Sports

Golf at Milton in 9 Holes

Posted on Nov 6, 2014

Golf at Milton in 9 Holes

Hole 1 In 1912, Milton Academy decides to establish a golf club. Recognizing this endeavor could create logistical issues, the trustees label it “an experiment.” “The game of golf is not to be introduced here to compete with the major sports of baseball and football, but to give a comparatively large number of boys and others in the Academy, who cannot participate in these games, an opportunity for some healthful athletic diversion.”  — The Milton Orange and Blue, December 1912 Hole 2 The trustees approve $150 in funds to build the nine-hole golf course on campus. However, there...

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Fortitude and Finesse: Girls’ Hockey Demands Both

Posted on Mar 24, 2014

Fortitude and Finesse: Girls’ Hockey Demands Both

Ponytails flying behind them, these young women will skate circles around you. Girls’ ice hockey players don’t hesitate to tell you that being a hockey player takes toughness and commitment. “It’s a challenging sport, both mentally and physically,” says Katherine Flaherty ’15 who has played competitively since she was 5. “It’s a huge commitment. You play through the 5 a.m. practices when you are 10 years old. You make yourself shoot 500 pucks a day to get to this level because it’s so competitive.” Kaitlin Gately ’14, team captain, is also nonplussed by the demands of...

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The Outdoor Program

Posted on Oct 15, 2013

The Outdoor Program

Some inspired students spend Wednesday afternoons rappelling down the sides of the Quincy quarries, paddling kayaks in the Neponset River, or hiking on local trails. On weekends, any and all students can choose to sea kayak, whitewater raft, backcountry ski, snowshoe, and ice climb on instructor-guided day and overnight trips. They travel to the coasts, rivers and mountains of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. All skill levels are welcome—from novices to experts. “Some students may be intimidated by an activity like whitewater kayaking,” says Spencer Gray ’13. “But even if...

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Team Captains: What’s in their playbook?

Posted on Mar 20, 2013

Team Captains: What’s in their playbook?

In the pool, around the track, across the courts, and on slopes and fields, student athletes strive to perform at their best. While their coaches constantly guide and teach, team captains significantly affect the experiences in an athlete’s season. Elected by peers to lead, team captains are typically seniors who bring their experience from previous seasons. Most teams have two or three captains, and occasionally a well-respected player from Class II or III gets the nod of teammates. Each team has unique needs, but the roles that team captains play are similar, regardless of the...

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Why respect your opponent? Teaching sportsmanship must be explicit, coaches find.

Posted on Oct 26, 2012

Why respect your opponent?   Teaching sportsmanship must be explicit, coaches find.

Sports idols perform touchdown dances, update Twitter feeds constantly, and are often caught behaving badly off the field. Young athletes connected with social media are engulfed by an athletics culture where civility, respect and general sportsmanship are hard to find. Neither athletes nor coaches can ignore the prevailing tides. In this environment, how do coaches impress student-athletes with the value of fair conduct; respect for oppo nents, teammates and offi cials; winning and losing graciously? How do you make sure athletes practice the skills that are bound to help them succeed in...

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An Individual Sport Where Team Culture Is the Winner

Posted on Mar 23, 2012

An Individual Sport Where Team Culture Is the Winner

In New England, swimming is a winter-season sport. Swimmers come in from the cold, peel off the layers, pull on their suits (still wet from the day before, in some cases), slip into their lanes and push their bodies to exhausting limits. Their motivation comes from their love of the sport, and at Milton it also comes from a supportive and fun team culture that the coaches work hard to foster. Twenty-four years ago, with David Foster (English faculty and, earlier, college counselor), Coach Bob Tyler brought the coed Milton swim team from club status to an interscholastic, competitive team....

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