Written by Julia Gaylord, Assistant Head of School
Walking through the new Harris Family Athletic Training Center on a fall afternoon last month, I was struck by the renewed rhythms of the space. An area that used to struggle to get daylight and lacked gathering space was filled with light and a hum of activity. I peeked into the Fitness Studio to find the Strength and Conditioning class listening intently to the directions and modeling provided by Coach Avery Queen. Athletes newer to weight training were refining their form using lightweight PVC pipes, while those more experienced with the lifting techniques were loading bars, spotting one another, and making adjustments, all towards the goal of developing the level of fitness that leads to a lifelong pursuit of athletics.
Athletics has been a core component of a Field education since the school’s inception. Transferable skills of collaboration, teamwork, resilience, grit, and confidence bolster each student in the classroom and beyond. In a society that has overvalued sport hyper-specialization at the cost of play, athletic skills, and participation, Field has rejected the notion that we should be developing individual sports stars and has instead embraced the development of multi-sport athletes. This space, and its regular use by our athletes and coaches, has allowed us to do just that: develop the foundational skills that allow students to engage in a variety of sports, lowering their risk of injury, and building their endurance. By introducing our students to this space, they gain the comfort and facility to enter their college gym or join their neighborhood gym and feel a sense of belonging and confidence, thus equipping them for a lifelong engagement with fitness. Coach Avery Queen, who leads our Strength and Conditioning classes, said, “The Fitness Studio is a game changer for our athletics program. In just the first couple of months, it has elevated the way that our student athletes train and recover, and will be a huge support in continuing the growth of each of our teams.”
Walking further down the hall, students are greeted by a new record board highlighting the accomplishments of their season, inspiring them with school records waiting to be broken, and celebrating their classmates who came before them and went on to play their sport at the collegiate level. The space celebrates the varied accomplishments of our teams and our athletes and highlights the positive athletics culture that Field has grown. Jack ’28 knows the power of seeing those school records each time he enters the Harris Family Athletic Training Center. Seeing the 5000-meter Cross Country record of 16:50, set by John Gerdes ’07 in 2006, had become a daily source of inspiration. Jack’s personal record at the end of the regular season was 17:17, inching closer to the school record. Seeing his name up on the board became his goal for the Nike Cross Country Nationals Regional Qualifier and one he met on November 22nd, setting the new school record at 16:49.
A space is just that, a space, if it is not inhabited by programs and people that allow it to be utilized effectively. The new space and equipment have allowed Field to reimagine and expand the Strength and Conditioning offering, focusing on:
In just this school year, we are seeing programs, teams, and athletes line up to utilize the space.
Coach Chris Collie joined the Field Basketball coaching staff this winter as the Head JV Boys Basketball coach. As he got to know the community, he was thrilled to see that teams were given the opportunity to utilize a strength and conditioning space to support their growth and development in the sport. Coach Collie remarked, “The weight room is such a key component in an athlete’s life. It is where the work is done to condition the body to withstand whatever is being asked of it within any sport. With a versatile weight room such as ours, coaches can really focus on specific areas of the body to make sure the athletes are hitting key targets for their training and conditioning.”
Students recognize those benefits too, even when they are utilizing the space independently from a team. Landon ’27 has been a consistent user of the space in and out of sports seasons. He immediately recognized the benefits of using the space for his holistic growth and health: “The new athletics facility has helped to improve my well-being both physically and mentally. Being able to stay active with my peers is both fun and productive, and I feel myself leaving the space refreshed and accomplished. Especially now that I am a junior and am faced with many responsibilities both in and out of school, the athletics facility is a great place for me to do physical activity during school hours so I can continue to stay structured and focused. Sean ’26 has been using the space both as a member of the track team and as a participant in the strength and conditioning class. Working in the space across those two groups, he was also able to see the way the space benefits all aspects of community: “Through my membership in the Strength and Conditioning class this year, I have hit my own PR’s; however, more importantly, I have seen new and young students finding confidence and purpose in this space. Lifting, whether for a sport or self-improvement, is just another avenue by which community is built, and strength is earned through integrity and ambition.”
Next time you are on campus, I invite you to walk by the space and see the remarkable benefits for yourself.
