![Spring Sports Preview 2024]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1708982613/kentschooledu/azeaqf1kvcgtpk2eyqkr/GirlsRowing2023.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1708982613/kentschooledu/azeaqf1kvcgtpk2eyqkr/GirlsRowing2023.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1708982613/kentschooledu/azeaqf1kvcgtpk2eyqkr/GirlsRowing2023.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1708982613/kentschooledu/azeaqf1kvcgtpk2eyqkr/GirlsRowing2023.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1708982613/kentschooledu/azeaqf1kvcgtpk2eyqkr/GirlsRowing2023.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1708982613/kentschooledu/azeaqf1kvcgtpk2eyqkr/GirlsRowing2023.jpg","width":2200}])
Meet the head coaches of our spring varsity teams and read about their thoughts for the upcoming season. Click on their name to send them an email, or the sport to see more information about the program.
As the new boys baseball coach, my goal for this season is for our team to compete hard in each and every game, I want the student-athletes on my team to encourage their teammates, and bring excitement and enthusiasm to every practice and game.
Our preseason trip to Orlando will be a great opportunity for the team to bond, and for myself to get to know the players and for the players to get to know me. This will go a long way in laying the foundation for the rest of the season.
Our program has had a proud and rich tradition over the past several decades. Kent Baseball competes in the Founders League, which is traditionally known as one of the strongest leagues in the New England Area.
I am very excited for the upcoming golf season. Bull's Bridge continues to be our home course, and we have a great blend of home and away competitions scheduled, including major competitions — one of which we host at Bull's Bridge.
Our roster is packed with capable competitors, and we should have significant depth. Time will tell how competitive we will be at the top end, but we remain optimistic that our returners and a handful of new additions can continue our tradition of strong performance. Sixth formers Hank and Sam will be great leaders, and we have some new coaches joining us to help make the program top-notch. The simulator has seen a lot of use over the fall and winter, and a small group heads to Myrtle Beach for a student-planned spring break golf trip.
Interim Head Lacrosse Coach Wayne Clarke brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program. As a player in both high school and college, he competed as a close defenseman and long-stick midfielder. Serving as a boarding school educator for over two decades Coach Clarke has led as both a Head Lacrosse and Football coach.
"The reason I continue to coach is not because of the scoreboard, but because of the effect we can have on directing a young person’s life. Athletics at any level challenges young people and it’s through the discomfort that individuals grow and develop into quality people. I am excited to help young men grow and develop as lacrosse players this spring but I’m more excited to help shape who they are through our shared experience.”
We are looking forward to a great season this spring in Girls Varsity Lacrosse. We have nine returning seniors who will be leading our team with Morgan C. and Beale D. as this year's co-captains. With a competitive 14-game schedule in the Founder's League, we have a tough road ahead of us this spring but we are prepared for the challenge. We have 17 returning players with years of experience and will be looking to fill seven other spots in all positions.
We are extremely excited for our March preseason training trip that will take us to Phoenix, Arizona for six days. The team will practice several times a day, play two or three scrimmages, and enjoy the area with a possible horseback riding and/ or hiking excursion. The team has great potential for a successful season and we are looking forward to working with every player as we put together a memorable season for our seniors.
The Kent School Equestrian Team (KSET) offers a unique opportunity for students to follow their equestrian pursuits in the hunter, jumper, and equitation ring all three terms. In the Spring, we’re looking forward to attending Old Salem Farm’s Welcome Weekend Horse Show and hosting our second annual KSET Spring Invitational Horse Show.
Lyman T. Whitehead is the head trainer of the Equestrian Program. Whitehead is currently a USEF “R” judge, who has been an active competitor as a rider and trainer for over 38 years. He has trained both horses and clients for the AA Circuit, from the Winter Equestrian Festival to all the major shows in the Northeast. He has produced top hunters including Strapless, Dutch Chocolate, White Gold, and Cheer for the Team. He is a five-time leading hunter rider of the Hampton Classic, leading hunter rider of the National Horse Show, and three-time leading rider of the Old Salem Farm Horse Show.
"I am both honored and excited to be the head trainer of the Kent Equestrian Team. I bring my 39-plus years of riding and training to bear, and look forward to working with each rider to help them achieve both their short and long-term goals in riding, as well as strengthening their horsemanship skills in a natural, and even-tempered way.”
