The Buzz

Last games, last projects, last rehearsals, and last snow…. the year winds down. Watching the ski area to see when the last snow will fade from the middle trail is like watching the final pinches of sand running through an hourglass. Cupped by a dip in the middle trail this white patch has been diminishing slowly in May, and Tuesday it finally disappeared. One last time I visited winter, touching its cold while across the valley the flanks of Ragged flashed summer green. The season turns over, the overlap of beginnings and endings similar to a school transitioning from one year to the next.

Since its earliest days, Proctor’s passion for skiing and snowsports has pulsed through its veins. Known as the “School on Skis” throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Proctor’s commitment to snowsports has continued to grow through significant investments in both infrastructure and program over the past decade. The award winning Proctor Ski Area, an on-campus, FIS certified alpine and Nordic race venue with full-snowmaking, serves as home base for more than 150 snowsport athletes each winter, including Proctor’s elite USSA alpine program. Proctor is now proud to announce it has been awarded Podium Certification at the Bronze level by U.S. Ski and Snowboard!

This spring’s weather has created significant challenges for Proctor’s tennis and golf teams. The rain (and even snow) haven’t stopped boys’ varsity tennis, girls’ varsity tennis, and varsity golf squads from competing, and winning, against the Lakes Region’s finest.  Both boys’ varsity tennis and golf boast undefeated records, while girls’ varsity tennis holds a 5-2 record, as teams head into their respective Lakes Region Tournaments Wednesday afternoon. We were able to catch up with team captains and seniors to reflect on their success this spring.

Coming off an impressive run to the an extra-inning defeat in the Lakes Region Championship last season, the Proctor Academy varsity softball team is back and ready to contend for another run deep into May. With a young roster and a new coach coming back to coach her alma mater, the Hornets have feared in the Lakes Region League due to their outstanding pitching, solid hitting, and great chemistry. After another dominating 15-0 win over Kimball Union Academy on Wednesday, the team sits at 7-1 and poised for a Lakes Region title run. 

The loud mechanical whirring of the splitter starting up is a nuisance to some but music to others, it is the tell-tale symphony of spring. The clunk of the log being put on the splitter, the hydraulics powering up, the first crack of wood against the wedge and then comes the complete split and the sputtering of the cylinder. Finally, the dropping of the log in the metal truck bed, which adds a hint of percussion to the melody.

It takes a special coaching staff and team to thrive during baseball season in New Hampshire. April rain (and too often snow) combined with the the impending swarms of blackflies test the heartiness of Proctor’s baseball faithful. For head coach Mark Tremblay, his eleventh season at the helm of Proctor’s baseball program is turning out to be one of his most rewarding to date as his six seniors lead the way through a challenging Lakes Region schedule in pursuit of the program’s first Lakes Region Championship.

With Spring Family Weekend upon us, we have already reached the midpoint in the spring athletic season. For the boys’ varsity lacrosse team, the first four weeks of the season have been jam-packed with games, including challenging out-of-league matchups with some of New England’s strongest squads. For coaches Tucker Prudden and Phil Goodnow, as well as captains Chandler Devaney ‘17, Dillon Fitzpatrick ‘17, and Sam Fulton ‘17, the team’s hard work has laid a foundation for future success during the second half of the season.  

As coaches of high school athletes, we know well each season brings with it a new set of challenges - new roles, replacing graduating seniors, injuries, snow, rain, more snow. Navigating the unknowns keeps our job exciting. For girls’ varsity lacrosse coaches Jill Jones Grotnes, Kate Austin ‘01, and Caroline Murphy, this spring has done exactly that. As the team prepares for two games this weekend, the leadership of captains Makena Gorman ‘17 and Emily Saef ‘17 will prove critical to guiding one of the youngest girls’ varsity lacrosse teams in the league to a successful campaign.