which Thacker will address as a speaker at the bi-annual New England Archivists

Conference in Portsmouth, NH this spring. The museum at Walker’s, and its contents, will feature in her address to the gathered archivists.

Some of the museum’s contents include artifacts that Thacker, and several colleagues who expressed interest in accompanying her, found in a woodland dump-site on Walker’s grounds. These items relate to the School’s early history and include ink bottles, fountain pen nibs, jewelry, a pocket watch, a ceramic toothbrush, bottles of hand and face cream, porcelain and stoneware dishes, and much more. Several of the items that Thacker and others have found are on display in the museum.

Other items that are on display can be found in old library card catalog cabinets on the museum’s east wall. While Thacker has kept one drawer filled with cards from the cataloging system and has included an explanation of how the system worked,

The Ethel Walker School Interactive Museum is open to community members who wish to visit. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators are free to enter the museum during regular library hours. Other community members can schedule a tour by emailing archivist Kim Thacker.

half of the rest of the drawers contain copies of photos from throughout the School’s century-plus history. Each photo is labeled, if only with the date. Visiting alumnae are encouraged to add what they know about the photos that pertain to the years they were at Walker’s by means of sticky note and pencil. The other half of the drawers contain impressions in white clay of permanent features of campus, such as building plaques or unique molding. Thacker’s seventh grade classes created these impressions, and her sixth grade class made riddles and poems that accompany the impressions in their drawers and that can help those who examine the impressions to find their origins.

There are yearbooks to peruse, a typewriter to tap on, alumnae-authored books to read, a mid-18th century grandfather clock to admire, paper dolls to dress, and plenty more to see and touch. Two of Thacker’s favorite items are a pair of Heywood-Wakefield desks, manufactured in 1917, which was when Miss Walker’s School for Girls moved from Lakewood, New Jersey, to Simsbury and became The Ethel Walker School. Walker’s donated these desks to the Avon Historical Society in 1976 for the opening of the Pinegrove Schoolhouse, which coincided with the country’s bicentennial. Earlier this winter, Avon Historical Society President Terri

Wilson, who was a Spanish teacher at Walker’s in 1983 and is a proud Dial, re-donated these desks to Walker’s. Although she was not involved in the historical society in the ’70s, Wilson recognized the desks as having come from Walker’s because students carved “Suns” and “Dials” into the tops. Wilson has since returned to Walker’s to see the desks on display in the museum and to chat with Thacker and Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan. The three foresee many opportunities to work together in the future.

Behind the jacket above is a photo from the 1930s that shows field hockey players dressed in the typical athletic garb for the times as well as black veils, which the students wore over their heads to keep the gnats away! Our students today complain of the gnats, too. Should we bring back the black veils?

This 1937 varsity team field hockey jacket has a red, cloth-bound Algebra textbook leaning against it.

Boston Bruins Announce 2023 Recipients of

John Carlton Memorial

Trophies

Forward Samantha Taber of Cushing Academy and defenseman Sean Keohane of Dexter Southfield are this year’s recipients of the 2023 John Carlton Memorial Trophies

by NHL Bruins @NHLBruins / NHL Bruins

On April 11, 2023, the Boston Bruins announced forward Samantha Taber of Cushing Academy and defenseman Sean Keohane of Dexter Southfield are this year’s recipients of the 2023 John Carlton Memorial Trophies.

The John Carlton Memorial Trophies are given annually by the Boston Bruins to the outstanding female and male student athletes in Massachusetts high school or junior hockey. The Trophies are awarded to students who excel in hockey and in off-ice endeavors, including academics and extracurriculars. The award is in honor of the late Bruins scout and administrator John Carlton, who passed away in December of 1982 after a long and dedicated tenure in hockey at all levels of the game.

with Cushing Academy. In the classroom, Taber was a four-year honor student and was her class representative her senior year.

Keohane, a Milton, Massachusetts native, grew up in a hockey family with both of his parents being from Boston. At Dexter Southfield, Keohane played four years at the varsity level while helping his team advance to the Elite 8 NEPSAC Tournament twice, including the finals in 2020. Serving as captain during his senior

season, he scored four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 32 games, earning recognition as a member of the All-NEPSAC Team.

Taber will continue her hockey career at Boston College next season. Keohane will play one season in the USHL before attending Harvard University in the fall of 2024. Both players were honored at the Bruins game against the Washington Capitals on April 11 at TD Garden.

Taber is an all-around student at Cushing Academy, where she is a three-sport athlete playing ice hockey, field hockey and softball. The right winger was also elected captain of her team this past season and was invited to be on Team USA’s U18 team at the 2022-23 World Championship Tournament, where the United States won a bronze medal. She was the NEPSAC Rookie of the Year in 2019-20 and won two state championships and a national championship

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

NEPSAC Hat Trick NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Awards Released; Top

Three are NEPSAC Alumnae

2023 NESCAC

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY AWARDS

Player of the Year: Abby Kuhns, Hamilton

Rookie of the Year: Natalie Stott, Amherst

Coach of the Year: Emily McNamara, Hamilton

Hamilton senior Abby Kuhns (Loomis Chaffee ’19) was selected as the 2023 NESCAC Player of the Year by the conference coaches. Kuhns is the fourth Continental to garner the award joining Stephanie Miguel (2009), Katie Parkman (2017), and Sam Walther (2018).

