Athletic Director Bob Howe provides insights and updates about Deerfield Athletics here on Bob’s Blog!
Fall Family Weekend has always been one of my favorite times in the school year. It’s the time of year when the school is starting to develop its rhythm and the student body has merged into a single unit of loyal Deerfield citizens. This past weekend couldn’t have been better! The weather and foliage were spectacular and everyone was eager for that one extra day off to start the week. Monday was a “no practice” day allowing our students athletes and coaches their first two-day weekend since the summer! We’ve been having a great fall season and today was a good time for me to reflect on some of the exciting things that I’ve seen these first six weeks of school.
Football heads into their final stretch of the season preparing for two more games in the final three weeks of fall. Their 5-1 record has the New England prep football community talking, and we all look forward to these next two games—our biggest challenges to date—against perennial powerhouses and rivals Andover and Choate.
Field hockey is another team we’ve had fun watching this fall! After a hard-fought win against Taft on Saturday, their record stands at 8-3 as they prepare for the most challenging part of their schedule in the weeks ahead. This team is well coached, young, and eager to take on the challenges ahead.
On Saturday, boys cross-country beat Exeter for the first time in many years! It was a great day for our harriers in front of their parents and large crowds in and around the football and soccer games. Our depth of talent this year proved to be the difference down the stretch. On the girls side, what was supposed to be a close race turned into a show of strength for this undefeated team. The Deerfield girls finished in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th place, sealing an 18-38 victory over Exeter. Their biggest challenge of the season awaits them on Sunday when they go against Andover.
In the pool our boys water polo began the day with a 9-3 record, having already clinched a position in the post season New England Tournament. Their opponent, Exeter, was ranked number one and hadn’t lost a match all season. Although we ultimately lost the game 10-9, Deerfield served notice that they were going to be a factor in a few weeks when the tournament seedings come out. It was a great match that could have gone either way. This team gets better with each week.
Volleyball and boys and girls soccer all have very young teams, and even though their records aren’t above the .500 mark, each program has had some excellent moments this fall. These programs will continue to build with a solid core of returning players coming back next fall.
This is just a brief recap of how the fall season has been going so far. I encourage you to go to the Athletics homepage for more details. You can find team records, recent scores, game narratives, Athletes of the Week, and a wide range of stories, including some alumni achievements. Our Sports Information Director Carly Barbato would love to hear from anyone who knows a story about a recent graduate doing great things at the collegiate level. Send her your stories!
In the months ahead I hope to write on different athletic themes. I may write about something that is happening on campus, such as a Choate Day experience. In other months I might pick a topic like sports specialization and what that means here at Deerfield today. Whatever the topic, I welcome your feedback.
This year we have scheduled many more games to be livestreamed. I’ve received great feedback about this, and already we see a much higher number of people signing on to the games from a year ago. Coaches can then download recordings and use this resource for their teams. Students also have access to the videos, giving them an opportunity to create their own “recruiting” tapes for college coaches.
With just three weekends left in the regular season this fall, your Deerfield teams are hoping to finish up strong. This weekend we host Andover on Sunday. These games were shifted from the typical schedule due to standardized testing. This, coupled with the distance between our two schools wouldn’t allow enough time to get in a football or soccer game before sunset, so we decided to shift everything to Sunday and to continue the tradition of our full “Andover Day.”
Stay connected to Deerfield sports! Watch a livestream contest or come back to campus. We’d love to see you!
Until next time,
Bob Howe, DA AD
Bhowe@deerfield.edu
413-774-1431