NEPSAC News ®
NEW ENGLAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL ATHLETIC COUNCIL
FALL 2018
Welcome from NEPSAC President Bob Howe
G
reetings! I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new athletic directors joining NEPSAC Schools this fall. Additionally, welcome back to all the veteran athletic directors! With over 180 full and associate member schools, NEPSAC can provide support and guidance to athletic directors as we all give our best to the programs we oversee. Among our member schools we have a wealth of talent and experience from athletic directors who have been in the field for many years.
My first words of advice to any person just starting out as an athletic director in NEPSAC would be to connect with veteran athletic directors within your league or district. From my own experience, getting involved in District meetings and league affiliations, and now spending time working on the NEPSAC Executive Board, have all been some of the best professional development I could ask for. Relationships you build with other schools help make our jobs as athletic directors so great.
NEPSAC Annual Meeting On Friday, November 16, NEPSAC will hold its annual meeting at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. At this meeting we will present our two service awards (the Martin William Souders Memorial Award and the Distinguished
IN THIS ISSUE Welcome | Treasurer’s Note | NEPSAC Newsbits | NEPSAC Calendar | From the Archives | NEPSAC Website Update | Featured AD: Full Circle | Featured Project: Turf at Last! www.nepsac.org
Service Award), present Liz Conant as this year’s keynote speaker, and provide several breakout sessions throughout the morning on topics important to our profession. Most of all, the meeting is an opportunity to connect with each other and reflect on ways to do our jobs even better while working closely with peers. Please put the date in your calendar today!
About NEPSAC NEPSAC’s primary purpose is to encourage all member schools to conduct the affairs of games, leagues and tournaments according to high standards of sportsmanship and cooperative good will. Because athletics are an integral part of the educational programs of member schools, affording young people innumerable opportunities for personal growth and development, NEPSAC shall be concerned with seeing that enjoyable and healthy interscholastic programs for students are provided. In every way at its disposal, NEPSAC will provide leadership and legislative action for its member schools to insure that the intentions of this organization are
met. The NEPSAC Executive Board will, in every way at its disposal, provide leadership, direction and legislative action for its member schools and related coaches’ associations pursuant to the administration of interscholastic athletics. A further purpose of NEPSAC is to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas and to help with the problems of its member schools. NEPSAC will advise and guide, particularly when asked in a situation where an impasse exists. (NEPSAC Constitution and By-laws, Article II, NEPSAC 2018–2019 Directory, page 7.)
Executive Board NEPSAC’s Executive Board is comprised of members from schools in all four districts of the association. Typically each district is represented by their president and vice president at our meetings. We meet six times throughout the school year and organize the annual meeting for NEPSAC members. Most district leadership posts last for two years. An Executive Board member serves a four-year term while holding vice president and president positions (two years each) in his or her district. In addition to these Board members we are lucky to retain the services of several past NEPSAC presidents, middle school representatives and — through established positions — Communications Specialist Laurie Sachs
continued on page 3
Save the Date!
NEPSAC Annual Meeting Friday, November 16 DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
SCOREBOARD Enterprises We provide Sales, Service, & Installation on the following: - Scoreboards - Video Displays - Sound Systems - Message Displays - Gym Equipment - Goal Posts
- Soccer/Lacrosse goals - Gym Maintenance and Repair - Divider Curtains
START PLANNING NOW FOR THE FUTURE OF FACILITIES DAKTRONICS SPORTS MARKETING: USE SPONSORSHIP REVENUE TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT & GENERATE INCOME FOR YOUR ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.
ATHLETIC SOUND SOLUTIONS
A Scoreboard Enterprises Company
508-339-8113 2 | NEPSAC News | Fall 2018
www.nepsac.org
TREASURER’S REPORT
Paying Your Dues by Jim Smucker, Berwick Academy NEPSAC Treasurer
NEPSAC
®
New England Preparatory School Athletic Council President Bob Howe Deerfield Academy Vice-President George Tahan Belmont Hill School Secretary Leslie Guenther Hebron Academy Treasurer Jim Smucker Berwick Academy Directors of Championships Tiz Mulligan Westover School George Tahan Belmont Hill School Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School Director of Classifications Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School Past Presidents Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School John Mackay St. George’s School Richard Muther St. Paul’s School Middle School Representatives Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School Rob Feingold The Fay School District Representatives DISTRICT I
NEW! Pay Coaches Association Dues Online
Athletic Directors now can pay for all Coaches Association dues online. Visit the NEPSAC website and click the ATHLETIC DIRECTORS tab on top of the home page, click NEPSAC DUES, click PAY DUES ONLINE, then follow the steps.
