Winter Wrap-Up, Delayed Spring, and Sunday at The Masters

The winter season came and went, although the winter weather decided to rear its ugly head even after the final buzzer sounded officially ending our winter sports season. For all of the trouble the weather has caused in our efforts to get our spring teams outside to practice and play, the winter season will go down as the most successful season in Miss Hall’s School history. The Alpine Ski team won its second NEPSAC championship in three years and this one just happened to come at the Class B level (the 2013 title came at Class C). The Varsity Basketball team finished with a School best 20-6 record, which bested the 14-7 mark of last year. Sophie Harcleroad and Sarah Sprague, members of our IEA Riding Team, won many awards, while qualifying for Nationals! It was a season of promise, progress, emotion, development, and triumph. Five girls, who lost their best skier from the previous year to graduation, came together, took on a new and tough challenge of moving up a Class in competition, and came away victorious. Two riders, who worked so hard to bring this program to our School (this is our first year with an IEA Riding team), left their mark on the competition and on this program with their success. A group of five senior basketball players saw the culmination of their work and dedication to the growth and development of the program as a team that was 6-14 when they were freshmen, turned into the best team in School history as seniors. This is a season that will be remembered for a long time. I hope that our student-athletes got as much out of this season as they were able to give to our School community.

Three weeks into the spring season and all but tennis are still inside! Tennis, softball, lacrosse, and golf all got outside yesterday (Saturday) for their first games, but the wet fields will keep us inside for a couple of more days. Good news is that the girls are energetic, motivated, and working to get better each day even though our time and space are limited. Hats off to our teams and coaches for conducting purposeful practices in less than ideal conditions. Tennis balls, lax balls, softballs, and practice golf balls flying all over the gym is certainly a sight to behold. Here’s to more days like we saw today! It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the Berkshires.

I just want to touch quickly on women’s sports outside of the Miss Hall’s realm. I love all sports. I love what sports can do for kids and being an athlete and a sports fan have always been important aspects of my life, but why haven’t we grown more? The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament just concluded last week with UCONN winning their 10^th National Championship. It was an incredible tournament; probably the best I can remember. I had the pleasure of watching the Final Four with some of the girls here at MHS and I got to see first hand how much these athletes mean to these girls. They were living and dying with every dribble, shot, turnover, and steal. I attended a couple of the games in Albany as well, where I saw the same exact thing as I sat in the stands with my wife and, for a short time, members of my basketball team. From Breanna Stewart to Jewell Loyd to Moriah Jefferson, these female athletes are role models for girls and women of all ages.

Why don’t we get to see more of them? Why isn’t UCONN vs. Stanford a primetime game with primetime coverage? Why don’t we hear more about the Women’s National Soccer Team? We are considered a “growing soccer nation,” but why? Our women are the best in the World. I just finished watching the Masters. It took Augusta National until 2012 to welcome their first female member. Title IX has opened all sorts of doors for female athletes, but how can one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the country take 40 years to open their doors to women? As Jordan Spieth walked to the clubhouse after playing a terrific tournament, you see 20-30 people waiting to greet him while wearing their prestigious “Green Jackets,” but there was not one woman. Dr. Richard Lapchick does a “Racial and Gender Report Card” each year. Here is a link to the 2014 report: http://www.tidesport.org/2014%20College%20Sport%20Racial%20&%20Gender%20Report%20Card.pdf

The numbers for female coaches, administrators, and school presidents in the NCAA are staggeringly low. Recently, the NFL hired their first female referee just months after Becky Hammon became the first female coach in the NBA. We are moving forward, but it seems to be at a snails pace. The bright side is that people are noticing it, but we need more of the decision makers, those in the positions to help create a change, stop talking about it, and start doing it and believing in it.

We have 214 girls at Miss Hall’s, all from different backgrounds, and various interests. One thing that connects them all is their drive to have a positive influence on society and to find success in whatever profession they choose to pursue. I can tell you that these are amazing kids, with remarkable work ethics, and are passionate about their goals and the steps they need to take in order to achieve those goals. I know that this can be said for girls and women beyond these walls of MHS. Who are we to stand in their way?

