Deerfield fall teams and coaches are anxiously awaiting the start of their respective pre-season practices which kick-off their 2016 seasons. Learn more about how each of our fall varsity teams will begin their 2016 campaigns below.
Boys Cross-Country
Wednesday, September 7th marks the first practice of the 2016 season for the boys cross-country team. They will begin their team training on the Deerfield campus in the Pioneer Valley which is a “distance runner’s paradise” according to head coach, Mike Schloat. The 2016 boys cross-country campaign will begin on September 17th when Deerfield hosts the Brush Invitational.
Girls Cross-Country
The first 2016 team practice for the girls cross-country team will be held in the afternoon on Wednesday, September 7th. The girls will take advantage of the lush green fields, hilly ridge trails and rolling country dirt roads for their training. Their season which will kick off at home during the Brush Invitational on September 17th.
Girls Field Hockey
The Girls Field Hockey team will be in the Pioneer Valley for their pre-season, they will begin their practices at nearby Smith College over the Labor Day weekend. On September 10th the team will host a playday and play a scrimmage at Brooks School on September 14th to help the team prepare for their first contest on September 17th at home vs. Berkshire.
Football
New head coach, Brian Barbato and the Deerfield football team will head to the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH for their pre-season camp over the Labor Day long weekend. When the team returns to Deerfield, they will host two scrimmages to continue their preparation for the 2016 season. The first scrimmage will be against neighboring Williston on September 14th and the second scrimmage will be against Salisbury on September 17th. Their interscholastic schedule will kick-off with a home game vs. Suffield on September 24th.
Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team and new head coach, Ramesh Rajballie, already have a week of practices under their belt. The team attended All Out Soccer Camp in Lenox, MA a week ago in order to better prepare for the upcoming season. The varsity team try-outs will begin on Wednesday, September 7th and the boys will scrimmage against Frontier on September 10th and NMH on September 14th to prepare for their first official contest on the road against Salisbury on September 17th.
Girls Soccer
The Deerfield Girls Soccer team will kick-off their 2016 season with team try-outs starting on Wednesday, September 7th. The team try-outs will include a Deerfield hosted playday on Saturday, September 10th with Williston, Northfield Mt. Hermon, and Kimball Union. In addition to pre-season, the girls enjoyed a week in Casco, ME at Team Prep Camp where they received great technical training and physical condition in preparation for the season. The team’s first contest is on the road at Milton on September 17th.
Volleyball
The Girls Volleyball team with new Head Coach, Khaleh Thomas, will begin their 2016 campaign with try-outs starting on Wednesday, September 7th. The team will start their season on the road at the Loomis Chaffee playday on September 14th.
Boys Water Polo
Head Coach Mark Scandling and the boys water polo team will head to Greenwich, CT for their pre-season practices over the Labor Day weekend. The team will begin practicing at Deerfield in the newly renovated Koch Pool on September 7th in preparation for their first interscholastic competitions at the Williston Quad on September 17th.