Coaches Association Treasurers
NEPSAC will transfer dues to to each Coaches Association by October 20th. In order to comply with IRS nonprofit status regulations, all Coaches Association accounts will be moved under NEPSAC’s 501(c)(3) umbrella. While each Coaches Association will still manage its own financial activity, accounts must be set up under the NEPSAC tax ID so that all of the association’s financial activity falls under its non-profit status. The process
WELCOME continued from page 1
Leslie Guenther Hebron Academy Stefan Jensen Hyde School DISTRICT II
Rick Eccleston Holderness School Matt Lawlor Brewster Academy Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School DISTRICT III
Brook Sumner Landmark School Rachel Horn St. George’s School Rob Quinn Berwick Academy Rick Forestiere Thayer Academy DISTRICT IV
Martha Brousseau Greenwich Academy Geoff Barlow Avon Old Farms School Rob Madden Taft School Tauni Butterfield Greens Farms Academy Communications Specialist Laurie Sachs The Rivers School “NEPSAC” and the NEPSAC logo are registered trademarks of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council and may not be used or displayed without permission. New England Preparatory School Athletic Council qualifies as a public charity under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).
www.nepsac.org
(handling the website, directory, annual meeting and more), and Jim Smucker as treasurer. The newsletter you are reading is one of the ways the Executive Board is providing information and bringing our association closer. When you visit our website you will notice changes there too. We would love to hear more from you about stories from your campus. When something happens with your students successes send a story our way and we will post it on our website. The website
of moving accounts under the NEPSAC tax ID will take some time and will be completed in the following order.
• Fall 2018: boys and girls ice hockey • Winter 2018–19: boys and girls soccer • Spring 2019: boys and girls basketball • Fall 2019: TBA Jim Smucker will be in touch with each association treasurer to begin the process.
District Presidents
Remember to please submit your District dues ($200 per school) before November 1st. Make out your check to NEPSAC and send to: NEPSAC 10 Technology Drive Suite 40 #147 Hudson, MA 01749
has grown a lot in recent years and can provide you with some good information. You can even pay all your association dues online and NEPSAC will keep track and send checks to the coaches’ associations. (See Jim Smucker’s article above for more information about this exciting new service.) This is just one of the ways our updated website can be useful to you. I wish your school great success in the coming year both on the playing field and with community life. Good luck and I’ll see you in November if not sooner! Bob Howe, NEPSAC President Deerfield Academy
COMMUNICATIONS NOTE The NEPSAC AD email list is updated throughout the year. Please remember to check for the most recent version before sending an email blast. You will find it in the Athletic Directors section of the NEPSAC website.
NEPSAC News | Fall 2018 | 3
NEPSAC Newsbits NEPSAC Calendar SEPTEMBER 2018 11 | District I meeting Hebron Academy, 10:00 a.m. 17 | Executive Board Bancroft School, 9:15 a.m. 20 | District II meeting Holderness School, 9:00 a.m. 24 | District IV meeting Choate Rosemary Hall, 6:00 p.m.
OCTOBER 2018 2 | District III meeting Middlesex School, 11:00 a.m. 9 | Executive Board Bancroft School, 9:15 a.m. 25 | District II meeting Proctor Academy, 9:00 a.m.
NOVEMBER 2018 13 | District I meeting Hebron Academy, 10:00 a.m. 15 | E xecutive Board Hilton Garden Inn, Worcester, MA, 3:00 p.m 16 | ANNUAL MEETING DCU Center, Worcester, MA 30 | NEPSAC News Winter issue deadline
Athletic Scheduler High Street Solutions https://highstreetsolutions.weebly.com/ Mark B Perkins markbperkins@gmail.com 802.457.7383 Key Features
NEWS FROM NEPSAC.ORG Sponsored by Scoreboard Enterprises Gatorade Honors 15 NEPSAC Standouts as Athletes of the Year by Bob York Whether your favorite flavor is Fruit Punch … Orange … Lemon Lime … or Riptide Rush, it’s time to pour yourself a glass of whatever and toast the 2017-18 Gatorade State High School Players of The Year. Gatorade established this award in 1985 to recognize the nation’s most elite high school student/athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. n Read more >>>
Rivers, Williston Alums Win Prestigious Awards from Yale, Harvard by Bob York Rise and shine! To the thousands of young men and women who annually compete under the auspices of the New England Prep School Athletic Council banner, such advice has nothing to do with the breakfast menu in the dining hall. It serves as a reminder that collegiate opportunities await those who rise the highest and shine the brightest. n Read more >>>
W
e’d like to feature your school in our special news articles sponsored by Scoreboard Enterprises on the NEPSAC website. Do you have news about an alum, a current student-athlete, coach, former coach or athletic director for an article? Please let us know! Email communications@ nepsac.org with the scoop!