Photo credits to: Mary Bazanchuk, Sarah Sprague, and Abby Truong

Winter Wonderland at MHS

    

It’s a beautiful day in the Berkshires today as the big storm has come and gone and the sun continues to shine. Sure, it’s a bit cold, but the sunshine makes it worth it.  It’s crazy to think that we are more than halfway through the 2014-15 School year.  Fall exams conclude at the beginning of next week, and when we return from Long Weekend, there will be only one short month remaining in the winter season. Let’s take a brief look at where we are and what has been accomplished.

Our recreational sports are alive and well. Yoga, afternoon fitness, daytime fitness, aerobics, rec. swimming, and rec. skiing have been in full force.  Rec. skiing has struggled a bit as the weather hasn’t cooperated fully this winter, but the coaches’ and kids’ spirits are high and looking forward to a fun ending to the winter season. I’ve spent the past couple of days out snowshoeing and have seen colleagues cross country skiing. In a winter season where we could use another offering or two and our girls could benefit from getting outside and getting some fresh air, those are two tremendous opportunities for our department moving forward. I know that the theater ensemble is also working extremely hard towards their production in February. I always love going to watch the shows. Jen Jordan does a great job in casting and it’s always a delight to watch.

The JV and Varsity Alpine Ski teams have battled cold, ice, cold, and ice as they’ve worked to improve each day. Honestly, the weather has been pretty brutal for this group. With the Thanksgiving snow, I thought this would be a terrific winter for them, but it’s been difficult. Thanks to great coaching and inspiring senior leadership, this group has competed and is more than ready for the NEPSAC championships in February. Coming off of a championship in 2013 and a second place finish last year, these girls and our coaches are focused and pride themselves on their performance. I’m proud of the way in which they’ve continued to improve and motivate each other during the tough weather times.  Led by three seniors, Emma, Phoebe, and Maggie, this group has made us proud and I’m looking forward to a great finish this season.

JV and V. Basketball continue plugging away in the Cross and it hasn’t been easy. An early storm forced both teams to practice elsewhere as the gym was heatless. That didn’t deter either team as they worked hard to begin the season. Jenny, our new JV coach, has her kids plying admirably right now after a difficult beginning to the season. They’ve won 3 games and continue to improve and be competitive in every game they play. They recently beat MacDuffie in a tremendous performance by our girls. Most importantly, they are learning the game!  The varsity team currently sits at 15-2 overall and 13-2 in NEPSAC, ranked 2nd in Class C behind St. Luke’s (who we play on Saturday, 2/7 at home). This mark has already bested last year’s record 14 wins and this group is working hard to improve every day and get back to the NEPSAC playoffs.  We came in 2nd in our Tip Off tourney losing to a strong New Hampton team, but followed that up with a Stoneleigh tournament win. With games against St. Luke’s (1st), Beaver Country Day (4th and beat us in last year’s tourney), as well as Suffield and Hopkins (Class B), and NMH (Class A), we will continue to be tested, which is what this team wants and thrives on.

It should be an extremely fun February. Hopefully the weather cooperates for all teams and the girls come back from break refreshed and excited for the home stretch. Before you know it, it will be time for Spring Break! And we know that is always a welcomed time for all.

Fall Athletics, Mesoamerica, and College Prep

It’s been a while! Glad to be back writing today.  At Miss Hall’s, we often talk about how the beginning of school is a spring to Fall Family Weekend. This year, it has certainly been a sprint, but the pace has been much faster than usual.  I’ve been able to keep the pace without falling behind or getting too far ahead.  Our fall sports teams are more than halfway through…I can’t believe it. It seems like preseason was no more than a week ago.  I had the pleasure of watching JV soccer play yesterday. They lost the game, but the improvement of that team, led by Coach Backer, is remarkable. Girls are understanding the game and what’s expected of them while enjoying their time out on the field. Our very young varsity soccer team is coming together well under the tutelage of Coach Whalen and Coach Eberhart following a BIG time win on Saturday, 1-0, over King and will only get better. The future looks bright for this group, which has 3 freshman defenders.  Cross Country has enjoyed it’s best season n a few years, since Megan Grace was a senior, and Coach Rutledge is pleased with his girls and their performance thus far.  A dual race with Stoneleigh-Burnham awaits this weekend.  JV Volleyball is in a familiar place at 6-1 this season. They’ve meshed very well after losing a number of girls from last year’s undefeated team to the varsity.  JV VB has really become a feeder program for the varsity and has found tremendous success under Coach Boland.  The Thirds team is improving everyday under Coach Flint. They sit at 1-3, but are learning the fundamentals and basic strategies of the game.  The Varsity VB team had a huge opening win over Marianapolis before running the gauntlet of some tough teams and games. They are back on track with two straight Class C wins. An end of season push could put them right back in the playoffs, which has become a familiar spot for this group.

