UNTOLDSTORIESOFDDS
SPOTLIGHTING
& CULTURE
AFAR: SPAIN
AFAR: BELIZE AND PORTUGUAL
BRAD LAATSCH: A COACH, A HUSBAND, A FATHER
BY STEVE MCGILL
In the song “With or Without You,” by Irish rock band U2, lead singer Bono sings in one of the verses, “And you give yourself away / and you give yourself away / and you give, and you give / and you give yourself away.” When listening to this song in a Davidson Day School context, it’s hard not to think of Upper School Chemistry teacher and Science Department Chair Brad Laatsch, who is a hero to many students in the building, and has been in his many roles during his DDS tenure
Very few people give as much of themselves to the DDS community as Mr. Laatsch, who has also been known as Coach Laatsch for many years to the student/athletes who have played for him on the varsity soccer boys teams and girls teams For the 2025-26 school year, Laatsch, the former Head of Upper School, made the decision to reduce his workload by letting go of his roles as head coach of the varsity soccer teams, citing a need for more family time with his wife Shannon and to watch his two
sons, DDS alums Carter (2022) and Parker (2025), play varsity soccer together for Roanoke College With Carter a senior and Parker a freshman, this year marks the last opportunity for Laatsch to see his boys play together before Carter graduates Laatsch definitely goes out on top, having led the boys team and the girls team to five straight
Photo credit: @blaatsch on Instagram
NCISAA state championships, even after the Patriots moved up from 2A to 3A in the 202425 season.
Laatsch’s coaching career began in 1998 at Vance high school, after graduating from Michigan State University But instead of coaching soccer, he was coaching tennis, as the school needed a tennis coach Despite having no tennis background (“I had played in my neighborhood,” Laatsch said), he did the best he could Because he didn’t know enough to discuss strategy, “I was really just a team manager ” After five years at Vance, he moved on to Cannon School in the fall of 2003, where he stayed for four years. At Cannon, he taught
science and continued to coach tennis “I couldn’t get rid of tennis,” he said He started coaching volleyball at Cannon too “They needed a guy, and my sister played high-level volleyball, so I knew enough to do the job ”
Obviously, Laatsch has always had trouble saying no when asked to fill a role, which is what has made him so beloved everywhere he has worked, but also has led to issues with work/life balance In 2007, Laatsch left Cannon for Davidson Day, and has been here ever since When he first came here, he was coaching tennis and volleyball at first, while also serving as Head of Upper School. When Carter was in sixth grade, the AD at the time, Matt Neville, asked Laatsch to coach soccer, since Laatsch had played in high school. “I was like, okay, I’ll do middle school,” Laatsch said “I did that, and when Carter was in 8th grade, the [varsity] head coach left, and both boys and girls programs were dying Matt said, ‘If you don’t take this job, your boys won’t have anything to play for.’ So I took it, and here we are.”
Accepting the job as head soccer coach was a difficult decision for reasons that had nothing to do with the program or any fear that he wasn’t qualified It had more to do with regret that he felt not pursuing a collegiate soccer career
In high school, Laatsch had to work two jobs, so he couldn’t play club soccer, and even had to miss many away games. One coach who saw him play told him that he was good enough to play in college This coach had played at Western Michigan, and contacted the coach to tell him about Laatsch Long story short, Laatsch received an offer to play at Western Michigan “But I didn’t want to go to school there,” Laastch said.
