It was just a normal Thursday afternoon to Nathan Jewett, a long day of school followed by a typical soccer practice … or so he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Upper School Director Noah Rachlin walking across the fields, cleats in hand.
“We’re just warming up and he walks across all the fields and starts putting on his cleats, and everyone was like ‘what?’” said Jewett, “But honestly, it was so cool to see him out [on the field] with us.”
Rachlin was spotted at boys soccer and girls field hockey practices last week and has expressed interest in attending all other Upper School fall athletics’ practices in the coming weeks as a means of establishing connections with students outside of the usual school day.
The team spared no effort to ensure Rachlin received the best training boys soccer had to offer.
Jewett provided some insight into how Rachlin performed: “He was keeping up really well. We did not go easy on him, and, still, he was competing in all the drills. His passing and shooting is good. I think with a little work on his positioning he could be a starter.”
Other athletes are looking forward to the arrival of Rachlin and his participation on their team for the day.
Nathaniel Rodwell-Simon, cross country member, said, “Teachers have practiced with the [cross country] team before, and it’s always fun to have them come on runs because the environment is so different from what we might experience in the classroom.”
Rachlin has expressed much excitement for his participation in practices, and said he sees it as a way for students to have fun and take a break from the intense school environment: “There’s a time and a place for rigor in our program, but I also hope the Upper School is a place where we can have fun. This felt like an opportunity to model that for folks and help create such an atmosphere.”
Additionally, Rachlin said this is a way to connect with students outside of academics: “This feels like a way to break down that barrier a little bit — to allow students to see a different side of me and to allow me to interact directly with a broader range of students in the Upper School.”
Rachlin commented that he hopes to continue these visits to sports practices throughout each season, but wants to emphasize the importance of making sure it works for each team: “I don’t want my participation to take away from what coaches are trying to accomplish with their teams, but I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to coordinate with the winter and spring coaches in a way that works for everyone.”
