Athletics Winter Wrap Up

The winter season means basketball for many of our athletes, and this year was no exception.

Park fielded nine basketball teams for students from Grades 5 through 8 and hosted our 26th annual Hoopfest tournament in late February.  Athletic Director Jen Viana notes that our basketball players developed a lot over the course of the season, thanks in part to “great coaches who loved working with kids and sharing their passion.”  She observes that skill development was particularly evident on our Grade 5 teams, which focused on dribbling, passing, and shooting fundamentals.  

Very impressively, our Girls’ Varsity team put together an undefeated regular season, including a win over Fay, a team that includes 9th graders.  According to Coach Kara Fonseca: “After losing the last game of the season last year, we knew that this was our season!  We knew that we had a special group of basketball players. Not only were they exceptionally skilled, but they worked together as a team so well.  They cheered for each other's successes and they encouraged one another after a mistake.  Being undefeated doesn’t happen very often, and it is a season we won't forget!”

Other teams also reaped the benefit of hard work.  Our Grade 6 Boys’ team strung together several wins after a series of losses and placed second at the Meadowbrook tournament.  Boys’ Varsity Assistant Coach Manny Duarte-Perlovsky reports: “We worked really hard this season, overcoming injuries and illness to come together as a team.  With a strong showing at Hoopfest, I (and all the coaches) were incredibly proud of the hard work, focus, and dedication the team consistently showed.”  Jen also notes that the season-culminating games between varsity teams and faculty, staff, and parents proved to be a highlight for all involved.

Meanwhile, an enthusiastic group of students and coaches kept Park’s ice hockey tradition alive. Several years back, former Head of School Bob Hurlbut, who was a big hockey fan, made a deal with the town of Brookline to use the Larz Anderson rink at lunchtime, when he would bring students to skate.  The program became more formalized as the years went on, using a rink at Dexter for morning practices and the Larz rink for afternoon games.  Nowadays, the group heads to the rink at Roxbury Latin for 6:30 a.m. practices three mornings a week and plays games at Larz on Friday afternoons.  Coach Paul Toussaint notes that this year’s group was so dedicated that they were usually on the ice by 6:15 a.m.!  Paul points out that our program is unique in that we have one team for athletes of varying skill and experience levels–including students learning how to skate–and everyone plays equal time.  He admired this year's team for its great camaraderie through losses but was very pleased that, for the first time in several years, the team recorded a tie (with Shady Hill) and a win (over Rivers).  He also was excited to see lots of first-year players scoring their first goals and three brand-new goalies willing to try out a difficult position.     

Additionally, a group of Grade 5 and 6 students participated in an intramural Running & Strength Training program led by Karl Dreyer.  Before the snow brought them indoors, they logged many hours at Larz, including one afternoon when they tracked over four miles!  Once forced inside, they ran loops through the West Building, learned good form for exercises like lunges and squats, practiced yoga, and enjoyed crab soccer matches with 6- and 8-pound medicine balls.  Karl reflects, “This group proved that winter weather doesn’t build excuses–it builds tougher athletes!”

Be sure to also read about the winter seasons in drama and robotics!

-Elizabeth Prasse, P’27, ’29, Park Perspectives Co-Editor

#TheParkSchoolMA #ParkSchoolExcellence #ItAllStartsatPark #ParkSchoolCommunity