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Photo credit: @blaatsch on Instagram
I was in love with Michigan State and how it looked. I didn’t think, and I have never felt, that I was good enough. So when it came to Michigan State, even though it was a similar program [to Western Michigan’s], I thought I’m not good enough, but I want to go to school here because I love it I had broken my nose twice, so it was easy to walk away from the scholarship offer Looking back, it was the excuse I needed It would be easier to say I’m not good enough, I’m not gonna try out (because I would’ve had to; the coach didn’t know me), rather than say I tried out and didn’t make it ”
So when it came time to coach soccer, the painful memory of walking away from the sport resurfaced. Though he had gotten back into coaching a little bit when Carter and Parker were very young, the focus then was on fundamentals and keeping it fun. “Sometimes I had to take away time from soccer to play tag and things like that ” When asked to take over the varsity program at DDS, Laatsch “had to put my own feelings aside for my children’s sake because I saw already that me coaching them was important to them I kinda knew they were gonna play at the next level, whatever that was, because they were so passionate about it ”
In that regard, Carter and Parker played a huge role in helping their dad to heal from the regret of not playing in college and of doubting his own abilities to do so Largely thanks to them, he was able to continue his relationship with the sport
Coaching his own sons has always been tricky for Laatsch. He made it a point during their days as members of the DDS varsity team to not bring practice home with him, to not bring games home with him. If they initiated the conversation, then he’d engage. When it came to developing their skills, he gave them what they needed, feeding their passion for the sport. Both Carter and Parker are dual-footed, meaning they can kick the ball with equal force with either leg, which is pretty rare Growing up, if they took 100 shots with their right foot, Laatsch made them shoot a 100 with their left They didn’t like it at first, but then they started to understand how much better it made them Now that they’re older, and playing at the DI collegiate level, Laatsch said, “they’re so far beyond what I was ever able to do They’re getting high-level coaching that I couldn’t provide I still love working out with them, but most of the time I’m just feeding balls to them I can’t talk to them about technique But what’s so rewarding as a father is that they’re working on that with each other ”
On the DDS team, Laatsch set the bar high for his two sons. “My expectations for my boys were always higher than I had for anybody else,” he said. “I would tell them, ‘I need you to be a leader. Whether you like it or not, because you’re my son and I’m the head coach, you are going to be looked at as a leader. You gotta be the first to practice, and the last to leave.’”
It’s easy to assume that Laatsch decided to step down from coaching after Parker graduated in May 2025. But the truth is, Laatsch knew two years ago that he wasn’t going to be coaching much longer Back then, he started having conversations about it with Athletic Director Chris Turner and assistant Athletic Director Catherine Glass When Parker’s class and the class ahead of him really began to meld, the expectations soared Parker’s sophomore year, the team was led by stars like Jasper Zulman, Chase Perry, Eric Kniple, Jack McKenna, and Dom Desmond With that much future-DI talent, it was “ring or bust,” Laatsch said, referring to the team’s ability to win a state title “When you have a really talented team,” he added, “it’s all about making sure you put those guys in the best position you can So the stress and the time commitment just skyrocketed. During my free time, I wasn’t thinking about how I can make my chemistry class better, or I need to mow my yard and paint a wall. It was how can I put player x in a position to be successful so we can win?”
That star-studded team ended up losing in the quarter-finals, despite, as Laatsch says, being the best team in 1A, 2A, and 3A. They lost to Gaston Day, who was really good and also had several future collegiate players. The loss devastated Laatsch, as “We were the better team that day, but soccer is a cruel sport They scored an incredible goal with a minute to go, and it was a beautiful goal, and they beat us ”
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Parker’s junior year, fall of 2023, Davidson Day won the state championship. Despite the success, Laatsch was as exhausted as he was elated. “As we entered the playoffs,” he said, “I thought, this is so much work, and other things are beginning to fall apart because of it. Meaning, I’m ignoring things, because you can only keep so many balls in the air At the same time, this was Carter’s freshman year [at Roanoke College], and it breaks my heart because I’m having to watch his games on broadcasts at night, and I want to be there in person When we finally finished and we won, and I took a couple weeks and then I went to Chris and Catherine and I said ‘ you got me for two [more] years I’ve been a pretty good coach; I need to work on being a good father, and a good teacher, and a good husband ’ I think I’ve just been adequate in those areas.”
Coaching the girls team has similarly been a combination of super-rewarding and superexhausting. When he first started as head coach of the girls, the roster was heavy 8th and 9th graders like Ada Brown, Emma Lippiner, Sophia Bagwell, Halle Horton, and Marin Stafford All of these girls participated in other activities – theater and/or other sports Laatsch felt a strong sense of loyalty to these girls, and vowed to stay coaching
through their graduations. “I told myself I will not walk away, I will not retire, until they finish, because they mean that much to me. They were loyal to me, so I was going to be loyal to them.”
If Laatsch is a happier man now, it’s because he has more time “I want to be the best husband, father, and teacher that I can be,” he said “And I want to work on my physical self, my emotional self, and frankly, my faithful self My faith is really important to me So I’m thrilled to be able to do that ”
Also, there’s the need to see his sons play and to spend time with them “I can drive back and forth to Virginia to see my boys,” he said “If my boys wanna have dinner, I want to be able to jump in the car and go have dinner with them.”
When asked what he misses most about coaching, the answer was simple: “I miss the relationships. I miss going out there and sweating with the kids, especially the older ones, earning their trust. One of the biggest things about coaching has never been about soccer; it’s been about teaching these kids to be leaders of men, leaders of women.”