Kuhns, who also garnered a spot on the AllNESCAC First Team for the second straight year, is the first defender to earn the NESCAC Player of the Year award since 2013. She ranks third on the team in scoring with 19 points (7G, 12A). Of the seven goals Kuhns has tallied, six have been on the power play, which is second in the NESCAC. Kuhns’ 12 helpers rank eighth among the league

leaders. She has also blocked the second most in the conference this season (30).

Natalie Stott (Williston Northampton ’22) was voted as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team. The first-year goalie has started all 24 games she has played for the Mammoths and owns the best goals against average in the NESCAC at 1.09 and also carries a .945 save percentage (3rd in the NESCAC). Stott has 10 shutouts and a 213-0 record in net while helping the Mammoths earn the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship for the first time since 2010. (Amherst hosted the NESCAC Semifinals and Championship Game, March 3–4). Stott is the first goalie to be named NESCAC Rookie of the Year since 2010.

Hamilton head coach Emily McNamara (Phillips Exeter Academy ’03) was selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year by her peers. McNamara earns the honor for the second time (2017) in her 11 years directing the

Continentals. McNamara led Hamilton to the No. 2 seed, the highest in program history, in the NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship after finishing the regular season with a 12-3-1 conference mark. The Continentals’ 19 overall wins (19-4-2) are a team record for most wins in a single season. McNamara was also chosen by her peers as the 2023 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division III Coach of the Year.

NEPSAC ALUMNAE ON THE 2023 ALL-NESCAC TEAMS

Loomis Chaffee School Avery Flynn and Abby Kuhns

The Rivers School Rylee Glennon, Jenna Letterie and Leslie Schwartz

Taft School Claudia Vira

Westminster School Meg Rittenhouse

Williston Northampton School Natalie Stott

Left to right: Player of the Year Abby Kuhns, Rookie of the Year Natalie Stott, and Coach of the Year Emily McNamara.

DEERFIELD ACADEMY | DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Oluwaferanmi Oyedeji Okanlami Appointed to President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition

On March 24, President Biden announced his intent to appoint members of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition. The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition is a federal advisory committee that aims to promote healthy, accessible eating and physical activity for all Americans, regardless of background or ability. President Biden issued Executive Order 14048, renewing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition, which allows for continued promotion of the National Youth Sports Strategy and provides for the work of the Council to include a focus on expanding national awareness of the importance of mental health as it pertains to physical fitness and nutrition.

In 2022, President Biden appointed José Andrés and Elena Delle Donne to serve as CoChairs of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition.

Among the council’s appointees is Deerfield Academy’s Oluwaferanmi Oyedeji Okanlami.

From the White House press release: Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami (aka “Dr. O”) is an assistant professor of family medicine, physical medicine & rehabilitation, and urology at Michigan Medicine, an adjunct assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at UCLA, and the director of student accessibility and accommodation services at the University of Michigan, where he oversees Services for Students with Disabilities, two Testing Accommodation Centers, and the Adaptive Sports & Fitness Program. As a former academic All-American student-athlete at Stanford, he is no stranger to the importance of sports, fitness, and nutrition. However, after experiencing a spinal cord injury during his orthopaedic surgery residency at Yale, he began to see life “from the other side of the stethoscope,” realizing how inaccessible our world is for individuals living with disabilities. He now navigates the world as a proud wheelchair

user and has a catch phrase “Disabusing Disability” hoping to demonstrate that DISability doesn’t mean INability. He is invited to speak regularly about topics related to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, including, but not limited to, creating a health system that is accessible to and inclusive of both patients and providers with disabilities, and providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities in higher education. He is passionate about adaptive sports and fitness, striving to provide equitable access to physical fitness and inclusive recreational and competitive sports for all.

Scott McCarty Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Scott McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05, major gifts officer and boys’ varsity soccer coach at Forman, has received the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) Lifetime Achievement Award. McCarty, who has been the prep school representative of the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association (CSCA) for decades, says he is humbled to be this year’s award recipient.

“It was a big surprise when I was told I was going to get it because there are so many other people in the state of Connecticut who deserve to,” he says. “It means a lot. I’m certainly there to help kids, but I think the biggest thing I’ve done is put the preps on the CSCA’s radar.”

GFA Coach Maria Conlon Once Again Honored For Her Playing Career

Greens Farms Academy girls’ varsity basketball coach Maria Conlon has earned yet another distinction from her own playing days after Hearst Media Connecticut, which publishes a number of daily and weekly newspapers throughout the state, announced she was a member of GameTimeCT’s All-Decade team for 2000–2009.

Conlon was a prolific star player at Seymour High School, graduating in the year 2000. She then attended the University of Connecticut, where she helped the Huskies win three national championships.

The media outlet published the team on Tuesday.

Here’s what GameTimeCT wrote about Conlon’s career at Seymour High School.

“Conlon helped Seymour to a 96-4 record in her career, including part of a 62-game winning streak and two CIAC state championships. She graduated with the state record in 3-pointers (246), finishing with 1,727 points, 672 assists, 650 steals and 625 rebounds for her career. Was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 1998 and the New Haven Register All-State MVP in 2000. Played at UConn where she won three national titles. As a coach led Notre Dame-Fairfield to the 2022 CIAC Class L championship and is currently the head coach at Greens Farms Academy.”

