During Spring Break, the Varsity Lacrosse, Track & Field, Tennis, Baseball, and Sailing teams all traveled for preseason training trips.
Varsity Track & Field
The Track & Field team traveled to Flagstaff, Arizona to train at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level. Axel-Ryan Nzi ’24 said, “Going into it, I expected it to be challenging for us physically, because we’re training at altitude, which is something that I’ve never done before. I think that the vibe from the whole group was that we just wanted to get better and push ourselves to a point we’d never been to before.”
Assistant Coach Sam Somera said, “I think the trip was quite successful. No one sustained any injuries, and we were able to go on a lot of really good runs in some really beautiful places.”
Both agreed that the trip was successful from a training and team bonding standpoint and are looking forward to the season ahead.
“I think my goals for the season are to keep the athletes healthy and make sure that they are getting better every day,” Coach Somera said.
Boys Varsity Lacrosse
The Boys Varsity Lacrosse team went to Florida for the break instead of to Arizona, as they had for the past few years. The decision was made in part to make the travel easier, but also to seek out stronger competition for the team.
Head Coach Andrew D’Ambrosio was happy with how the trip went, saying, “We graduated our entire starting defense last year, so one of the main things we were trying to do was form a sense of identity there, which I think we did. I think the other thing is that we have a lot of new faces this year, so we were just trying to bring people into the fold and making sure that they know what the culture of this team is.”
Liam Burke ’24 thought that the trip was good for team bonding, saying, “This was probably one of my best experiences on a Hotchkiss trip, because the hotel life was really good. Everyone was on the same page about when to rest and when to socialize. One of our days was spent on a Segway tour around Naples, which was one of the highlights of the trip.”
Girls Varsity Lacrosse
The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team took its players to Nevada over the break.
Head Coach Anna Traggio was very happy with how the trip went both from a training and also a culture standpoint, saying, “We were able to get a lot of individual attention, because there was only one other team there. I think culture trumps everything, so we did a lot of silly things to get the girls out of their shells and help them get to know each other.”
Maisie Wright ’24 agreed, saying, “Our goals for the team this year are another record like the one we had last year and defending our title as founders league champs. And of course to have fun and build friendships. ”
Varsity Baseball
Varsity Baseball traveled to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida. Head Coach Matthew Altieri, in his second year with the school, has added numerous new players to an already young team.
Remy Lee ’26 said, “With eight freshmen on the team, the trip to Florida was perhaps the best thing we could have done before the start of the season. Baseball is a team sport, and the hours we spent as a team both on and off the field helped us younger guys understand our team philosophy. With the rigor of classes and extracurricular activities here, we don’t really see our teammates from other grades outside of practice; Florida was a great way to get to know every single member of the team.”
Lee also cited late-night outings to Chipotle and Jimmy Johns as particularly memorable experiences.
Varsity Sailing
At Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, Sailing was just a few hours away.
In 2019, the most recent full year of sailing, Hotchkiss was one of just five schools to compete in all three national championships: fleet, team, and single-handed. Just last year, the Bearcats took home the CT state championship.
Head Coach Richard Davis, said, “The training was very much like what we do on the lake, except the water and weather was warm, and we could stay on the water for six hours a day. One highlight was getting to race with Eckerd Sailing. They were great hosts and have an outstanding venue.”
Pierce Olsen ’25 and Coach Davis both mentioned a team bowling trip as something that helped everyone bond. Olsen added, “The additional hours we were able to get on the water in Florida was a huge head start. We were able to get the rust off there so that as soon as we got back, we were able to perform.”
The time spent at Eckerd seemed to be beneficial, as the team won its first competition of the year on April 1, beating six other teams.
Varsity Tennis
Girls and Boys Varsity Tennis traveled over 1,500 miles to Mérida, Mexico and Witt Academy.
Captain of Girls Varsity Tennis Eliza Muse ’23, said, “The training trip to Mexico was a great experience on and off of the court. Although it got very hot, everyone adjusted well to the new conditions and bonded with the players at Witt Academy. Off the court, we were able to explore various parts of Mérida and were immersed in the Yucatán culture. I know I’ll be very jealous if the trip happens again.”
Girls Varsity is looking to build on last year’s record of 9-2 and defend its Founders League title. Boys Varsity has started the season off strong, winning a pre-season scrimmage against Lawrenceville.
All six teams had successful trips that have them well-prepared heading into their seasons. They hope that the preparation and bonding that the trips generated will help them surpass their goals for the Spring season.