POSTSCRIPT:
Please keep Mr Laatsch and his family in your thoughts and prayers, as he lost his father a few days prior to publication of this article
Photo credit: Laura Woods
THE INSPIRING COMMITMENTS AND INTERESTS OF CADE ARCHER
BY LORELEI ROBERTSON, CLASS OF 2026
Because Cade Archer is a senior lifer at Davidson Day, you may think you know him pretty well, but
although Cade has attended Davidson Day for 13 years, many of his peers remain unaware of the many roles he plays at our school. Cade, who has been an active participant in numerous clubs and activities, is a wellknown leader who runs the Upper School Stock Market Club, serves with Alexis Blanchette as Co-President of the Davidson Day chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), is a member of the Honor Council and SGA, and plays the role of Co-Captain of the Varsity Soccer Team
Cade developed an interest in the stock market at the age of 10, and then, during the COVID pandemic, he had time to pursue this interest fully. Since then, he has watched the stock charts rise and fall every day and has found it really engaging. He talks to his dad daily about the stocks, which gave him the idea of creating “Cade’s Stock Notebook ” In this notebook, Cade makes up his own stock scenarios based on CNBC’s “Squawk Box ” He also plans to establish his own hedge fund, which he hopes to bring to life in the near future What is a hedge fund? A good definition is: “ a limited partnership of investors that uses high-risk methods, such as investing with borrowed money, in hopes of realizing large capital gains.” As a career goal, Cade hopes to work on Wall Street as a hedge fund manager.
As an SGA representative for one year, Cade hopes to put two new microwaves in the study hall room, noting that there is always a long line for the microwave in the commons, wasting precious lunch time When asked if this opportunity had given him any specific skills or different views, he said, “Everyone always thinks that things can be done in an instant, but it takes time.”
Playing competitive soccer has always been a huge part of Cade’s life. He joined the Varsity Boys Soccer Team as a freshman, having previously played on the Middle School team He says, “We had quite the run (freshman year), should have won [states], but were cut short in the semi-finals ” He notes that his best moments with peers have occurred through soccer, explaining that their bond is based on the fact that “We all have the same goals, we are all at different levels, we get to know each other better every day, and grind through challenges.”
Photo Credit: Cade Archer
The Varsity Boys won the state championship in his sophomore and junior years, which is something to be proud of after having two off years. Winning states two years in a row validated the hard work the boys had put into the game. Beyond the championships, soccer has taught Cade a lot about himself, his goals, and his teammates This year, Cade was chosen to be team captain alongside his friend Cole Harder In reference to being a captain, he says,” You have to have some kind of power on the field that others can look up to, but you also can’t get caught up in that power either,” as “the goal is to present yourself as a role model ”
As Co-President of FBLA, Cade is taking on another leadership role He has been involved with the organization since its inception last year. He says, “I took a test for the top 15 qualifiers, and then I placed in the top 10 in the state for it.” The test is a 50-60-minute objective test, and depending on your score, you are able to compete in the State Leadership Conference (SLC). So, how it worked was, “I walked in and there was a council presented,” says Cade. One of the goals for FBLA this year is to implement an initiative called “Teens Teach Tech,” in which teens teach the elderly (perhaps at The Pines in Davidson) how to use their phones and email Cade says, “This is a great way to engage in the community ”
A two-year member of the DDS Honor Council, Cade enjoys the work, saying, “It's good to get students involved.” The council, he says, “ oversees if someone has committed an honor offense ” If there is speculation of an offense, the council meets to determine the student’s guilt and, if so, to suggest what the student’s punishment should be The aim, however, is not to punish, but to listen Cade says, ”The goal of the council is to give everyone a fair chance ”
Cade is well aware that participating in so many activities all at once requires a significant time commitment, but he doesn’t seem too concerned, saying,” I think it will all work out in the end.” He spends most of his limited free time studying. Finding a suitable work-life balance is challenging for someone as busy and active as Cade, but he appears to be managing it well
Photo credit: Laura Woods
Photo credit: Laura Woods
UNEARTHING THE UNKNOWN: DAVIDSON DAY STUDENTS BRING SPANISH HISTORY TO LIFE
BY LILLIAN RUTTER, CLASS OF 2027
Tucked away into a small plateau oneand-a-half miles east of Madrid, Spain, lies the Castle of Zorita de los Canes. In the summer of 2025, two lively and eager groups of Davidson Day School students explored two areas of this castle: Area 7, east of the big room, covering the castle’s cistern, where students uncovered remaining pieces of plaster and continued searching for decorations while pushing to excavate to the floor level; and Area 6, located between the castle entrance and the cistern, where students broke into the new chamber and hallways of the castle.
