Sports
Big Red’s Biggest Fans E M P L OY E E S S U P P O RT AT H L E T E S O N A N D O F F T H E F I E L D By Mike Catano
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or the small band of employees in Facilities Management who maintain the Academy’s 33 acres of grass and its synthetic stadium turf, as well as the tennis courts, cross-country trail system, outdoor track and indoor athletic facilities, the job begins with the work itself but often leads to meaningful, lasting connections with teams, coaches and individual athletes. Meet two men who—like many of their colleagues—not only invest the time and dedication to ensure PEA’s facilities are superior but also go “the extra mile” to encourage and support the athletes as active members in the Academy’s community. Keith Humphrey
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The Exeter Bulletin
S PRING 2014
MIKE CATANO
Keith Humphrey and co-workers Roger Carbonneau and Ralph LaRose collectively have about 85 years of groundskeeping service at PEA. “We’ve been doing this job a long time,” says Humphrey, who has been at the Academy for 26 years. “I feel the coaches have confidence in us and that we can meet their needs and those of the athletes.” Despite the challenges of maintaining grass fields and other surfaces through stretches of uncooperative New England weather, the things Humphrey loves about his job are many and varied—from helping to create a new soccer or lacrosse field to the precision of painting lines on the fields to assembling new equipment during the off-season. His eyes light up, however, when he talks about a favorite tradition. “I really enjoy the annual E/A fall bonfire,” Humphrey says.“It’s a lot of labor to construct a mountain of wood into a design that falls safely inward. It takes a full “I like to write day to build it with materials we’ve been saving during the year, [but] it’s great motivational messages in to see Principal Hassan and all the students come out and torch it up to enthusiastic cheers and hoots. It’s one of the few times you enjoy your work going the dirt behind home plate up in flames.” for the JV baseball team.” Each athletic season presents hurdles for Humphrey and the grounds crew, particularly springtime. “We try to do whatever we can to be one step ahead,” he says.“When the fields clear of snow, we get right out there and start grooming, drying out the baseball and softball fields, and measuring out and lining the lacrosse fields for the boys and girls.” But he doesn’t stop there.“I like to write motivational messages in the dirt behind home plate for the JV baseball team,” Humphrey explains,“such as,‘You have to depend on yourself. You’re the only one standing in the batter’s box.’Through the years, I’ve watched teams read the message and then huddle behind the plate to get fired up before the game. “On Saturdays, I’ll go from varsity to JV baseball, on to the track meet before heading over to the lacrosse teams.The kids enjoy that someone took the time to watch them play and see what they’ve accomplished.”