SWEAT EQUITY

by Eliott Grover

If you build it, they will come.

The mantra, popularized by the iconic sports film Field of Dreams, is an apt preface to the story of Suffield’s strength and conditioning program. Four years ago, the athletic department set a goal of enhancing the resources that are available to support Suffield Academy’s most ambitious athletes.

This gives me an opportunity to get in there with like-minded that individuals that have the same aspirations. It’s great to have access to facility and the coaching— an opportunity that is usually not an option until you get to the collegiate level.

“It was an area we felt we needed to pay more attention to,” says Drew Gamere ’93, Co-Director of Athletics. “We have a great fitness center that we’ve had for many years, but the issue with that space is that it’s used by the entire community, so it can get busy.” Varsity athletes now have access to a state-of-the-art Performance Center, where they follow customized training regimens overseen by experienced coaches. The strength and conditioning program has yielded impressive results for Suffield’s teams, as well as for individual athletes who aspire to compete at the next level. The Performance Center was designed by the same group that built the University of New Hampshire’s weight room. “It came together great,” says Drew. “We now have this new space that’s dedicated to supervised, functional training for our varsity athletes.”

While the facilities sparkle, it’s the expert instruction that has made the difference. Chris Setian ’09 and Angela Vecchiarelli ’16, former college athletes with extensive coaching experience, run the strength and conditioning program. When varsity teams are in season, they have two supervised sessions with Chris and Ang every week, in addition to their regular practices. During the winter, strength and conditioning is offered as an afternoon sport equivalent.

“We do dynamic Division I workouts,” says Chris. “Everybody does some sort of workout that’s tailored to their sport. It’s educational, and there’s also a big safety piece. Anyone can turn on TikTok or YouTube and say, ‘I’m going to do this workout and lift as much weight as I can.’ But that’s not what we do.”

Individual profiles are created for each athlete, and everyone receives a personalized card that includes specific workouts and target metrics. Athletes are taught proper form and technique, which has fueled significant performance gains and improved injury prevention.

“They’re using weights that make sense for what they’re trying to accomplish,” says Chris.

Nadja Meite ’24 couldn’t believe the quality of the strength and conditioning facilities when she arrived at Suffield. “Having access to this makes me want to work harder,” she says. Nadja, who now plays soccer at Brown University, sees a clear difference in her performance from when she first arrived. “When I have the ball, I can feel how much stronger my legs are. I see how much stronger I’ve gotten. It’s not just the strength work; it’s the chance to develop my agility and fitness.”

For Nora Boino ’24, a swimmer who has trained in the Performance Center since it opened, the impact is tangible. “Swimming can be a hard sport to translate into training on land because it’s such a technical sport,” she says. “But I would come into the weight room and say, ‘I need to be more explosive off the block, or work on this part of my pull.’ And we’d find different exercises that translated to the specific area in my race I wanted to improve.”

Beyond seeing strong gains in a sport where milliseconds make all the difference, Nora says her favorite part of the strength and conditioning program is the way it unites a diverse group of athletes. “My whole life I’ve been training with other swimmers,” she says. “This gives me an opportunity to get in there with like-minded individuals who have the same aspirations. It’s great to have access to that facility and the coaching—an opportunity that is usually not an option until you get to the collegiate level.”

In the three years since the Performance Center opened, the number of female athletes participating in the strength and conditioning program has swelled. When Ang was a student at Suffield, she traveled off-campus in order to lift weights regularly. “The fact that these students have the opportunity to fit this into their schedule here is huge,” she says. “Watching our female athletes go into a historically male-dominated space, feel confident, and feel like they belong—it’s awesome to see.”

As the head lacrosse coach, Ang has witnessed firsthand how athletes are benefiting from the enhanced training. “The difference is so obvious,” she says. “They are bigger, stronger, faster. That’s what the goal is, and it’s largely attributed to the space we have and their motivation to be in there.”

Watching our female athletes go into a historically male-dominated space and feel confident and feel like they belong there—it’s awesome to see.

Claire Griffith ’24 and Raegan Carty ’26 are lacrosse and field hockey players who decided to do strength and conditioning in the winter. “It appealed to me because I knew it could help me get further athletically,” says Raegan. “I’ve seen so much athletic development on the field and growth in my confidence.”

“I know how to manage the gym now,” adds Claire, who now plays field hockey at Trinity College. “Lifting is a big aspect of college athletics. To be able to start that in high school is huge.” She notes that the inclusive atmosphere in the Performance Center has made it an empowering space for female athletes. “We’re held to the same standard as the guys in there. We’re not looked at any differently, and we’re doing the same things.”

During the winter afternoon program, all athletes in strength and conditioning, regardless of gender, compete and support one another as their coaches push them to unlock their potential. “It’s hard work,” says Drew. “Nothing in there is supposed to be easy. Anytime you go by the Performance Center, you hear music, and the students are working hard. But,” he adds with a smile, “they also look like they’re having a lot of fun.” ‚

In the fall, boys’ and girls’ soccer and volleyball qualified for highly competitive New England tournaments. The girls’ soccer team earned a #2 seed in the NEPSAC tournament and made it to the semifinal round. Their 12-4-3 record included wins over Taft, Berkshire, and Williston. Boys’ soccer earned a Western New England championship and also made the semifinals of the NEPSAC tournament. Big victories included games against Hotchkiss and Westminster and a tournament win over Middlesex. Volleyball finished ranked 5th out of 24 teams in New England. The varsity field hockey team finished 9-7-1 with exciting victories over NMH, Miss Porters, and Millbrook. The football season was highlighted by wins over Loomis and NEPSAC Class A Bowl Champion Cheshire. Boys’ water polo topped Loomis twice and had other victories over Westminster and Andover.

In the season finale, the Tigers competed in the NEPSTA Division II Cross-Country Championship. Several athletes set personal records, and the team as a whole delivered a strong performance against tough competition. Ava Butterfield placed 35th overall for the girls and Seamus Cleary 11th.

Winter unleashed an undefeated, Brigham Ski League Champion boys’ alpine ski team. This was Suffield’s fourth straight league championship. The boys’ team finished 6th in the Class A New England’s and the girls’ team 9th. The swim teams remained highly competitive in Class A New England, with the girls’ team finishing 5th and the boys’ 6th. Girls’ basketball had an outstanding 21-5 season, making it to the NEPSAC semis and earning big victories over Hotchkiss, Choate, and Berkshire. The boys’ varsity basketball team notched strong wins over Nobles, Brunswick, and MacDuffie. Boys’ squash had an incredible season, showing steady, impressive improvement that ultimately resulted in a New England championship and 6th place finish in their flight at nationals. Girls’ squash had exciting wins over Pomfret, Williston, and Kingswood on the way to a 9-5 season record. The wrestling program had a very strong young core and was led by a Western New England championship in the heavyweight division. Riflery finished second in the Connecticut State Championship.