Check out the NEPSAC Online store for all of your NEPSAC gear!
Automatically Calculate Logistics No re-typing - Rollover for Seasons Create and Print and Email o Contracts o Master Schedules o Change Notices o Weekly Reminders Integrate Google Calendar Manage Transportation And, much, much, more!
4 | NEPSAC News | Fall 2018
www.nepsac.org
Open to the Public Youth Sports Specialization: What Parents need to know Fay School Monday October 1, 2018 7:00 p.m. 48 Main St, Southborough, MA 01772 Fay School is delighted to welcome sports psychologist Dr. Richard Ginsburg on Monday, October 1 for a special presentation about how to navigate the complex world of youth sports specialization. Dr. Richard D. Ginsburg is the Co-Director of the MGH PACES Institute of Sport Psychology and a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School. Read more on the Fay School website >>>
Coming Soon!
Later this fall, the NEPSAC website will have a new look and increased functionality. Stay tuned for details!
FROM THE ARCHIVES Flashback to 1986! Who is this District IV Athletic Director? Extra points if you can name his high school and college sports!
Do you have a blast from the past to share with other ADs? Send your photos to Laurie at communications@nepsac.org!
Stay in touch with NEPSAC Phone 978-533-1942 Email communications@nepsac.org Mail NEPSAC, 10 Technology Drive, Suite 40 #147, Hudson, MA 01749
SKUNK HOLLOW graphic design with a maine accent
Do you need a handbook, directory or magazine? How about a postcard, invitation or stationery? Or a program brochure, fundraising appeal or search piece? Are you overwhelmed? Do you even know where to start? Let me help. I have over 25 years of experience with school publications and printing production, and I am accustomed to tight deadlines and equally tight budgets. I can help you figure out what you want, pull the pieces together and deliver a final product you will be thrilled to share with parents and alumni.
207-890-8919 SKUNK HOLLOWMAINE.COM SKUNK HOLLOWDESIGN @ GMAIL.COM THRIFT ~ HONESTY ~ PRIDE
www.nepsac.org
NEPSAC News | Fall 2018 | 5
FEATURED ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: ED BANACH, CHESHIRE ACADEMY (D4)
Full Circle
Cheshire Academy AD Ed Banach and his wife return to Yale for CT Open Family Classic final
C
heshire Academy athletic director Ed Banach and his wife, Amy, first met on the Yale tennis courts 26 years ago. They were both representing Waterbury at the inaugural Governor’s Cup, a tournament featuring the top teenage tennis players from around the state. Their singles matches were on adjacent courts. They hit together before their match, posed for a photo as the Waterbury champions and helped conduct a clinic for youth players. Then they went on their separate ways. Now, 26 years later, they returned to the Yale courts to play for another title — this time as husband and wife. The Banachs faced Tiger Zhang and Sarah Song of Farmington on Aug. 23 in the Connecticut Open Family Classic Husband-Wife final. The tournament is sponsored by the Connecticut Open women’s professional tennis tournament and the Banachs’ match took place on the day of the tournament semifinals. “It shows the power of sport,” Ed Banach said. “Tennis has been a big part of my life. I started playing at a young age and you see what doors it opens: teammates you play with, friends you make, people you meet. Twenty-six years ago, did I think I’d be playing next to my future wife? No. But here we are and it’s something special for us.” After playing at Yale as teens, the Banachs’ paths crossed again eight years later. Ed Banach was working at Middlebury Racquet Club. Amy Banach was playing in a league there. They met, hit it off and went on to get married. Ed Banach is Cheshire Academy’s athletic director, head boys’ soccer coach and head girls’ tennis coach. Amy Banach is a teacher at St. Mary Magdalen School in Oakville. They both grew up in Waterbury and have three children together, who were all very excited to watch their parents play on Aug. 23. With busy schedules, tennis tournaments like these have turned into “date night” for the Banachs. There’s no pressure, just fun and a chance to spend some time together. After all these years of playing together — from the U.S. Open qualifier tournament years ago to a Kids vs. Cancer tournament last year — the chemistry on the court is uncanny. Amy Banach constructs points, while her husband enjoys the pressure and closing out matches. She’s a lefty and he’s a righty so they complement one another. “We played so long together we can look at each other and know what the other is going to do,” Ed Banach said. Amy Banach played tennis at Mount Holyoke College. Ed Banach played tennis and soccer at Saint Anselm College. Knocking off players nearly half his age, Ed Banach, 41, is also ranked in the top 20 of the USTA New England Men’s Open Division and has his USPTA pro license. He beat two-time
6 | NEPSAC News | Fall 2018
Partners in life and on the tennis court, Cheshire Academy AD Ed Banach and his wife Amy won the CT Open Family Classic Husband-Wife final in August.
