Batchelder Family Basketball Legacy

Batchelder Family L to R: Cecila ’25, Callie ’23, Catherine ’91 & Bill ’91, P’22,’23,’25, and Will ’22

8 THE ARCHON | SPRING 2022 HOOP DREAMS

Attending a Boston Celtics NBA playoff game at TD Garden. Having March Madness playing on four televisions throughout the house to track college basketball brackets. Watching back-to-back Friday night girls and boys basketball games—Govs versus Exeter. It may sound like a day in the life of a sports broadcaster, but for the Batchelders, it’s a family thing.

“Basketball has always been a part of our family life—watching games on TV or going to games,” says Catherine (Cat) Tuthill Batchelder ’91, P’22,’23,’25. “Our kids have been playing basketball since they could dribble.” Bill Batchelder ’91, P’22,’23,’25, and Cat are parents to Will ’22, Callie ’23, and Cecelia (Cece) ’25. Among them, they have acquired quite a few miles sprinting up and down the basketball court in the Alumni Gym at Govs. “When I joined the basketball team, it wasn’t very strong, but I loved wearing the Govs uniform, and my teammates made it special,” Cat recalls. “We were always the underdogs, but we kept working hard and looking toward the next game to see how we could improve.” When Bill arrived at Govs in 1987, the boys basketball program was at the top of its game. “Making the team at Govs was a big deal because they had some big-time players and a winning tradition,” Bill says. “We knew that we would be in the mix for an ISL [Independent School League] or New England championship, so whatever it took, we were willing to put in the hard work.” It wasn’t an automatic win every game, but that didn’t matter. “Coach [Steve] Metz never backed off against a challenge; he would put us up against the best,” Bill says. “There were times when we lost by 40 points, but everybody still wanted to play.” Cat and Bill met in their first year at Govs during Leadership Weekend (now Unity Days). Both were three-season athletes. Cat played point guard in girls basketball, midfield in soccer, and center in lacrosse. Bill was a utility player on the boys basketball team, quarterback for the football team, and catcher for the baseball team. “We didn’t get much of a chance to watch each other’s games because we were usually playing at the same time,” Bill adds. “But if a game ended early, we would hustle over to the other field.” Cat went on to play lacrosse at Georgetown University and graduated as the school’s alltime leading scorer (her record has since been broken). Bill played football and baseball at the University of New Hampshire and was drafted by the Oakland As, where he played minor league baseball for three years.

LEFT: Will Batchelder ’22 making a quick basket cut to score against Groton; RIGHT: Bill Batchelder ’91, P’22,’23,’25 in a home court scrimmage in 1991

Mike Moonves P’82 recalls coaching Bill in baseball at Govs. “Billy saved us in baseball when we had no catcher. When I asked the assembled tryouts if anyone had caught before, Billy, a freshman, raised his hand. The rest is history, as he was a mainstay behind the plate. Billy is clearly one of the best all-around athletes in Academy history. He was a great competitor who married a great competitor.”

Slam Dunk Legacy

Bill and Cat married in 2000 and eventually settled down in Newburyport, just a few minutes from Govs. Athletics and their alma mater remained central in their lives.

“When I was younger, I went to a bunch of football games at Govs with my mom and dad, and we would toss the football around together at the Sager Bowl,” says Cece, who joined her sister Callie on the varsity basketball team this season. “Playing on the same team as Cece is great because we have that instant chemistry of a best friend and a teammate all in one,” Callie says. “Milton [Academy] was her first big game; she had a few fast breaks, and the student section was cheering for her. It’s cool to see her so excited to be out there on the court.”

Will recently finished his Govs basketball career with a trip to the New England tournament and next up, he’s committed to play at Holy Cross. “The competition has always been a big part of it for me,” he says. “A highlight was beating Brooks School on their home court in overtime this season; it hadn’t happened in more than ten years. It’s cool sharing moments like these with my parents.” The thrill of the competition runs in the family. “Bill was one of the fiercest competitors I have ever coached,” says Metz, who also coached Bill in baseball. “But what also stands out is how much fun Bill always seemed to be having in every

practice and game in all three sports. Watching Will play basketball brings back memories of Bill. Although they play different positions, they both exude a love of the game and a fierce competitive spirit.”

“The family is competitive and committed,” Ceglarski says. “But the nice thing is, they are all pretty modest about their ability. They don’t talk about how good they are; they just show it on the field.”

Another commonality among the Batchelder generations is the value of team camaraderie. “When I think of some of my top Govs sports moments, they include getting together for team breakfasts, getting ready in my friends’ dorm rooms before games, and bus rides,” Cat says. “That’s where a lot of the fun stuff happened.” “The relationships and the people I’ve met through sports make me want to keep playing,” says Callie, who has already been recruited to the Harvard women’s lacrosse team. “Every day after school, I get to go hang out with my teammates not only on the field or the court, but off of it.” The latter is one of the reasons Cat and Bill are happy that their children are at Govs. “We wanted Will, Callie, and Cece to have a full high school experience—not just around sports,” Cat says. “They’ve been involved in student government, peer leadership, and other clubs on campus. That was important to us.” “I don’t know that there’s one specific thing I can point to when it comes to what makes the Govs community so special,” Bill adds. “There’s just a dedication of the faculty to put students first; it’s a 24-7 commitment. They get to know our kids in some respects that are different from the way we know them.”

History teacher Babe Ceglarski is a case in point. A thirty-twoyear veteran of the Govs faculty, he coached Bill in football. Will and Callie have taken his U.S. History class. “The family is competitive and committed,” Ceglarski says. “But the nice thing is, they are all pretty modest about their ability. They don’t talk about how good they are; they just show it on the field.” As a coach, his goal is simple but impactful. “For me, it’s never been about the wins and losses. I don’t measure my success by that. I measure my success by a student-athlete’s growth— gaining skills they can take with them,” adds Ceglarski. Cat agrees. “Our children have been lucky to have coaches who are dedicated to empowering them and helping them build confidence. In sports, those lessons matter over winning every day.”

Cat Tuthill Batchelder ’91, P’22,’23,’25 back in her Govs basketball days Callie Batchelder '23 watching Rivers opponent's eyes for on-ball defense