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Grab an oar

While the snow has not yet melted, spring sports are underway on the Hilltop in whatever way they can be. No one is more eager to get outside and on the water than our crew team, which looks to be almost sixty strong once again this year. On Tuesday afternoon, I wandered over to the wood gym to get a taste of the chaos that I know results from hosting spring practices while there is still snow on all of our fields. I walked into a wood gym a bit startled by a magical scene filled with dozens of ERGs, rowers, and an energy level that was slightly beyond the norm for practice right after spring break.




Our rowing coach grabbed a microphone and brought the boisterous gym to silence; the first girl’s heat began. For a moment one could hear a pin drop and then the screaming went nonstop for seven minutes. Coaches, coxswains, and fans walked behind the rowing machines urging the rowers on. A number of public high schools, along with our friends from Waynflete, were present, and I could immediately sense the kind of fitness and effort coming from all competitors. I found myself drawn behind the machines so I could actually see what the numbers were beginning to reveal. The 2000 meter piece came to a rousing finish and two Berwick rowers – Erin Sullivan and Emma Weir – happened to take first and second place.


Given that my wife rowed seriously in college, the scene was not completely a unfamiliar one to me, and yet it was a deeply unfamiliar scene to Berwick. It was remarkable to remember that the concept of a rowing program on our campus did not even exist as an idea five years ago. Today, we already enjoy former Berwick rowers competing at Wesleyan, Williams, Stanford, and even the University of Alabama.


As Head of School, one has to get comfortable with the reality that not every idea, trial, or pilot will come to fruition. Just like we tell our kids, schools have to become comfortable with some amount of failure if they hope to improve. Exciting concepts can wither quickly and others never approach the level one was seeking. But there are magical moments when one realizes that the growth and excitement around a new idea have far exceeded one’s wildest dreams in this community. My unexpected walk through the wood gym on Tuesday reminded me that inspiring things can and do happen on this Hilltop.

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