Last evening I watched the late innings of a baseball game against St. Paul’s School. It was a tight one, the score see-sawing back and forth. We’re up, they’re up, then we’re catching up.  The sun cut shadow from trees to the west, the outfield was a deep green, the chatter of the benches (and some rowdy fans from Carr House) peppered the evening. I could lean against the white fence near the right field foul pole, my favorite spot on a perfect evening. I could lean against that fence on evenings like that - baseball, no bugs, no wind, warm enough for just a light fleece - for hours.

Proctor's baseball program seeks to teach athletes the fundamentals of the game regardless of their level of play when they first put on a Hornet jersey. Every player has the opportunity to develop their skills and move to competing at the varsity level by the end of their Proctor career. For the past thirteen years, head varsity coach Mark Tremblay has worked to overcome the obstacles of spring weather in New Hampshire through focusing on fundamental skills and developing a deep appreciation for the game of baseball. 

Known as the school on skis throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Proctor’s commitment to snow sports has never been more prominent than it is today. Across all on-snow programs, the quality of coaching, access to a privately owned and operated training/race venue, and flexibility of support within Proctor’s academic curriculum has opened doors to experiences past generations of Proctor students could only dream of having at their fingertips. 

Proctor’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team has long competed at a high level, alumni competing on NCAA Division 1 and 3 teams across the country. Each and every year the team looks to improve each player on the roster and prepare them for the tough competition that is to come.  Having graduated some valuable senior team leaders last year, this year’s squad is excited to introduce some new young players to the team. With a competitive schedule ahead of them, these girls work hard every day in preparation for the challenges that come their way. With a group of girls of mixed ages and grades, the team moves into the start of their 2019 season ready to go to battle.

Proctor Boys Lacrosse has multiple athletes who will soon be off to play at a collegiate level, but for now, their focus is to come together as a team and leave their mark on the competitive Lakes Region League. Last year, Proctor Boys Lacrosse said goodbye to not only eleven seniors, but their head coach as well. This year, with a brand new coach and some new additions to the team, they are committed to working tirelessly to pursue their full potential as a team.

As most of students enjoy Spring Break, more than 100 students and coaches are taking advantage of this break in academic schedule for training trips and competition. USSA/FIS skiers will continue to train and compete through the end of the month, while our freeride skiers and snowboarders are currently training in Big Sky Montana, and our a group of Nordic skiers have departed Andover and are currently in Norway preparing for and racing in the largest Nordic ski race in the world: The Birkebeiner! Four of our spring sports teams have headed to warmer weather for a preseason training trip as well. Check out a preview of each of the trips below!

We all deserve to experience what it is like to be a part of a great team at some point in our lives. Great teams know themselves. They understand who they are. They know their strengths, their weaknesses. Each member understands individual roles within the group, and the coach knows how to optimize the performance of the group. It really is magical to watch a team firing on all cylinders. We had a chance to watch a few of those teams this winter including the girls’ varsity basketball team as they made a run to the NEPSAC Championship game over the weekend.

While the winter athletic season is not officially over (hockey and basketball teams continue their quests for a NEPSAC title and USSA/FIS skiers continue to race until late March), we recognize the collective work of coaches, students, and the athletic department as we transition out of the winter season. Hosting and traveling to over 300 different games/races/competitions, running daily practices, coordinating buses for fifteen different teams, and sharing scores and highlights from various programs requires considerable effort by Proctor's athletic department, not to mention our coaches and athletes.