Earlier this year, Conlon was named to the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.

McCarty received the award at the CSCA AllState Banquet at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT, on January 22nd.

“Scott has been instrumental in bringing recognition to the prep schools in CT for soccer. He has served on the CSCA Board of Directors for many years, representing each and every prep school and their student-athletes with pride!!” says CSCA President and All-State Chair Jim Lewicki. “He has been the chairperson for our annual banquet where we honor All-State, AllNew England, and All-American soccer studentathletes from CT. He is a great person, one very deserving of this very distinguished award!”

McCarty says he will continue his involvement with CSCA.

GREENS FARMS ACADEMY | WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT

KIMBALL UNION ACADEMY | PLAINFIELD, NEW HAMPSHIRE

KUA Alumnus Adam Fantilli wins Hobey Baker

@HobeyBakerAward

on Twitter

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee is pleased to announce that Adam Fantilli, a freshman forward from the University of Michigan, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, hydrated by BioSteel, recognizing the top individual player in college hockey. The announcement was made during a live broadcast on the NHL Network and hobeybaker.com.

Adam Fantilli, a native of Nobleton, Ontario and alumnus of Kimball Union Academy, has made an immediate impact in his debut season with the University of Michigan Wolverines. He has displayed a remarkable knowledge of the game and a dynamic offensive skillset that has set him apart from his peers. His contributions on the ice have been nothing short of exceptional, leading him to this prestigious accolade.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Adam Fantilli on his outstanding achievement, and we commend him for his dedication, skill, and passion for the sport. His exceptional performance on the ice has earned him a place in the annals of college hockey history, and we look forward to seeing him continue to excel in the years to come.

Hobey Baker was the legendary Princeton (1914) hockey player known as America’s greatest amateur athlete over one hundred years ago. He redefined how the game was played with his coast-to-coast dashes in an era when hockey was contested by seven players and no forward passes. Baker, a member of the U.S. Army’s Air Corp, died testing a repaired aircraft at the end of World War I after he had completed his military service.

The Hobey Baker Award criteria includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements. Fantilli was selected from a group of ten finalists by a 30-member selection committee and online fan balloting.

Photo courtesy Kimball Union Academy

Last school year was a first for bBIG Live and we produced 341 live games providing NEPSAC families, fans, alumni and coaches with professional live broadcast coverage and postgame film. For those that are not familiar with our services here are just a few of the benefits:

• bBIG Live offers professional broadcasting services for a variety of events for parents, grandparents, students, alumni and fans to catch all the action, live or on-demand.

• bBIG Live provides downloadable post-game film for coaches to upload to Hudl or other preferred coaching software.

• As a bonus, bBIG Live can also make special announcements, including general school announcements, reminders or shout outs to specific family members or alums watching to personalize the experience.

NEPSAC Athletes Drafted by WNBA

Aliyah Boston and Taylor Soule Make NEPSAC Basketball History

Aliyah Boston and Taylor Soule were the first-ever NEPSAC girls’ basketball players to be chosen in the Women’s National Basketball Association Draft. Boston was the number 1 pick, and will be playing for the Indiana Fever. Soule was number 28 and is headed to the Minnesota Lynx.

“The NEPSAC conference has been setting the standard for high-quality studentathlete experiences, and to have two of our first-ever draft picks is no exception,” said Ayo Hart, president of the NEPSAC Girls Basketball Association. “To have the #1 WNBA draft pick from our conference marks a significant milestone in the history of NEPSAC, highlighting the progress made by our programs and providing inspiration for future generations of NEPSAC players and coaches. Aliyah Boston, Worcester Academy ’19, and Taylor Soule, Kimball Union Academy ’18, have not only made history but have also demonstrated the results that can be achieved with remarkable talent, an unwavering commitment to excellence, an impeccable work ethic, sacrifice and a love of the game. We know firsthand what both of these women sacrificed and the amount of work they have put into their craft. We are proud to have played a role in Aliyah’s and Taylor’s journeys and look forward to supporting them as they enter this new chapter in their careers. As they join the

WNBA, we have no doubt that Aliyah and Taylor will continue to make us proud and inspire our current student-athletes with their success on and off the court.”

Aliyah Boston

The Indiana Fever had the first selection in the 2023 WNBA Draft, and there was no doubt that they would choose Aliyah Boston.

“Aliyah Boston will have an immediate impact on our franchise on and off the court. We are excited to pair her with Kelsey and NaLyssa as we reload the Indiana Fever. We are very impressed with Aliyah’s post skills as well as her natural leadership skills. This a a great day for our franchise!” Fever General Manager Lin Dunn said.

During her senior year at South Carolina, Boston shot a 55.9 field goal percentage and was her best shooting season since her freshman campaign. Defensively she averaged 2.0 blocks per

Aliyah Boston at Worcester

Aliyah Boston shows off the Indiana Fever uniform on draft day.

game, including an SEC-best 2.3 per conference outing this past season. Boston picked up SEC Player of the Year honors for the second-straight season as South Carolina finished the season with a 36-1 record.