The first project in Spain, spanning 13 days, consisted of a tight-knit and wellprepared group of students “These students were definitely ready,” Mr Mat Saunders, founder and program director of American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR), stated. “A lot of current juniors were on our first trip, and they were students that I had taught in anthropology class. It was sort of unusual, since most of them had not participated in a project before, and many kids have by the time they are rising juniors They were just so much fun It was a small group, with just about 10 kids, which was great ” First, the students learned the basics of excavation. As junior Parker Gaunt explained, “Dio [the male archaeologist on site] showed us all of the basics, like how to measure how deep we had dug. I didn’t know much about archeology before I
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Photo credit: @goafar on Instagram
actually went to work on site and as an archeologist. You could really tell Dio was a professional by the way he taught us. ”
Working together as a team, the first group in Spain conducted authentic research and even found artifacts that taught them about the castle’s history and inhabitants from hundreds of years ago “Our main goal,” Parker said, “ was to dig as deep as we could ” My group used a Pickaxe and a shovel, which we were pretty good at We ended up finding way more than we expected, mainly because we worked so well together as a team.”
Working together as a team, the first group in Spain conducted authentic research and even found artifacts that taught them about the castle’s history and inhabitants from hundreds of years ago. “Our main goal,” Parker said, “ was to dig as deep as we could ” My group used a Pickaxe and a shovel, which we were pretty good at We ended up finding way more than we expected, mainly because we worked so well together as a team ”
AFAR projects not only uncover the unknown secrets of the past, but they also bring students together and allow high school kids to experience the world’s culture and traditions at a young age “We did so many fun things on the trip,” Parker explained. “We went to multiple Spanish cities, like Pastrana and Toledo, and we had super fun van rides to get there. After we worked, my friends and I played basketball, soccer, and vonesse (a sport we created), and we also went to the river to cliff jump Overall, my favorite activity was paintball ” Besides the success and fun memories with friends, the AFAR project requires hard work, grit, and determination “We faced many challenges while on site,” Parker explained “We thought we had hit the column multiple times, but we had the wrong measurements, so we had to move where we were digging until we found what we wanted.”
The AFAR program consists of more than just a 13-day trip. It is a
Photo credit: @goafar on Instagram
Photo credit: @goafar on Instagram
research project that provides students with skills that they cannot acquire anywhere else. It also creates memories that will last a lifetime. “The biggest impact was the people,” Parker, a dedicated tennis player, said. “At first, I didn’t want to go to Spain because I didn’t want to be away from tennis for two weeks, and I thought we were just going to work for two weeks straight. I was very wrong. I left the trip 100% wanting to go on the Portugal project, and I gained so much respect for people in my digging group, like Sean (Rodesiler), Finn (Hyatt), Tripp (Wansley), and Sam (Watson) I would tell other students who go on AFAR trips in the future to enjoy the whole trip, because you don’t realize how great an opportunity it is until you leave ”
After the first group of students in Spain made their mark in research, the second group of students came to wrap up the project for the year “The second group was bigger than the first, consisting of about 16 students,” Mr Saunders said “It was cool to have a continuation of research in the same summer, and it was a lot of rising sophomores having their first AFAR experience We even had a couple of extra spots available on this trip, so students from South Korea, California, and the Dominican Republic were also able to attend It was neat for our kids to interact with them on-site ”
On this tight-knit second project were siblings Ellis and Olivia Berkman (sophomore, senior) To rise to the level of work that the first group established in Spain, this group worked tirelessly to get the most out of their time excavating “I brushed the site for opening pictures,” Ellis said, “pickaxed, shoveled, and used a trowel to dig and scrape further into the site. I contributed to the group by being a team player and allowing everyone to work together in the most efficient ways possible. Once we were separated into groups, we each had our own area with a teacher to guide us I was in Mr Saunders' group, and Catalina, one of the expert archeologists, was roaming around each site to help ”
Olivia, in Dr Williams' group (an anthropologist herself), learned a lot that expanded her knowledge of history. “I have never been that into history,” Olivia said, “but the feeling of standing where people thousands of years ago lived was truly astounding.” Ellis, having prior knowledge of archeology due to taking an anthropology class his freshman year, still gained knowledge on site that being in a classroom cannot match. “In the classroom, we covered a wide range of topics within anthropology, but archeology was the most interesting. When we arrived on site, we saw how sites were actually set up, like we learned in class. This experience taught me a lot about Spanish history, like their culture, how they lived, and how they kept their land safe.”