Lyman T. Whitehead, Equestrian (Head Trainer)
Kara Ferreira, Equestrian (Program Coordinator)
The 2024 Boys Rowing season starts on March 14 with our annual spring training trip to Clemson, South Carolina. We will take 33 athletes for nine days of double sessions. After a long winter of indoor training, the team is excited to get on the water again. The warmer weather and miles of water allow us to focus on technique and training and forming strong team bonds. At the end of the camp, the top eight will then travel to Oakridge, Tennessee, to participate in a two-day regatta vs. programs from around the country.
Once we return from spring training, we jump into a very competitive spring racing season. Our first race takes us to Mercer, NJ, to race Lawrenceville. We then follow up with a road trip to Andover, Mass, to race Phillips Andover. After Andover, we travel to Worcester, Mass, to participate in the Exter Invite. This race allows us to get on the body of water where our New England Championships take place and gives us a look at multiple NEIRA programs. From there, we take our annual pilgrimage to St. Andrews in Middletown, Delaware, where we frequently see schools from as far as Florida and Texas! After traveling for the first half of the season, we get to stay home for a few weeks, where we host the Kent Invite at Lake Waramaug and finish the regular season with a home race vs BC High School the weekend before the New England Championships!
We have a strong core of rowers who have worked hard all year to get stronger and technically sound before spring racing begins. Many rowers participated in the fall rowing program in small boats and showed some early speed at several head races. The coaching staff is excited to work with this dedicated and motivated group of athletes and can’t wait to start!
The Girls Rowing program at Kent places an emphasis on the individual commitment required for building highly functional teams. While this expectation may sound heavy, in reality, any girl who rows for Kent enriches her high school years with time on the river and the joy that comes from holistic physical training.
Since the Sill Boathouse and Partridge Rowing Center are located just a few minutes walk from central campus, girls gain easy access to a protected stretch of the Housatonic River and the natural outdoor beauty of northwestern Connecticut. The training program is highly individualized, ensuring girls progress according to their technical skill and personal physiology. As a result, rowing athletes enjoy a tremendous sense of satisfaction as they see and measure their progress during a single season and across a year in the program.
We hope that every girl who rows for Kent will expand her self-belief and find lifelong joy in sustained fitness. We believe the work ethic required for moving boats is transferable to any short or long-term goal, and we hope this trait allows young women to methodically step toward realizing their dreams.
Christine Wilson, Girls Rowing
We have an amazing season planned for our softball team. We will kick it off by traveling to Orlando, Florida over break where we will practice and play games at Disney's Wide World of Sports. When we return, we will hit the ground running by hosting a doubleheader on vs. Cushing Academy. Our schedule is packed with high-level opponents and we expect to continue to build on our recent postseason success.
We have a talented group of student-athletes who will compete for a Western New England title. We return a strong veteran group from our Western New England Semi-Finalist group and have added some very talented newcomers to deepen our roster. Our team culture is off the charts, and we will continue to build this already amazing program and I'm confident they will soar to even greater heights. We will enjoy a great atmosphere and make many memories while using the great sport of softball to learn valuable life lessons that may be applied to everyday life, while competing at the highest level!
The school has committed to upgrading much of our equipment and added a full infield tarp and wind fence on our field to help with the early season weather, for which we are most grateful. Our softball presence at admissions has been extremely high, and I am looking forward to decision day to bring on the next generation of Lions to our program!
With all eight players returning this year, including five sixth formers, and the potential addition of some young talent, the 2024 edition of the Boys Varsity Tennis team should be one of our best in years. The team will be anchored by senior co-captains Andy C. and Thomas P., both of whom provided strong leadership last year. The boys have been practicing on their own through the winter and will continue to practice over March break in preparation for their first match of the season against perennial powerhouse Loomis-Chaffee.
Sportsmanship and mental toughness are the hallmarks of the student-athletes who take part in the tennis program at Kent School. Win or lose, they never give up and they always conduct themselves with class on and off the court. We want our players to work hard in practice, to be receptive to coaching, to give their best effort in matches, to be fully supportive of their teammates, and to keep their composure on and off the court.
We are very excited about the upcoming Girls Varsity Tennis season. The team stands to benefit this season from the experience of a great group of returning veteran players, and we are also intrigued about the number of new players trying out for the team.
Coach Ober intends to focus on helping the team develop a strong sense of team unity and support system. In addition, Coach Ober wants to improve the quality of his teams doubles play this season. The goal will be to make the Kent Girls the most aggressive doubles players in the league.
Coach Ober is also excited about the addition of two new assistant coaches, Miss Thurlby and Miss Pena, both of whom come from tennis backgrounds.