Taylor Soule

KUA alumna Taylor Soule was the 28th pick, and will leave Virginia Tech for the Minnesota Lynx. Soule, a 5-11 forward from Virginia Tech, averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in the 2022–23 season that ended with a run in the NCAA Final Four. In her graduate season, she earned several honors, including the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List, the Wooden Allen Watch List and selection to the ACC Second Team and ACC AllTournament Second Team. Prior to Virginia Tech, the West Lebanon, New Hampshire native played four seasons at Boston College where she amassed 1,500 points and earned All-ACC honors throughout the last three years for the Eagles.

Taylor Soule at KUA

The Minnesota Lynx’s new #7

12 NEPSAC Schools Participate in Girls* in Sports Leadership Summit

Annual Conference at Cushing Academy focuses on “Competing with Confidence and Empathy”

by Matthew Cote

Focused on the theme “Competing with Confidence and Empathy,” Cushing Academy hosted its 6th annual Girls* in Sports Leadership Summit on April 10, 2023. More than 60 female-identifying student-athletes from 12 NEPSAC schools participated in the summit.

More than 60 student-athletes from 14 NEPSAC schools joined this year’s Girls* in Sports Leadership Summit. Photo by Phillip Wexler

CUSHING ACADEMY | ASHBURNHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

Keynote speaker Erin McDermott, Harvard University’s John D. Nichols ’53 Family Director of Athletics, encourages student-athletes to “play big” in all aspects of their lives.

“The idea is to recognize young leaders,” says Dr. Jen Willis, Cushing’s director of teaching and learning, who also serves as assistant varsity field hockey and jv girls’ basketball coach. “The summit gives them affirmation for the contributions they are making to strengthen their teams and schools and also connects them with strong, accomplished female role-models. Through keynotes and workshops, the hope is that students will leave the summit with many helpful tools to add to their leadership toolkit.”

Founded in 2018 by Dr. Willis and Sarah Catlin, Cushing’s director of student affairs and NEPSAC’s field hockey president, the Girls* in Sports Leadership Summit has grown in attendance every year since.

This year, the Girls* in Sports Leadership summit featured keynote speaker Erin McDermott, Harvard University’s John D. Nichols ‘53 Family Director of Athletics. As Director, McDermott oversees the nation’s largest Division I athletic program, as well as extensive recreational, club, and intramural sports programs. Ms. McDermott emphasized the message of “Don’t Shy Away,” encouraging participants to identify and go after what they want.

Students participate in “Taking the Lead: Difficult Conversations,” a workshop led by Dia Fortenberry, a DEI facilitator at Wesleyan University and 2020-21 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Defensive Player of the Year (Basketball).

NEPSAC SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE 2023 SUMMIT:

BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS SCHOOL

CHESHIRE ACADEMY

CUSHING ACADEMY

FAY SCHOOL

THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY HOLDERNESS SCHOOL

MIDDLESEX SCHOOL

MILTON ACADEMY

POMFRET SCHOOL

RIVERS SCHOOL

TABOR ACADEMY

THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

“Cushing has created a very special opportunity for girls to gather and learn from sports professionals. Their energy, curiosity, and authenticity was inspiring,” says McDermott. “Kudos to Jen Willis and her team at Cushing for executing such an impactful experience. I hope the girls got as much energy from me as I got from them!”

Photo by Phillip Wexler

In addition to the keynote, attendees participated in three discussion-based workshops from a list of six options, including:

» “Dealing with Adversity on Your Team” led by Carissa Medeiros, head women’s lacrosse coach at Southern New Hampshire University

» “The Role of the Team Captain” led by Ceci Reyes, director of student activities and varsity girls’ basketball coach at Governor’s Academy

» “Mind Over Matter: The Practice of Wellness” led by Erin Fisher, director of wellbeing and head coach of girls’ varsity soccer at Pomfret School.

» “Taking the Lead: Difficult Conversations,” led by Dia Fortenberry, DEI facilitator at Wesleyan University and 202021 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Defensive Player of the Year (Basketball).

» “The Psychology of Injury” led by Kelsey Hunter, Assistant Athletic Director for Equity, Inclusion and Student-Athlete Well-Being at Smith College

» “The 5 F’s of Leadership & Performance” led by Julia Allain, sports psychologist and mental skills coach

The event culminated with a wrap-up by Katie Ftorek, Cushing’s associate director of college counseling and varsity softball and varsity girls’ ice hockey assistant coach, who reflected on competing with empathy and confidence. “Today started with discussions around purpose, joy, and gratitude,” Ms. Ftorek remarked, “While you are sitting here amongst your competitors, don’t miss out on the opportunity in front of you in sports, in the classroom, in the workforce, see these relationships and interactions with other women as opportunities to empower and celebrate each other.”

Through the support of Cushing Academy alums and an Edward E. Ford Foundation grant, what started as a conference on Girls* in Sports Leadership has this year expanded into a Leaders and Learners Summit Series, featuring a Girls* in Arts Leadership conference in the fall and a Girls* in STEAM Leadership conference in the winter.

The Leaders and Learners Summit Series embraces an inclusive definition of girls and welcomes participants who identify as girls, including trans girls and those who are nonbinary, gender non-conforming, and any student who identifies as female or otherwise in a way that is meaningful to them. For information and details about the Leaders and Learners Summit Series, contact Jen Willis at jewillis@cushing.org.