Sports at Miss Hall’s can take on all aspects of life here at the school.  Last Thursday, Ms. Stevenson and Dr. Alexander, brought their World History freshmen down to the gym to partake in a reenactment of the Mesoamerican ball game.  Now, this game didn’t have near the  outcome or potential awards or punishments that they had, but the intensity was just as strong. Girls had to pass the ball around in teams and get it through a hoop on the other end using their bodies, but without using hand or feet.  Although the hands or feet rule was broken at times, Ms. Stevenson’s crew got the W. This is cross disciplinary collaboration at its finest.

The buzz has been up this year regarding time and people, students and adults alike, feeling as if there is a lack of time.  This can certainly be true, but we know and value the concept of balance and the importance of self-maintenance in our lives.  I oftentimes hear girls talking about how much work they have to do. With 5 or 6 classes along with sports, music, art, clubs, leadership positions, etc., let’s face it–these girls’ lives are packed.  What’s the point? Well, that’s a question that is sometimes asked, but one in which the answer makes it all worth it.  We are preparing girls for college and for life after college.  The adults in this community will tell you that there may be no more important skill to learn than time management.  Girls who have graduated always come back thanking the faculty, staff, and administration here for the work they expected of them. Girls often find college much easier than their peers who may not have attended a college prep school, and I always hear about the free time they have now. College prep schools are designed to do exactly that…prepare you for college. If a school isn’t doing that then it really needs to reevaluate who it is and what they want to be.

A colleague of mine from another school once told me something along the lines of, ‘if kids don’t want to be consistently challenged in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in other areas of school life, that will prepare them for college and for life, they shouldn’t come here.’ I’m always reminded of the line from A League of Their Own, when Tom Hanks says, “If it were easy, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” These girls are here for specific reasons, but most notably, to obtain a high level education that prepares them for life.  That is what we strive to provide everyday. It may be tough or hard today., but these students will be better for it tomorrow.

Sophie Bellemare graduated last year as a member of the Class of 2014. Sophie was a two-sport varsity captain as a senior (Soccer and Golf). She was also an Athletic Association co-head as a junior, in which she, along with Asata Evans, instituted the Miss Hall’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The Hall inducted four tremendous members of the MHS family two years ago and will continue to select members on a bi-annual basis.  Sophie was a tremendous competitor and a terrific team player.  She played four years on the varsity soccer team and played an integral part in the growth of the program that finished last season with the best record in School history at 11-6-2.  Sophie also spearheaded the effort to add Golf as a sport; she competed on the varsity team for two years.  

Below are her thoughts on participating in athletics during her time at MHS and what she misses most about it. We miss Sophie very much and wish her the best of luck in college!

“I don’t remember a day in my life that I wasn’t playing sports. At the toddling age of 4, my parents put me on my very first soccer team.  All of my closest friends from back home are the girls I grew up playing soccer with, and the day I joined the MHS soccer team, I met the girl who would be my best friend throughout my four years at Miss Hall’s. I remember the fall of my freshman year so clearly. I remember the crisp fall leaves, the cool breeze, and all of the crazy and talented players that made up my team. I was surrounded by positive and encouraging people. Sports at MHS are so empowering and sisterly, that when I went back and played with other soccer teams during the off season, I was dumbfounded at the lack of encouragement and respect among the players. When I served as a captain my senior year, our focus was always on the bond between teammates. All three years when I went to play in the NEPSAC All-Star game, there were always fellow teammates that came on the trip simply to support the other All-Star and me. Miss Hall’s athletics offered me something very special through sports; confidence. When I found out my sister made Varsity her freshman year, I was flooded with nostalgia. Two weeks into my college career, I am ecstatic to join the club soccer team here at Elon, and I can only hope it’ll be close to the experience I had at MHS.

