NEPSAC News ®
NEW ENGLAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL ATHLETIC COUNCIL
WINTER 2018–2019
NEPSAC Awards Peter Gammons, Groton ’63 and Jim McNally, Rivers 1996-2016
Y
by Bob York
ou normally don’t find Peter Gammons’ name buried somewhere in the first sentence of a story … you usually find it up in the byline. That’s because the three-time National Sportswriter of the Year and recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s highest accolade, is rarely the subject of an article — he’s usually the author of it.
Gammons, who began his career nearly a half-century ago by covering the Red Sox for the Boston Globe as well as penning stories for other notable publications such as Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and ESPN The Magazine, made headlines at the New England Prep School Athletic Council’s Annual Meeting on Nov. 16 at Worcester’s DCU Center when the council presented him with its 2018 Martin William Souders Memorial Award. The award was established in 1967 in memory of Souders, who was director of physical education at Milton Academy (1919–1929) and at Phillips Exeter Academy (1930–1962), as well as NEPSAC’s first president. It bears his name in recognition of his leadership, vision, dedication and the constant and
valuable contributions he made to the cause and stature of physical education and athletics among New England independent schools. The award is annually presented to a NEPSAC graduate, who made a distinguished record in life through his/her high ideals, leadership and accomplishments. The council also presented its 2018 Distinguished Service Award to Jim McNally, long-time athletic director at The Rivers School and past president of NEPSAC. This award is given annually to an individual who has contributed significantly to the athletics and physical
education of New England’s independent schools through his/her enthusiasm, dedication, leadership and vision. “I’m extremely excited to be receiving this year’s William Souders Award … I mean, just to be to mentioned with some of this award’s past recipients is truly humbling,” said Gammons, a 1963 Groton School grad whose name will now forever reside in NEPSAC Nation along side other New England luminaries such as George H.W. Bush, Bill Cleary, Mike Eruzione and Bill Belichick. For Gammons, whose career also featured frequent appearances on the airwaves with gigs on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Sunday Night Baseball, the MLB Network and NESN, receiving this award may have been a bit more nostalgic than for most of its 53 prior recipients. That’s because Gammons
continued on page 5
IN THIS ISSUE NEPSAC Awards | President’s Letter | Treasurer’s Note | Pegging Dates Reminder | Calendar | From the Archives | School News | All-NEPSAC Teams www.nepsac.org
NEPSAC president Bob Howe with William Souders Award winner Peter Gammons.