Seeking Equity in Sports

Story by Marisa Donelan | Illustration by Caroline Tomlinson

Olivia Greenaway ’22 fell in love with the game of squash in middle school after following her older sister into the sport. By the time she reached Milton’s Upper School, she was the only freshman to make it to the varsity team — and the only Black girl in the program — struggling both off and on the court.

“Even though I had always felt different from my teammates, by the time sophomore year approached, my inferiority complex was at an alltime high,” she told a group of Independent School League (ISL) athletes, coaches, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) directors in November. “There was no amount of encouragement from friends or family that would alleviate the sense of anxiety that I had built up around my skill level.”

Greenaway, who is now in her first year at Columbia University, was delivering the closing address at the first-ever ISL Changemakers Conference, held at Milton. Her advocacy as a Milton student for social change

MILTON ACADEMY | MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS

A new conference asks Independent School League athletes to be leaders in equity and inclusion.

in athletics was one of the catalysts for the conference, which welcomed select groups of students and adults from 15 ISL schools. Programs throughout the day included workshops on racially conscious leadership skills, equitable leadership, tools for interrupting biased language and behavior, and how privilege shows up in sports.

Activist, filmmaker, and former college athlete Byron Hurt was the conference’s morning keynote speaker. Athletes have a built-in level of status in the United States, and their behavior can set the social tone for a whole school, he noted.

“Because you are a leader, you have the potential to shape the direction of this country, to shape the direction of your school based on your status and your influence as athletes,” he said. “Why do you have some extraordinary opportunity for influence, wherever you are? Whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, whether we understand it or not, athletes have a very high profile in this country. And it’s really up to you to decide how to use your status.”

Invented in England in the 19th century, squash has earned a reputation as a game of the white, male elite. Its unique court requires dedicated facilities and expensive equipment, and there are few free, public programs for new players to learn, Greenaway noted. In the United States, squash is disproportionately offered in private schools, which Greenaway explained are predominantly white and often enroll students from wealthier families. In her first years as an Upper School player, Greenaway felt isolated as one of the youngest players and othered by her racial identity. She overheard comments from teammates mocking Black visiting speakers and was asked to demonstrate a “Crip walk” (a move associated with a notorious Los Angeles street gang).

After a particularly rough patch during her sophomore year, Greenaway talked with her father about quitting the team. He encouraged her to keep at it. She raised her concerns with her coaches, who comforted her and called a meeting with the team to discuss its dynamics. Things felt more welcoming after that, until, while watching a match, she felt something delicately touching her hair: The mom of a white teammate was petting her box braids.

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted ISL sports for most of the 2020–2021 academic year, which meant that Greenaway’s junior squash season was canceled. Before returning senior year as a co-captain, she established the school’s Diversity in Athletics Student Board to start the conversation about inequity in sports at Milton and beyond. Working with faculty member Molly Swain and others, Greenaway suggested expanding the conversation beyond Milton.

In the meantime, Milton hired Melissa Lawlor as the firstever Upper School director of equity in the newly established Department of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Lawlor, a former college athlete, had organized a similar conference in her previous job in New Hampshire. Milton’s Athletic Director Lamar Reddicks

is the DEI commissioner for the ISL, Lawlor noted, so Milton made sense as the inaugural host for the event.

“The feedback was amazing,” Lawlor said after the event. “Universally, the kids wrote in how much they had craved conversation across the league. They loved this concept of coming together as one team to tackle issues of racial inequity.”

Lawlor recalls being one of only three athletes of color on one of her college teams. Although her white teammates were kind and caring, she felt that she didn’t have the power to speak out about things that made her feel isolated.

“Half the battle is getting kids to realize that they have that kind of power as athletes and what they can do with that kind of power,” she says. “Do they just sit on it and perpetuate the status quo? Or are they going to be the ones to put their social capital on the line? Because that’s real allyship if you are willing to put something on the line for someone else who might not feel comfortable using their voice.”

In the fall of 2021, the Diversity in Athletics Student Board was up and running at Milton, Greenaway says. They had four areas they wanted to investigate: equitable access to sports for students whose families couldn’t afford expensive equipment and private training; interscholastic conversations about sports equity; the allocation of athletic funds to various sports teams; and diverse representation for underrepresented student-athletes.

“These social biases are not unique to Milton they are reflective of a problem that permeates all educational institutions,” she says. “We need to have uncomfortable conversations that inspire athletes and coaches to take long, hard, introspective looks at the shadow aspects of our schools.”

When her senior squash season came around, Greenaway and co-captain Rhea Anand ’22 were the leaders of a more racially diverse team, which captured the ISL title and ended up ranking 12th nationally. Greenaway herself felt more confident, which was reflected in wins on the court. “Having more athletes of color join the team reminded me that I, too, belonged, and was worthy of succeeding,” she says. Today, she belongs to a women’s league at StreetSquash in Harlem, a nonprofit program that provides urban youth with athletic opportunities, academic enrichment, community service, and leadership development.

Seeing the Changemakers Conference come to fruition so quickly after the idea sprouted was wonderful, says Greenaway, who credits current and former Milton faculty like Lawlor, Reddicks, and Swain, along with Vanessa Cohen Gibbons, Chris Kane, and Heather Flewelling for supporting the efforts that led to the event. “I hope that all the attendees left the conference feeling inspired and ready to spark change in their communities.”

This article first appeared in Milton Magazine. Reprinted with permission.