After a long day's work at the castle of Zorita de Los Canes, the students loaded up the vans and headed to town to explore “One of my favorite things we did in Spain was floating down the river,” Ellis said “We cliff-jumped and explored hidden areas that the guide showed us This day was all about fun, and we did minimal work It was definitely a highlight of the trip ”
The impact of the AFAR explorations is of far greater value than the artifacts they excavate or the weekend excursions. It is truly an experience that Davidson Day students cannot find anywhere else. “The people on the trip made the biggest impact on me, ” Olivia said. “Meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds was so cool. I would not say I see myself pursuing archeology in the future, but I am so grateful that I got to experience AFAR. I would encourage students to embrace the process. It will be hard work, but it is so rewarding in the end!”
Photo credit: @goafar on Instagram
AFAR: BELIZE AND PORTUGAL
BY CAOMI SILVA, CLASS OF 2028
Many high school students spend their summers at the pool. But some Davidson Day students
spent this past summer excavating ancient Roman sites. GoAFAR, founded and executed by Davidson Day anthropology teacher Matt Saunders, is a program where students join archaeologists on excavations abroad in Portugal, Belize, and Spain For students who took part in this program, the experience was anything but ordinary As junior Ashley Adkins said, in reference to a discovery she made on the trip, “I would have never thought anything about a brick with a footprint, I didn’t even think that was a footprint, I thought it was nothing.”
Discovery & Daily Life
Students woke up early to begin their long day of excavation “We would wake up around 6:30 in the morning,” said junior West Miller, “have breakfast from around 7:30 to 8 After that, you work till about 3 in the afternoon, just digging and finding everything ” But these long hours in the sun were worth it when students uncovered fascinating artifacts During the digs, the students recall finding bricks with footprints, wellpreserved oil lamps, and pottery. A few students shared how much of a privilege it was to experience these findings, despite the exhaustion caused by long hours and waking up early. Junior Ellie Lippiner shares that “This trip allowed us to discover more history of Troia which is an insane privilege for kids our age to have” – a sentiment shared by many who felt the long hours of digging were more than worth it for the experience
Collaboration & Connections
Just as memorable as the discoveries themselves were the friendships and connections students made during these trips – not only among each other, but among students who came from schools all over the world.
Ashley says, “Working with students and archaeologists from different places impacted my experience It’s fun to
Photo Credit: Sophie McMahon
connect and talk with them. Sharing notes and working together allows you to have a shared experience that you both will carry on throughout our lives - something other kids will never be able to say they had ” West shares a more personal connection he made “I met this kid named JJ, he’s from Minneapolis, and we had a blast! We would watch USC together at night ” West added that “I made connections with people from school that I never thought I would really be great friends with ”
Challenges & Growth
Beyond the discoveries and friendships, the trip challenged students in ways that helped them grow both personally and academically. Many recalled learning how to push through fatigue and achy bodies and make the most of every moment abroad Long hours in tough conditions often tested their limits Sometimes,” Ellie said, “the long hours of working and digging in the heat felt like too much to handle I handled it by putting in as much effort as I could that day ”
This trip puts these students in a position to learn how to demonstrate resilience and perseverance in situations that aren’t ideal The students also learned how to use teamwork in rough situations, resulting ultimately in personal growth and a shift in mindset A few students shared advice for dealing with these conditions West says, “Don’t let the work make you think you’ll have a bad time The work actually helps bring people close together.” Ashley Adkins echoes this sentiment: “it’s not necessarily a vacation… You have to come ready to work and put your best foot forward. Enjoy your time there… go with a positive outlook.”
Why AFAR matters
Together, these experiences - from uncovering ancient artifacts to forming lasting friendships and learning resilienceshow just how transformative the AFAR program can be. AFAR offers more than just a chance to dig up history; it gives students a rare opportunity to see the world, learn hands-on, and form memories that will last a lifetime Senior Sophie McMahon shares, “I had the best summer of my life Seeing how different cultures are around the world and the traditions that the archaeologists are so happy to include is incredible ”
Even for students who may not pursue archaeology professionally, the experience leaves a lasting impression. Junior Reese Mitchell, a junior at Davidson Day says, “Although I probably won’t go into anthropology or archaeology, it definitely showed me that I enjoy more handson work ” Programs like AFAR open students’ eyes to new perspectives, teaching lessons that extend beyond the classroom As Ellie puts it, “They allow students to get handson learning that relates to what they learn in school as well as real-world experiences working in other countries ”
For these students, the combination of discovery, collaboration, and personal growth makes AFAR an experience unlike any other - one they will carry with them for years to come.
Photo credit: Sophie McMahon
Photo Credit: Sophie McMahon