The spring of my freshman year, I was very surprised to learn that we did not have a golf team. All it took was some asking around, and conversations with Coach Ward until we had a golf team the spring of my junior year. Senior year when I was elected captain was a very proud moment for me. I certainly wasn’t the best golfer, I simply just wanted to play. 

Four years flew by, and sports were always something at school that made my time worthwhile. The improvement to the Athletic Program has been tremendous since I started in 2010. I miss MHS and playing sports there an indescribable amount, and I cannot wait to go back and watch a few games!”

We Didn’t Just Say It…The Success of an Extended Pre-season

Soccer participates in a Scrim Fest in North Adams, MA

The 2014-2015 Miss Hall’s athletic year officially began on Friday as soccer and volleyball players returned to begin pre-season practices. The girls and coaches will have a week and a half of practices before official varsity tryouts on Sunday. We’ve been on the fields and courts for only three days, but the progress has been tremendous and the work has been intense. After three days of double sessions the girls have today off before getting back after it on Wednesday. To say that they are happy to be back and out there is an understatement. These kids, coaches, and our trainer have worked extremely hard so far, challenged themselves in many ways, had a bunch of fun, and have all gotten better.

I’ll never forget my first pre-season as a volleyball coach in 2009. We had a good first day, but the second day didn’t go nearly as well. Practices were inefficient and I wasn’t nearly as prepared, as I should have been. I remember my dad telling me, “It’s pre-season for you too.” I certainly learned from that, but our coaches this year have brought a tremendous amount of passion, energy, and excitement to their respective sports. I’m proud of them for their work and preparation. I’ve said for a few years that I believe our School’s collection of coaches is one of the best in NEPSAC. We may be in pre-season on the athletic calendar, but our coaches are in mid-season form.

 When I started in 2009 our pre-season was only three days. We’d have two days of doubles sessions and a fifth practice on Saturday morning before opening meetings. There was so much going on during this time that we only had all of our kids for one of these practices. We then had tryouts on Sunday and our first game in less than a week. There were many discussions about extending the pre-season to not only give the girls a chance to practice more, get into game shape, and begin the team bonding process, but also to reduce injuries. Since we extended the pre-season from three days to eight days we have certainly seen a decrease in injuries, but also an increase in performance. Volleyball has been one of our most consistent programs making the tournament in 4 of the past 5 seasons, while soccer recorded its best record in program history last year.

I recently started watching Grey’s Anatomy. I figured that since I’m married to a healthcare professional I should have some idea of what goes on during the day at a hospital and, from what I’m told, Grey’s does a pretty good job of displaying what goes on. Obviously not 100% accurate, but the show is entertaining nonetheless. A great line I recently heard from the show was “Don’t just say it, do it.” We didn’t just say it…we did it. Without the support of the current administration, faculty, staff, for AD, Abbey Nyland, former Dean of Academics & Faculty, Jenny Chandler, and, of course, the student-athletes and their parents and guardians, the extended pre-season wouldn’t have happened. I’m not sure where our programs would be without it. Maybe our records would’ve ended up being the same even without the increased amount of practice time, but to be honest, I doubt that. Our school values athletics and values the experiences of our student-athletes. Our kids and coaches do what they do because they love it—they learn a number of life lessons, while always having fun. At the same time, they want to win and play to win. They’re hungry to improve and get better every single day, which in my opinion, is admirable. Our student-athletes have made us all extremely proud…we owed it to them to give them the best preparation and situation to be successful. We didn’t just say it…we did it.

Playing 3 Sports and Walking On- A Student-Athlete’s Perspective

         This week’s blog post comes from Miss Hall’s School Class of 2013 Megan Newton. Megan was a three-sport student-athlete here at MHS and played a major role in the advancement of our program. In fact, the entire Class of 2013 can be proud of that. Megan walked on to the University of Massachusetts Women’s Lacrosse team this past spring. Lacrosse has been one of our most consistently competitive programs over the past 6 years and Megan played a major role in that. Her sister Mary, another three-sport athlete from the class of 2013 will be joining her on the UMASS team this spring. In this blog Megan talks specialization, choosing UMASS, and walking on. Inspiring insight from someone who was determined to prove that she could make it at the D-1 level.