“HAVING MORE ATHLETES OF COLOR JOIN THE TEAM REMINDED ME THAT I, TOO, BELONGED, AND WAS WORTHY OF SUCCEEDING.”

OLIVIA GREENAWAY ’22

Pictures and Powder

Pre-eminent photographer navigates challenging terrain to capture passion of skiing.

Don’t expect to find Jeff Cricco ’92 on a blue-bird day. When ski conditions are at their prime, he’s deep in powder, getting gravity-defying shots and capturing some of the most skilled athletes in the most remarkable places on earth.

Pro skier and Olympic medalist Colby Stevenson, photographed on the Valdez Glacier in Valdez, Alaska.

For Cricco, one of the ski industry’s leading photographers, weather reports, avalanche warnings, and maps set the day’s agenda. “It is definitely a dream job, and it takes me all over the place,” says Cricco, who’s based just outside of Durango, Colorado. “I don’t get jobs more than two weeks in advance because you can’t plan. With ski photography, 99 percent of it is conditions and conditions where athletes can perform.”

Growing up just south of KUA’s campus, Cricco learned to ski at local mountains Arrowhead, Ascutney, and Sunapee. He raced for the alpine ski team under Coach Georg Feichtinger and recalls training with Teton Gravity Research (TGR) founder Todd Jones ’89, who, like Cricco, discovered his

life’s work in the mountains. They still team up professionally, albeit in more far-flung places than the Upper Valley.

As a senior at KUA he enjoyed a class on black-and-white photography. After one term of college, he moved west to Vail, Colorado, picking up perennial ski-bum gigs as a lift operator and cook. When the Vail Daily had to quickly fill a photographer’s spot, Cricco joined the paper and changed his course.

Today, Cricco’s work appears in magazines such as Ski, Powder, Freeskier, and Backcountry. He also works with companies in the industry such as North Face and Arc’teryx, cherry picking the best days and shooting the top athletes for catalogs and marketing materials. Other days, he’s working with film companies such as TGR, shooting stills over the shoulder of a cinematographer.

“If you put your time into and direct your passion, you just stick with it,” he says. “I just kept going and it was never and easy job.”

Like the subjects of his work, Cricco is working on skis loaded down by camera gear and often perched on precarious terrain or working from a helicopter. “I took an EMT course and was a ski guide in Alaska just to help me be safer and to manage the risk that comes with the job. When you’re shooting photos, you’re pretty much a guide—you’re accessing the slope first, you’re cutting the slope, and with backcountry you’re trying to mitigate risk. Some of the riskiest work is here in Colorado, because we have the most dangerous snowpack in the country.”

This image of Vail Pass on a very cold, crisp sunrise was the cover of Powder Magazine’s Photo Annual. “Probably one of my favorite photos I’ve shot,” says Cricco. “A ski bum photographer’s coup de grâce!”

But Cricco has watched the industry— and the communities they’re based in— evolve as climate change, a resurgence in backcountry skiing, and the advent of social media collide.

Late evening light on a run called “The

This care and concern appear to spring from a healthy respect for the natural environment. “It’s so magical being up in the mountains at sunrise and at sunset in pristine conditions. It gives me renewed passion for my job.” He points to a trip to Argentina as opening his eyes to what the world offers. “The wind and the sun are nothing I had ever experienced,” he says. “That place really opened me up to traveling to more remote places and looking for extreme environments that show me how powerful the earth is.”

“There has been a real change in being in the outdoors. It used to be a skibum culture. It’s become so trendy and accessible instead of a bunch of quirky people. It’s something that everyone should experience, but it’s also something that’s serious and more dangerous than a lot of people realize,” he says, advocating for all skiers to rely on his tools of the trade: weather reports and maps.

“Of course, I’m the one who promotes it and sells it pictures and powder and that’s challenging.”

This article originally appeared in Kimball Union Magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Curtain” in Haines, Alaska.

This photo in Cooke City, Montana, was the cover of Freeskier Magazine. It later went viral with a photoshopped version of Bernie Sanders.

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Cardigan Hockey Student-Athlete Plays in Canada Winter Games

For the week of February 12, Cardigan’s Athlete of the Week reported, “For the past two years, [Nate Watson ’23] has done nothing but make his coaches proud, support his teammates, and be an exemplary hockey player and community member. His impact on the Cardigan Hockey Program has been immeasurable.”

“Very few young men are able to gracefully blend ability with humility to the degree that Nate does,” agrees Cardigan’s Varsity Hockey Head Coach Cam McCusker ’10. “He is an exemplary teammate, an outstanding leader, and is mature beyond his years. Nate’s character is matched not only by his skill and ability as a hockey player, but also more importantly by his work ethic.”

Later in February, Nate’s impact extended beyond the Cardigan campus when he was invited to play defense for Team Quebec in the Canada Winter Games on Prince Edward Island. From February 18 to March 5, the Games brought together 3,600 athletes, managers and coaches, across 20 different sports, for the largest multi-sport event in Canada. For hockey players it is a chance to play with and against some of the best hockey players in the country.

“Nate’s selection to Team Quebec was hard-earned and welldeserved,” says Coach McCusker. “To be one of few players if not the only player to make Team Quebec without playing hockey in Quebec during the season speaks to what a strong impression Nate’s character and play can make in just a short time. We are enormously proud of Nate and his accomplishments, but more so

of what a kind and caring young man he is to those around him every day.”

