Belmont Hill School Celebrates 100 Years of Athletics

In January, Belmont Hill School began to celebrate its Centennial with a series of events highlighting 100 years of various parts of the life of the School. This May, the community gathered for an evening to honor Belmont Hill’s athletic program. It was a wonderful opportunity for all to reflect on what has been the essence of Belmont Hill athletics for a century: the breadth and depth of the program, the strength of the teachercoach model, and the growth and continuing development of the athletic facilities.

Athletic Director George Tahan articulated the pillars of Belmont Hill athletics quite well when he spoke to the community at the athletics celebration. “The program’s success is the result of a clear philosophy and process that is executed by our faculty and staff,” he said. “For the past 100 years, it has been marked by broad student participation, a wide breadth and depth of athletic offerings, outstanding teacher coaches, and fantastic facilities.”

The School offers 16 sports and a total of 54 teams, which helps to ensure that any boy who wants to participate in athletics can find a place. “This depth allows Belmont Hill boys to pursue and play the sports they are passionate about while also allowing them to discover sports they never envisioned playing,” Mr. Tahan stated. “There they can figure out what they enjoy and what they might excel at, while at the same time being a part of something bigger than themselves and working together to pursue collective goals.” Also, today’s seasonal schedules include a robust program that plays in excess of 800 contests.

The teacher-coach model has been a vital core of the program for 100 years. Teachers often remark that coaching provides another important way to connect with students. “It’s really part of the fabric of the School. With so many of my colleagues coaching, it’s just another important way we can reach the boys,” veteran football and lacrosse coach Chris Butler states. Chris Richards, varsity crew coach and Middle School cross country coach adds, “These boys learn so much on our sports teams. Legendary coach Eddie Gallagher always spoke of the ‘athletic classroom’, and I firmly believe that the learning experiences on our teams whether on field, court, slope, or on the river can be as profound and as important for our boys as those they have in our academic program.”

Belmont Hill’s athletic facilities have evolved throughout its history. The School began with a small single gymnasium and today features the Jordan Athletic Center, a state-of-the-art building that is home to many sports. The basketball team plays on Ted Martellini Court in the Fritz Gymnasium, which holds two full courts. The Seeley Squash Center features seven international-sized courts and a dedicated wrestling room both reside in the Jordan Athletic Center.

Spring 1924 baseball schedule.

The School’s first ice first rink was on the pond during the 1923–24 school year. Today, Belmont Hill has an Olympic-sized ice sheet in the newly dedicated Kenneth M. Martin III ’65 Rink in the Jordan Center. In the offseason, the rink is converted to the Palanjian Tennis Courts. The baseball team plays ball on Gallagher Field, one of the most beautiful independent school baseball fields in the ISL and NEPSAC. In football and lacrosse, teams play on an allweather turf field. Finally, the crew team competes from a multi-bay boathouse on the Charles River.

Since its opening in 1923, Belmont Hill has always stressed the important role of athletics in education. The School’s mission of developing boys into men of good character is an important guidepost in how its athletic program is run. Strong character makes for good leaders, fierce competitors, and valued teammates. The School looks forward to seeing where the next 100 years will lead us!