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.

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.