Team Quebec began the games strong, winning two out of three games in the preliminary round, beating Manitoba (6-4) and New Brunswick (7-1) and losing only to Saskatchewan (2-5). Their early successes earned them a spot in the semifinal round during which they again faced Saskatchewan and lost (3-4). Quebec then rebounded, defeating Alberta in the quarterfinals (8-2). In one final match Quebec faced off against British Columbia and won (7-3), earning a bronze medal. The win gave Quebec its sixth bronze medal (1971, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1995, 2023) in men’s hockey at the event, along with two gold (1987, 2019) and three silver (1999, 2003, 2011).

Nate, who is also this year’s Cardigan School Leader, returned briefly to campus with his family after the games to celebrate his win with a ringing of the victory bell in front of Clark-Morgan Hall, before packing his bags again, this time for Finland. Nate and his Cardigan teammates on the Varsity Hockey Team spent the first 10 days of their spring break in Finland, participating in a cultural exchange with students from Hyvinkää, and of course bonding over a hockey game or two.

Top: playing for Team Quebec in the Canada Winter Games

February and March 2023.

Left: with family at Cardigan Mountain School.

CARDIGAN MOUNTAIN SCHOOL | CANAAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE

A Love Letter to Andover Wrestling

by Julie Carmona

The first female wrestler to place in the Interscholastic Wrestling Class A tournament and qualify for New Englands was Phillips Academy’s own: Kassie Archambault ’06. In 2019, she was named as the head coach of wrestling at Andover, which also made her the first female head coach of a New England prep school. But in 2014, she was already bringing change as a coach by creating a female wrestling tournament for schools in the area. In its first year, the tournament hosted only nine wrestlers, four of which were Andover students. This year, the tournament hosted 103 girls from 30 schools, 18 of which were Andover students. In the fall of 2020, when I had just entered Andover as a Junior, Coach A., as she’s known, was a house counselor in my dorm. I had not wrestled before Andover, but I needed a winter sport and Coach A. was encouraging everyone in the dorm to try wrestling. Since then, Andover Wrestling has ended up as one of the most influential groups in my time at Andover so far because of the community it has provided.

In my first competitive wrestling season, there were eight Andover girls. Three became National Prep Champions. Five of us were completely new to the sport. In joining a sport with no experience, it was comforting to know that I would not be the only person new to wrestling. Wrestling has given me the opportunity to connect with people I would have never become close with outside of the sport, and being one of few female wrestlers amplified that. Especially in my Winter Term of Upper Year, the team’s ability to uplift and motivate me has been unbelievably helpful. The support I received from my entire team made every day of the term better. Although practices

were challenging and at times frustrating, the progress I made and the support I received from my teammates helped me feel accomplished. Coming off the mat after a loss or a hard practice and having teammates to hug you in a sport that literally throws you down every chance it gets is vital. The wrestling room made me forget about all of the stress that came from school, and for that hour and a half, I got to focus all of my anger on the mat. I did not have to think or talk about anything else for two hours, and that was incredibly liberating. No matter how horrible the day had been, wrestling never failed to improve it.

In a worldview perspective, being able to witness and even participate in the exponential growth of women’s sports is spectacular, yet not an experience I expected to have at Andover. Every sport I’ve played in the past had a fair amount of female participation, and I never considered what being a girl meant in sports such as wrestling. Now that I have been a wrestler for three seasons, I have learned about the community that’s born from the isolated feelings that come with being one of few female wrestlers in our New England circuit. It felt awkward to come into a space that I was so unfamiliar with, but girls at Andover as well as other schools made up a community that welcomed and sustained me.

THEY HELPED ME TO RECOGNIZE THAT I, ALONG WITH EVERY OTHER GIRL, DESERVE A PLACE IN THIS SPORT.

Kira Stepanova/The Phillipian

They helped me to recognize that I, along with every other girl, deserve a place in this sport.

I remember feeling ecstatic when our team came across a female wrestler from another school for the first time. She was the only girl on her entire team, and she seemed just as happy to see us as we were to see her. I can recall Coach A.’s speech at the girls tournament, where she reminded everyone of the importance of seeing ourselves, as women, in a sport like wrestling. From this, wrestling has taught me that you should be welcomed and appreciated in every space you enter.

In addition to the whole team and the presence of female wrestlers within it, the specific girls I began my Andover wrestling experience with have taught me to value my own presence in every space, which helps whenever I am trying to prove that I belong somewhere. As with every aspect of my Andover career, the best part has been the people I’ve found along the way. Wrestling has made such an impact on my life precisely because of the group I came across. In the locker room, we continuously talk about how hard practice was, reflect on our days, and admire all the progress we have made. Being a part of this group feels like a breath of fresh air that I did not realize I needed before finding it. Often, I hear people talk about how relieving it would be to connect with people outside your usual circle, and I have found that in wrestling. I may not see them often outside of the sport, but like many parts of Andover, being part of this team has felt like a facet of “home.”

I may not be one of the National Prep Champions, but a crucial lesson I’ve learned at Andover is to always try new things. I tried wrestling, and I absolutely fell in love.

The author and Coach A.

