Milton’s Fall Coaches Reflect on a Busy Season

By Tatum Lee ‘29

With Nobles Day right around the corner, students have begun to reflect on the end of Milton’s fall sports season. Often, students look back on the big wins, clutch moments, and down-to-the-wire games, but ignore what exactly makes such events possible: coaching. Coaches do not just impact the way Milton’s sports teams operate—they also contribute heavily to athletes’ lives in school and in the world beyond Milton.

Josh Jordan, the assistant Boys’ Varsity and Junior Varsity Football Coach, highlighted how his athletes “want to show up in the community.” For instance, head monitor and varsity defensive back Nehemiah Sanon ‘26 “shows up not just on the field but in the classroom as well,” according to Jordan. Furthermore, Jordan believes that “it is important to show up in the community in different ways.” Milton’s Football team is depicted by Jordan as something more than just a stereotypical high school football team. He especially calls attention to the brotherhood of the sport and how nurturing a greater sports community allows for a greater school community as well. He pointed out how football teams are stereotypically “cliquey” and exclusionary at most high schools, whereas, at Milton, the coaching staff have molded their players into genuine community members.

Milton’s coaches prepare student-athletes to show up for not just others, but also Milton’s Fall Coaches Reflect on a Busy Season themselves. Girls’ Varsity Soccer Coach Rachael Abernethy wanted her team to know that “ it is not always about the reward or success, it is about the journey.” Abernethy elaborated that by nature, her players are “so driven and motivated [that] it’s hard to make them feel successful for not just the results.” Abernethy’s teachings goes beyond the Milton Girls Varsity Soccer Team, as she wants her players to cherish the time they spend beyond her team. Indeed, many athletes will not be recruited into their “dream college” despite all their hard work, which is why Abernethy chooses to teach her players the importance of appreciating the path one takes towards their destination. Through this insight, Abernethy instills in her players a consistently positive outlook. An article by the Brown University Health Blog Team outlines how assuming a more positive outlook can lead to high energy, better management of mental health problems, and increased quality of life. In a world in need of more individuals with positive attitudes, it is refreshing to see one of Milton’s coaches conveying the importance of the value.

Meanwhile, the Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey Coach, Kelcie Finn, teaches her players that they can find pleasure in the unfamiliar and daunting if they put their best foot forward in all their endeavors. Finn stated that members of her team have “had lots of opportunities to lead, try new roles, and step into unexpected positions.” These opportunities offer the risk of setbacks and discomfort, but Finn highlighted that there is always something to be learned through the seemingly “bad” parts of a season.

To celebrate Milton Academy’s Fall coaches, it is important to understand what they have done not just for their teams, but also for Milton’s community. More often than not, students overlook what coaches have brought to the table for Milton and its community. Milton’s coaches do not just teach; they form athletes, either directly or indirectly, into better versions of themselves, with qualities that transcend their time at Milton.