Australian Open winner Johan Kriek in a pro-am doubles match and reached the Round of 16 of a U.S. Open regional wild card qualifier in 2010 and 2012. As athletic director, Ed Banach has been instrumental in the growth of girls’ sports at Cheshire Academy and gaining college exposure for all student-athletes with stronger, more competitive schedules for all teams. Now he looked to end the summer on a high note with some success of his own. The feeling is surreal for Ed Banach and his wife. It’s come full circle 26 years later, when they were crowned champions at the Connecticut Tennis Center’s Stadium Court, along with the other Family Classic winners. “He looks the same,” Amy Banach joked. “We started out playing tennis young. It’s something we’ve always had together. It’s fun for us.” Photo and article courtesy Cheshire Academy
www.nepsac.org
WHAT IS SHAW SPORTS TURF?
#MORETHANAFIELD That’s how we like to think about our company. We believe our products are more than playing surfaces, they are centerpieces and rallying points for schools and communities. Along those same lines, we see our customers as partners. We want to be there throughout the life of a field together—and we will be. Follow us to see more of how our fields are connecting communites.
www.shawsportsturf.com • 1.866.703.4004
www.nepsac.org
NEPSAC News | Fall 2018 | 7
Supplier of
NEPSAC
Championship Trophies for over 10 years • CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS • CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES • AWARD PLAQUES • GLASS & ACRYLIC AWARDS • CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS • RECORD BOARDS • MEDALS & RIBBONS • AND MUCH MORE AWARD-GUYS.COM PHONE: 508-695-8133 EMAIL: CUSTOMERSERVICE@AWARD-GUYS.COM
8 | NEPSAC News | Fall 2018
www.nepsac.org
FEATURED PROJECT: HEBRON ACADEMY (D1)
Turf at Last!
by Leslie Guenther, Athletic Director
T
here was lots of construction activity at Hebron Academy this summer, ranging from the subterranean — replacing a century-old water line servicing the school and town — to the academic, as we broke ground on the new Kaneb Center for Science and Engineering. Nothing is more exciting for us athletic folks though than the installation of a new turf field which will serve our field hockey, football, and lacrosse teams. Construction began in mid-July when the sod was removed from our existing football field. St. Laurent Excavation from St. Laurent Excavation of Lewiston, Maine, began stripping the old sod from Hebron Academy’s football field in mid-July.
Lewiston, Maine, worked efficiently through the summer to prepare the perfect base for our new field, and NET Sports Group in Saco, Maine, has guided us expertly through the entire process. The in-fill process began September 11 and we hosted the Tilton School varsity field hockey team on September 15 for our first game on our new field! Left: St. Laurent Excavation worked through the hottest days of the summer to prepare the base for the new field. Below: the school logo on the finished field.
www.nepsac.org
NEPSAC News | Fall 2018 | 9
“ PLAYSIGHT IS A VEHICLE THAT ALLOWS US TO BE THE BEST THAT WE CAN BE AS STUDENTATHLETES, COACHES AND EDUCATORS.” William Taylor
HEADMASTER TRINITY-PAWLING SCHOOL
THE SMARTCOURT MULTI-ANGLE VIDEO REPLAY & RECORDING FULL HD LIVE STREAMING 4K SMARTTRACKER TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATES WITH SCOREBOARDS, TAGGING PLATFORMS & SENSORS CLOUD-BASED SPORTS VIDEO MANAGEMENT PLATFORM COACHING & PLAYER DEVELOPMENT TOOLS CREATE AND SHARE VIDEO CLIPS
CONTACT US FOR A FREE DEMO TODAY
10 | NEPSAC News | Fall 2018
PLAYSIGHT.COM
INFO@PLAYSIGHT.COM
@PLAYSIGHT
www.nepsac.org
www.nepsac.org
NEPSAC News | Fall 2018 | 11
ASK US ABOUT OUR NEW MAINTENANCE PACKAGE DEALS!
Let R.A.D. Sports maintain and extend the life of your field! MAINTENANCE PACKAGE SERVICES INSPECT INFILL DEPTH | INSPECT SEAMS | INSPECT FIBER INTEGRITY INSPECT HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS | GROOM | REMOVE | SWEEP | REPORT ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES FIELD CREWZER | LITTERKAT | SEAM REPAIR | G-MAX TESTING SNOW PLOWING | DISINFECTING | BASE DEPRESSION REPAIRS INFILL REPLENISHMENT | PAINTING
www.radsports.com 781.871.4400 | info@radsports.com
12 | NEPSAC News | Fall 2018
www.nepsac.org