           “Playing three sports during my high school career was an extremely valuable experience for me. Being a three season athlete every year required me to constantly manage my time between my academics, athletics, and social life. Time management is a skill that has been engrained in me and was a huge advantage for me last year when I was practicing for around two hours everyday. Learning to work with different team dynamics, personalities, and different coaching styles each season was also very important. The physical aspect of playing multiple sports was invaluable. Playing basketball was something that I never thought I would do until I had the chance to in high school. Basketball helped improve my footwork and short burst speed immensely. I could feel the difference every year when lacrosse rolled around. Soccer also benefited my footwork and communication which are vital skills for lacrosse defenders. I definitely would not have specialized if I could do it over. I always felt like lacrosse was my best sport and I used my off time in the summer and winter to play club and improve my game but it was so important to use those other seasons to do something else. I just love athletics in general and I believe playing many different sports was integral in keeping athletics fun and exciting for me.

          I think lacrosse played a moderate role in my college search. It kind of felt like things just fell in to place. Looking back I wish I had started the whole recruiting progress earlier but the first club I played for gave no education on the recruiting process. Since I the first in my family looking to play a college sport I felt very much in the dark. Fortunately, after my sophomore year of high school, I switched to club team IAS in Greenfield MA. Director Jeff Coulson was amazingly helpful in the process since he had helped over 200 lacrosse players play in college in the last twenty years. His greatest piece of advice however, was to choose a school based on academics first and that I would be happy with if I ever had to stop playing lacrosse. I was also a late bloomer from an athletic standpoint. I believe that I am really starting to hit my stride now. I realized back in high school that if I was going to play in college I was probably going to have to walk on. But I was really fine was this so I looked for programs that were open to walk-ons and met with these coaches sent them my online profiles. Playing lacrosse in college was something that I really wanted. I believe that anyone who wants to play any sport in college should really strive for it and put a lot of effort into making colleges see you as an athlete because it can only help your case.

           I have mixed feelings on the difficulty of my experience walking on. On one hand it felt like I was going in there with no pressure. I was there to show them what I could do and if they saw something they could work with then great. But on the other hand, it was very stressful because it was something I wanted so badly and I was basically all on my own. I was given about a three-week try-out and during this time I felt caught in between. It felt like I was kind of on the team but kind of not and I was constantly wondering whether or not I was good enough. My first practice was a huge shock. It was almost surreal. I think anyone’s first college practice is. The level of fitness itself was a huge jump from high school. The girls I am playing with are so amazing. They are true athletes that know what it means to sacrifice a lot to achieve something greater. I have to say I feel very lucky to have these girls as my teammates. They were wonderfully supportive of me from day one. Coach McMahon and the rest of the coaching staff were also tough but fair which was all I could ever ask for. I believe I learned a lot about myself this past year. I really showed myself what I am capable of doing and I have been working my tail off this summer to improve my game and come back ready in the fall.”

Finding Time To Relax

As we head into mid-August and we start to focus on getting back in the groove of school and pre-season, it’s more important than ever to find time to just kick back and relax. There’s no doubt that this is important to do this throughout the year, but there’s nothing like entering a new school year feeling refreshed and excited. One of the two books our Student Life Team was to read this summer was Thrive by Arianna Huffington. In short, it’s about what she defines as the “third metric” of success.  Claiming money and power as the first two metrics, she discusses how the concepts of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving make up this third metric that ultimately fulfills our lives. I certainly had mixed feelings about this book, but I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten a more important message. I’ve taken time to get back into yoga, meditate, give back in a number of different ways, and truly appreciate myself and life in general.

