Alumni athletes are volunteer coaches
Athletic coaches at Milton motivate, mentor and challenge their student athletes. They are also masters at multitasking—dealing with schedules, injuries, equipment and travel logistics. Some teams are getting additional help from alumni athletes who return to campus as volunteers. They assist team coaches in a variety of sports. Word of mouth, chance encounters and individual initiatives have increased the alumni presence in coaching over the past few years.
“They are a nice addition to our athletic program, a bonus. The alumni who do this are really committed,” says Marijke Alsbach, who as athletic director welcomed many of these alumni to the program. Because of the late-afternoon time commitments, alumni volunteer coaches tend to be college students or young college graduates with flexible schedules.
Andy Mittelman ’04 helped coach skiing during the 2010–2011 season. A varsity skier at Milton, Andy was on the ski patrol at Middlebury College. Having moved back to the Boston area, he contacted Marijke to see if the team needed any help. After meeting with the assistant and head coaches, Andy was onboard.
“I had a great ski team experience as a student. Returning and contributing to a program from which I gained so much was fun,” said Andy. “I enjoyed getting to know the next generation of Milton skiers, to help them in practice, watch them improve over the season and succeed in races. When someone has a great run, you share in his or her success. When someone falls, you feel part of the struggle also.”
Andy said that the only difficult aspect of coaching is finding the time. “It’s not quite a full-time job, but it’s definitely more than part-time. To be effective as a coach, you have to be there pretty much every day, for dry-land practices, for on-snow practices and for races. You need to put in at least as much time as your athletes. There’s also a learning curve as far as understanding the dynamics of the team.” Andy was able to make it work because he was studying for the MCAT exams and working flexible hours in a local emergency department. He hopes to continue coaching in this upcoming season.
Tom Pilla ’02 had just moved back to Massachusetts from Colorado and was out for a run when he bumped into Mike Mason, a Milton police officer and the defensive coach for the football team. Mike suggested the former football and lacrosse player come back and help out with the football team as an assistant coach.
“It was such a blast to get back out on that football field and work with the students,” says Tom. “I was able to draw on my experience as a player, what I liked and didn’t like, and use that to benefit the new team members. It was also fun just to get dirty again.” Toward the end of the football season, Tom heard the JV hockey team was looking for help, so he signed on, even though hockey was not his sport.
“With both experiences, I enjoyed realizing the level of effort that goes into coaching,” said Tom. “When you’re in school, you think everyone is on the same page and that the instructions just rain down from the heavens. These coaches are working extremely hard. It’s not just rote or by the book. Every year brings new challenges, with new players and different personalities.”
For Josh Cohen ’00, returning to Milton meant returning to the ultimate disc team he founded in his Class I year. The student-run team is part of the New England Prep School Ultimate League. While Josh played at Yale University, his sister Molly followed in his footsteps at Milton and became captain of the ultimate team in 2005. She asked him to come back and coach the team full-time.
“I really enjoy coaching and sharing the game with new Frisbee players,” says Josh. “I’m so impressed by the people on the team. These students are dedicated. They show up because they want to, and they are devoted.”
When Josh’s former teammate and team co-founder Henry Ladd ’00 moved back to the Boston area in 2007, he also helped coach the team. Henry is a project manager for a general contracting company, but flexibility in his schedule allows him to be at Milton some afternoons.
“Introducing the sport to the next generation feels great. I enjoy the teaching aspect of coaching, and I love interacting with the students,” says Henry.
Josh agrees that interacting with the students is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching.
“These are interesting and fun people, which is how I felt about my classmates when I was at Milton,” said Josh. “It’s great to see the same culture is still alive here: smart, eclectic student-athletes with all sorts of interests, hobbies and academic pursuits.”
Lamar Reddicks, who became Milton’s athletic director in July, hopes the tradition of alumni participation will continue. Milton’s softball, volleyball and boys’ squash teams have also benefited from alumni volunteer coaches in the past few years.
“These graduates provide our athletes with a unique perspective, based on when they were here as students. Their helping closes a circle, and it shows that the School was important to them. It shows they feel strongly about their experience here.”
Liz Matson
Alumni interested in exploring volunteer coaching opportunities should contact Coach Reddicks at lamar_reddicks@milton.edu.