Lets start with our coaching staff. I am really proud of the quality of our coaching staff. We have a coaching staff of over 40 people about half from our faculty and staff and about half from outside the 8 - 3 pm school day. We have a large group of alums who contribute to our coaching staff, and the vast majority of our coaching staff played their sport collegiately.
Over the past couple of years, we have grown an especially strong women's coaching staff. This fall both our girls volleyball and field hockey coaching staffs were recognized as Coaching Staffs of the year by the Independent School League. Just look at the composition of our high school field hockey staff this year of Alyssa Dudzick, Mullery Doar, Rachel Cahan, Madeline Tank and Julia Price. All played field hockey collegiately. Now think of Kelly Dietz and Jen Pfannerstill both collegiate Volleyball players and Nazlie Green a four year tennis player at Northwestern. Then there is Rebekah Kauffman and Lizzy Giffen who both were collegiate soccer players -- Rebekah had a short professional career -- and you have ten power house women athlete/ coaches who are great athletic role models for our girls and I am sure I missing someone in my holiday haze.
I don't mean to dismiss the men coaches which are also an impressive group. My point being picking one coach out of our group of women and men who led our teams this year is near impossible. And even the Harvard Business Review says that too often singling out individual accomplishment destroys cooperation and generosity. Something our coaching staff has, and I don't want to mess up.
Even more difficult might be picking out one athlete who represents our year. When you look at impressive achievements, to me we start with Blake Oslan '16 being named for the 3rd time in a row Boys Tennis Player of the year by the Independent School League. To my knowledge that has only happened one other time in the last 20 years in the ISL and has never been accomplished by a North Shore tennis player. Blake arguably is the greatest boy tennis player in our schools history. Then you have Katie Glew '17. This fall Katie earned all-state designation for the 2nd time in cross country. Katie is the only Raider girl or boy cross country runner to earn all-state designation in our schools history and she's done it twice. We had four seniors last June graduate as Iron Raiders -- Dillon Forester '16, Brendan Doyle '16, Rachel Gordon '16 and Valerie Kirtley '16. Their contributions over 4 years over a combined 48 seasons of sports and a whole bunch of all -conference designations was huge. We also had nine seniors in the class of 2016 enter the next level as collegiate athletes. Not to be missed in all these great athletes is Independent School Player of the year in Field Hockey Xas Morgan who besides her strong play this fall is even more impressive because she is ... wait for it ... in 9th grade. To my knowledge that has never happened.
So singling one coach out and one athlete out is unfair and many would say un-North Shore. I made that point to the Pioneer Press. But they still wanted names. So here's why I picked the folks I did.
I spoke about the contributions Coach Mark Medhurst made to our program. Coach Medhurst is our Athletic Development Coach. He works every season, every vacation, and the summer to prepare our athletes to perform. He works with our coaches and he works with our athletes. He's not just a sports coach but a life coach for many of us.
As an athlete, I spoke about Grace Kayser '18. Grace is on track to being an Iron Raider -- 12 seasons of North Shore Athletics in High School -- despite having to juggle some injury issues. She works with her field hockey, basketball and soccer coaches and teammates to practice when she can, moslty support them from the sideline this last year, and rehab, rehab rehab so she can take the field again in 2017.
Both Grace and Coach Medhurst share qualities that I think are essential to success. First, they show up and do the work. Grace despite setbacks is in this gym or on the field shows up every day whether it is for practice, a game or rehab. Coach Medhurst is also here as I have mentioned just about every day whether its a school day or not to support our program.
Next, their effort earns respect. Grace has not had too many opportunities to perform in the last 12 - 18 months but she's putting the effort in and so is Coach Medhurst. They have earned the respect of athletes and coaches for this effort they put forth.
Lastly, they abandon their ego. We all like some public recognition -- for some that is a big motivator But when you are months away from having the opportunity to perform as an athlete or you are in mostly a support role as a coach, you are clearly not showing up to satisfy your ego. You often do it to support others or to invest in a journey with an unknown destination.
One of the great lessons of sports in high school, is developing the craft of getting better. To me in 2016 no one in our community has better modeled this as an athlete than Grace Kayser or as a Coach than Mark Medhurst. Its been great to see them working hard every day and supporting others in our program. Their efforts inspire others -- me in particular -- so despite amazing work by so many I singled them out in my overview of the 2016 athletic year for the Pioneer Press.
2016 Year in Review Part 3 -- I hope tomorrow -- on what I am looking forward to in 2017
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