A HOLISTIC APPROACH

Meet Members Of The Athletics Team

Nutritionist Devika Bodas, also an Upper School Science Teacher, educates teams on the fundamentals of sports nutrition as well as addresses individual nutrition concerns as they relate to athletic performance.

“Athletes, especially growing athletes, cannot maximize their performance without understanding the basics of fueling their bodies. I frame conversations about nutrition with supportive language so that athletes can develop a positive relationship with food and help them find reli- able and quality information about sports nutrition. These are life skills that they can carry with them on or off the field.”

“Student-athletes each carry their own identity and a myriad of responsibilities into their athletic endeavors. As teachers and coaches, we hope to guide them in developing routines and skills that support their individual needs. I feel so lucky to be a part of a team and a school that cares deeply about the whole athlete and sees wellness as a central component.”

Head Athletic Trainer Patrick Curry and his team work to prevent athletic injuries. If, however, they occur, they pro - vide emergency care and work in partnership with medical professionals to develop treatment plans to aid in the recovery process. They interact with all of our athletes through pre-season conversations on stretching and concussions.

”As athletic trainers, we use an assortment of techniques to keep athletes performing at their highest levels. We help athletes recover after acute injuries and evaluate and diagnose to correct movement patterns for those chronic ones. The Athletic Training Room is also a place that we strive to make comfortable, fun, and welcoming to students. When the academic day ends, we are immediately buzzing with kids preparing for practice and getting treatments. It allows for great conversations between the students, our staff, and each other where strong relationships are built. We are fortunate enough to have athletic trainers at all of our events on campus.

Strength and Conditioning Coach

William Turner is responsible for the physical training for all students as well as the maintenance and scheduling of the weight room facility on the Stanwich Road campus.

“My main focus is teaching and educating our students on the proper and safe

The Athletics Department: Patrick Curry, Tim Helstein, Devika Bodas, Kati Eggert, Will Turner, Julia Allain, Patrick Scanlon environments can experience as humans. It is physically demanding, intellectually challenging, and emotionally draining. There are only a few situations that we can put ourselves in that require more from us as individuals. As a result, organizations that are focused on developing athletes need to address the many different components at play.”

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ways to train within a gym. I create training programs based on the individual’s experience level, age, and sport to prepare them for the demands that they will see in their sport on field, court, or ice to help in-game performance and to reduce the likelihood of injury. The weight room has been a great place to train with teammates and build team chemistry throughout their off-seasons.”

“Our ultimate goals in the weight room are to improve our speed, agility, strength, conditioning, and durability to help our students perform better on the field. By far, the biggest improvement we see from the kids who utilize this space is an increase in their confidence.”

Patrick Scanlon, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach and Upper School History teacher, also has the role of supporting our coaches from Grades 6–12. He creates spaces to share knowledge among coaches as well as bring in outside speakers.

“The role of a coach is a critical one. Students lean on coaches for more than just the sport. Coaches are often role models and teachers for life. In this role, we aim to help coaches grow and develop with the ultimate intention of helping our athletes become better people. We want our athletes to see coaches as learners just like them.”

“Until you know the person and care for their well-being, you cannot be an effec- tive coach. When an athlete knows you care about them and their development, you can help them grow and vice versa.”

Mental Skills Coach Julia Allain, also an Upper School Seminar and Psychology Teacher, works with athletes and teams on the elements of performance that fall under the umbrella of sport psychology. This includes teaching our student-athletes about various skills such as self-talk, confidence, focus, and decision-making, and working with them on strengthening those aspects of their game.

“Athletes spend countless hours honing their physical skills, but at a certain level, what separates the high performers from the rest is their ability to execute when it counts. How you think and more specifically what you think both have drastic implications for how your body performs. Skills such as confidence make all the difference in those high-pressure situations— and I refer to confidence as a skill because it is something that can be learned and built. It is not a static trait. Overall, understanding the impact our mindset has on us and learning how to harness one’s power will not only help athletes improve their performance on the field, it can be applied to any area of life.”

“Sports are one of the most complex environments that we can experience as humans. It is physically demanding, intellectually challenging, and emotionally draining. There are only a few situations that we can put ourselves in that require more from us as individuals. As a result, organizations that are focused on developing athletes need to address the many different components at play. True athletes aren’t just a physically strong or skilled individual. They dedicate time to improving all parts of their game: the decisions they make on the field, the thoughts they have during their performance, and the communication and teamwork required of them.”

Gcds Lacrosse Coach Leads Water Dogs To Pll Championship

Congrats to Andy Copelan, our GCDS Boys Varsity Lacrosse Coach, on winning the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) championship as head coach of the Water Dogs.

Legendary Coach Visits Gcds

Our student-athletes aren’t the only ones growing in their knowledge and skills of the game. Basketball Coach Bob Hurley Sr. was on campus Sept. 29 speaking with our athletics department and coaches and coaching the coaches. At the now closed St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, NJ, Hurley amassed 26 state championships in 39 years as a coach and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.