Photo by Andrew Chinn

6 Things to Avoid When Talking to Athletes about Sports Nutrition

Talking about nutrition, especially to young athletes, can feel difficult. Your word choice can make a big difference and even the most casual conversations can have lasting impacts on your athletes.

Here, TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, shares phrases that parents and coaches should avoid when talking about sports nutrition (and nutrition, weight, and health in general) with young athletes.

“CLEAN EATING” OR “CLEAN FOODS”

In recent years, ‘clean eating’ and ‘clean foods’ have become popular phrases used to suggest that something is healthy. But the phrase ‘clean’ doesn’t have a specific meaning, and Miezin worries that it’s a misleading term and can lead athletes to make choices that aren’t actually healthy for them! “Clean could mean you wiped a cereal box with bleach,” she says. “There’s no official definition of it, so food companies can use it to market products, and athletes can develop a misunderstanding of what actually fuels their training and growth.” In fact, new research has gone so far as to recommend that the phrase ‘clean’ be officially defined and regulated by the FDA because of the amount of misinformation it causes.

Instead: If you’re suggesting a food, rather than saying it’s ‘clean,’ get specific about why it’s a good addition to an athlete’s meal plan. For athletes especially, foods that will fuel them may not always be what is marketed as ‘clean.’ So rather than giving foods the label of clean or not, simply focus on what each food does and when it is optimal to consume. “A cookie can be the right thing to eat when you’re in the middle of a long run, or you’re in the middle of a game. The same cookie won’t be as healthy or helpful to eat at 10 p.m. With performance nutrition especially, the timing and the functionality of our foods at those different times plays a huge role in good nutrition.”

“GOOD FOODS” AND “BAD FOODS”

“Language that speaks to food in any sort of dichotomous black-and-white type of way is bad, especially for young athletes,” says Miezin. It can also be confusing: Think about diet culture in the past 30 years. How often

have you been told by the media that fat was bad, then good, then bad, then good again? For a young athlete, this constant shifting of what’s considered a ‘good food’ can lead to disordered eating patterns like orthorexia

Instead: “Nutrition research tells us time and time again that good nutrition is not about good or bad foods. Solid nutrition is about overall dietary pattern and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together,” says Miezin. “Remove the subjective adjectives you’re using to describe a food and focus on the objective nutritional data. And if you do want to use adjectives, stay positive. We want to focus on words that are accurate and help improve an athlete’s relationship with food, such as balanced, nutritious, healthful, nourishing, energizing, and delicious.”

“GUILTY PLEASURES” OR “CHEAT MEALS”

“Our perception of our food is shockingly important,” says Miezin. There was a study done that’s often referred to as the chocolate cake study. Researchers looked at the

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difference between someone who chooses the words ‘guilt’ versus ‘celebration’ when looking at a cake, and how using each word impacted the participants. The people who chose ‘guilt’ ended up having a heavier body weight over time or gaining weight despite trying to lose weight. A similar study done with milkshakes found that if we think a food is lower in calories, our hunger hormones react and make us stay hungry—even if the food actually has a high calorie content. “Associating any food with guilt can have longterm consequences that you may not expect,” Miezin adds.

Instead: “Thinking of meals as cheat meals or healthy meals is like saying a meal is good or bad,” says Miezin. “Try to remove that judgment from your food. Instead, athletes should learn to ask themselves, ‘How much is this meal supporting my health?’” With that mentality, a meal that used to be considered a ‘cheat meal’ might be viewed as a meal that’s getting an athlete muchneeded carbohydrates for a long workout the next day.

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“CALORIES”

When we are talking about objective nutritional information, we often reference calories. “In America in particular, when we say the word calories, people get freaked out,” says Miezin. “This is especially true for young athletes with minimal nutritional knowledge. Their assumption is that calories are bad and they need less of them because calories will make them fat. But we obviously need calories to survive!” Still, referring to calories can be triggering, especially for athletes with a history of disordered eating. Instead: Swap calories for ‘energy.’ “Ultimately, calories are only a measurement of energy, and people seem to connect better with energy as a positive thing that they want,” Miezin explains.

“DIET”

Yes, technically ‘diet’ can simply refer to the food that a person eats throughout the day, without attaching a positive or negative connotation to it. But in reality, the word ‘diet’ has become a loaded

TAKEAWAY

term, says Miezin, especially if you have an athlete struggling with disordered eating patterns.

Instead: Rather than using the word ‘diet,’ try ‘meal plan,’ or simply say ‘how X athlete eats’ rather than X athlete’s diet.

“THIN” OR “SKINNY” OR “FAT” – OR ANY LANGUAGE AROUND HOW THE BODY LOOKS

“Using language that speaks to something about the body: shape, weight, anything like that, can be damaging,” says Miezin. “As coaches and parents, we should be focusing on our athletes’ health and performance, and we know that weight and body shape don’t necessarily determine health or performance.”

Instead: Focus on how athletes feel. Miezin suggests asking questions like: “How are you feeling? How is your energy today? Are you feeling strong? Are you feeling fatigued?” Those questions focus on the metrics that matter and lead to answers that provide a lot more important information.

How we talk about food and nutrition can make a big difference in how our athletes view the foods that they eat, as well as how they view themselves. Rather than using subjective terms or black-and-white phrases, you can help athletes develop a more positive and nuanced understanding of food and nutrition based on objective data and how food makes them feel.

DID YOU KNOW?

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