The Class of 2021 was filled with talented students, each of whom will pursue their passions in college, professionally, or during a gap year. Check out these members of the class who will either play competitive athletics next year or study a specific art discipline in college and be sure to follow their careers in the years to come!
Temperatures on campus over the last three days hit 90 degrees with a humidity percentage matching that of a tropical rainforest. The thought of skiing or spending time on snow was about as far from our minds as possible. But that was not the case for the 18 USSA/FIS athletes and four coaches spending ten days training on Mount Hood in Oregon right now.
Led by the six members of the Class of 2021, this year's Varsity Softball team found success on the diamond and laid the foundation for the program's future. The coaching staff worked hard daily to teach fundamental skills, hard work, and what it takes to be a great teammate. Head Coach Erica Wheeler '00 shared her insights on the season below.
Athletic seasons do not just happen, especially during Covid-19. Athletes and coaches do not simply show up and perform on game days, but instead spend countless hours watching film, working on strength in the fitness center, and refining both tactical and technical skills during practice. Teams navigate adversity, quarantines, injuries, and unexpected challenges. They fall short of goals one day and exceed them the next, and it is this built in uncertainty and the lessons therein that remind us the educational value of sport.
A “normal” spring would have Proctor's baseball team traveling to the Dominican Republic for spring training and community service. A trip that has been a part of the program for the past five years, and one everyone looks forward to, this season, again, began without that foundational experience for players and coaches. Fortunately, a warm spring had Carr Field and Proctor’s pristine baseball diamond playable for the Hornets for their spring season starting in early April.
This spring has brought one obstacle after another in the path of the Girls' Varsity Lacrosse team. With a few key players quarantining for over 30 days, just being able to get on the field the past couple of weeks has been a reward in itself. Led by head coach Jill Jones Grotnes and assistants Kate Austin ‘01 and Karl Methven, the team looks forward to finishing the season strong after a convincing 15-5 win over Brewster Academy last weekend.
It was March of 2020 when news of a global pandemic began to impact every corner of the United States, Head Coach Ray Summers and the 2020 team were preparing for the upcoming season in Phoenix, Arizona. In the blink of an eye, the excitement surrounding the forthcoming season quickly vanished as the focus shifted to making sure the team returned home safely to quarantine. Over 400 days later, the Proctor Boys’ Lacrosse team retook the field for the first time together. It has been a long-awaited season, but thankfully, the Hornets have been able to compete and reclaim their spring season.
It wouldn’t be altogether spring if there weren’t at least one small tribute to the sport of baseball, that maddeningly slow game that I find altogether addictive and centering. Everyone has their sport weaknesses. Mine just happens to be baseball in the spring, and late yesterday afternoon when I passed Mark Tremblay’s squad running through situational drills I could feel the draw. I just wanted to linger and watch as he slapped balls to the infield and outfield and ran the team through its paces before their games this weekend. Man on first, ball hit to left: where’s the play?