In fact, I feel healthier, which I believe was the point of this book. She described the first two metrics as two legs of a three-legged stool–without the third leg, you’ll eventually fall over. This image stuck with me. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t stand the book for the first 40 pages. I didn’t want someone who had money and power to tell me how much those things don’t matter, especially when there are people out there struggling everyday to make ends meet. As the book continued, she came more humane to me and I focused more on the message. It’s true…no matter the amount of money or power you have, you need other things to feel fulfilled. I feel like I’ve always been a relatively calm person, but also an anxious person. I feel like since starting yoga again and beginning meditation and taking time out of my day to simply relax, take to my wife without cell phones or the TV on, breathe, take my dog for a walk, etc. has improved my overall health and well-being. I feel much more at ease and comfortable when making decisions, while being able to focus better. I read a quote the other night by David Sanbonmatsu that said, “People don’t multitask because they are good at it. They do it because they are more distracted.” Finding time to relax, regardless of what avenue you choose, helps you focus. I’ve found that meditation helps tremendously with this. You sort of train your brain to focus on one thing.

I spent time this past weekend with some good friends in Rhode Island. We relaxed, ate good food, went to the beach, went out to Block Island, and just had some good fun and conversation. I came back yesterday refreshed and ready for the week. I saw my office and basketball courts in the gym in a whole new light! Imagine that…and it wasn’t because there was new lighting.  I was excited to get going and thinking about school and fall sport.  It’s often hard to find this time as we are so often debilitated by time or a lack thereof. Trust me, I was terrible at this. I’m still not very good at it as I always have my phone with me and out (except when driving) and I feel the need to constantly feel connected to information. But for what? It will be there an hour from now. This is something I’m trying to get better at. The small changes I’ve made have helped me appreciate myself and the people in my life in a whole new way. A challenge to myself is directly involved with my phone, computer, and iPad. I’ll let you know how that goes. I challenge you to find this time in your life if you haven’t done so already. I still have quite a long way to go to be as successful as I want to be….don’t we all?

Dog Days of August…How About College?

Welcome back…after a week I think that a weekly update will be more appropriate as a lot has gone on in the world of athletics this past week. First, allow me to update you on the yoga. of course it was extremely beneficial and I felt great afterwards, but the hour and fifteen minutes during was a struggle. I have the Warrior 2 posture down perfectly, but the side plank and the head stand…well that’s another story. As my wife was quick to point out, “you really struggled with the side plank.”  Thanks a lot…thanks…a…lot. Not to mention my struggle with the head stand. In fact, I fell. I was up close to the wall, went up for it, and came tumbling down. Of course I laughed it off, which our fabulous teacher Gillian appreciated very much, but I never had a shot. She will be happy to know, however, that I’ve been working on it and next week I’ll have a chance to show it off. I know, that’s an interesting picture…me working on my head and forearm stands not during a yoga class, but practice makes perfect. Or, in my case, practice makes it manageable to observe and perform. 

As for tonight, we are off to Tanglewood on Parade. I’m looking forward to it, but what I’m looking forward to most is getting home to see Bridget singing “Tanglewood on Parade….Tanglewood on Parade” like she’s in a marching band. It’s quite humorous.

The Babe Ruth Softball World Series wrapped up last night with Madison County, NC beating Lodi, CA, 5-2 in the championship game. I was there most of the week volunteering by keeping the scorebook and Madison was far and away the most complete team. The Berkshire Force played 14 games in 6 days and represented themselves and our community in admirable fashion. It was a tremendous experience to have teams from all over the country gather here to play a game made for kids. The softball was great, but the experience was better. Massachusetts kids hanging out with peers from California, NC kids hanging with Louisiana and Washington kids, NH girls playing ball with Texas and NJ, sharing pins, text messages, twitter handles, cheers, and laughs are what these events are all about. Not to mention the ice cream truck and pulled pork stand that were there. I may have indulged…maybe…not giving that away, but just saying. Anyways, this was an experience these kids and coaches will never forget.

A shout out to all of the volunteers and to the tournament organizers and task force that put this on for the kids. They did an amazing job. A group of people that don’t often receive praise during events like these are the parents. They traveled from all over the country, near and far, to support their kids. Some put up the money to stay in a hotel for a week and purchase a number of meals, while taking time out of work (some disappointed, others maybe not) so their kids could have this experience. Parents are often put on the back burner in terms of credit given in youth sports and travel tournaments. I witnessed nothing but respect and joy from the parents this past week; all so their children could play a game that they love. There were no arguments, no questioning of playing time (that I saw), no complaining, nothing but support and positive motivation towards their kids and their team. My hat’s off to them.

I was shocked that there were no area college coaches in the crowd this past week. What an amazing opportunity to see kids from all over the country play softball. I’m not surprised, however, as it’s rare to see coaches come out and recruit in this area unless that have a vested interest in a particular player that is playing. This brings me to the topic of college recruiting. I’ve seen a number of kids or heard of a number of kids that recently committed to play at various schools of all levels. I’m extremely happy for them and their families as they set out to continue playing games that they love.

The college process can be an exciting, yet strenuous time for a student-athlete. As an Athletic Director, I always try my best to do what I can to help kids in the process.  I’ve learned that there are times when kids are so caught up in wanting to play in college, because they “just want to play in college.” It’s not that easy. College athletics offer an extremely rewarding experience, but you better be ready to put in the work. My wife played three sports in college and worked her tail off to have successful academic and athletic careers, which she did. I was recruited to play football and baseball and I had no idea the time commitment that was involved. I ended up not playing football and only playing baseball for one year. I don’t regret anything in my life, but if I could press rewind, I would’ve worked to put myself in a better state mentally before getting to college. I do wish I had played both sports for four years, but, honestly, I was completely unaware of what the transition would be like. Unfortunately, an injury halted my baseball career after my sophomore year, but I could’ve done more previous to that. I had the work ethic, but I felt like I didn’t need to use it. I felt overwhelmed. It’s because of these experiences that I want to do everything I can to make sure student-athletes that I work with are fully prepared for the next level.

I’ve developed a good report with a number of college coaches through networking and putting myself out there to them all in an effort to not only get to know the coaches a bit, help them become aware of our school and our program, but to also be in a better position to help our kids. We put a large portion of the recruiting process in their hands. With the help of people like me, our college counselors, coaches, administrators, teachers, and of course, their parents, our student-athletes are able to put a list of schools together. If they are looking to play in college they certainly take that into account and are hopefully putting themselves in the position to be seen and noticed by these colleges. What’s our role? Our main role is to be our kids’ biggest supporter, whether it be through helping them with film work, getting into the right tournaments, reaching out to coaches to put in positive words, and a number of other ways, but it’s also to be honest with our kids and make sure they are prepared. Playing in college isn’t just a “status.” If you’re going out to play just to say that you played in college you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons and my guess is that it won’t last very long. You play because you love it. You play because you couldn’t imagine an afternoon without going to practice and you know the benefits that come from participating in athletics. You play for the competition, the wins, the losses, the good games and the bad, because you know how beneficial those are to your big game of life.  

Some kids will receive scholarships to D1 or D2 schools and many will go on to play D3. What advice do we give them? We, as administrators and coaches, obviously need to preach to them the benefits of participating in athletics at the next level. We also need to talk to our student-athletes about the time commitment and the challenge that comes along with it. In my opinion, the most important thing we can talk to our kids about is the process of making a decision. A minute percentage of kids will go on to play professionally. I’m sure you’ve all seen the NCAA commercials about student-athletes going on to be professionals in things other than sports. That’s the big picture–that’s what we need to focus on, because it’s extremely difficult for a 17-18 year old kid to be able to do that. Parents and guardians play a major role in terms of looking at schools, finances, etc., but as the academic and athletic supporters of these young adults, it’s critical that we help them see everything. The COACH is critical in this. You need to go to a place where you feel a strong connection to the coach as coaches are really teachers at heart.  It has to be the right SCHOOL for them–not just the right athletic program or team. If for some reason, a student-athlete ends up not playing for a year, will they be happy still? Are they still in the right school to help them succeed in life?

I’m thankful to my parents and my coaches who helped me get to my right place. I was choosing between Union and another school that was also recruiting me for football and baseball. My parents were pushing Union for a number of reasons, which all made complete sense, but like most 17 year olds, I just pushed the other way having little to no real idea as to what I wanted. When I was in the process of deciding it was the words of my parents and one of my coaches that I’ll never forget. They both talked to me about how Union would set me up for my future. My coach was a bit more straightforward in saying, “if I see a resume from Union, I pick it up right away.” I’m thankful, because I wasn’t nearly as self-aware as I am now. That’s part of growing up. Kids need support. When I stopped playing in college, I was still in the right place for me. I certainly wish I had played, but like I said earlier, I don’t regret anything.

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