By Sam Lawler ’19 and Sam Keller ’19, Sports Editors

A brand new Middle School, 12 new teachers joining the community, a new head of Equity and Inclusion (Mr. Gardy Guitea) and new state-of-the-art science laboratories. Change is everywhere at Newark Academy this year and athletics is no exception. With new head coaches for Newark Academy Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ soccer, and Men’s Football and two new assistant coaches for the Girls’ Field Hockey team, there is no doubt that the dynamics of NA fall sports are growing and developing this season.

Boys’ Soccer

At the beginning of the 2017 Girls’ Soccer season, Brendan Doyle unfortunately had to depart from his Head Coach position in order to pursue an alternative soccer-related job opportunity outside of high-school soccer. Stepping into the roll of Head Coach was former assistant coach Ben Stuart. When a similar circumstance occurred at the beginning of the 2018 Boys’ Soccer season this year, Coach Stuart once again stepped up to fulfill the Head Coach position, this time for the boys’ soccer team. Despite this abrupt change at the beginning of their season, it appears as if the boys’ soccer team has responded well so far to the altered coaching staff. Captains Connor Klein (‘19) and Kai Youngren (‘19) both attributed their success to Coach Stuart’s new appreciation of fitness. When Kai and Connor made it clear to their coach that conditioning was a priority this season, Connor noted, “Ben was 100% supportive of this and the players are more fit than I’ve ever seen in my 4 years at NA.” Beyond fitness, Coach Stuart possesses a much more hands-on approach than the boys’ previous coach, staying very involved in practices and outwardly valuing personal responsibility.

Girls’ Soccer

Seraphine Hamilton, who is beginning her second year teaching English at Newark Academy and her first year as the new Head Coach for Girls’ Soccer, has already begun to make progress in whipping the team into shape. Coach Hamilton, who is described by herself and sophomore Kaitlin Weiss as “intense,” has put a major focus on fitness and workouts, and it has certainly paid off. Weiss said that the overall physical shape of the team, along with the general motivation of the squad, is what has improved the most since Coach Hamilton came in.

Coach Hamilton coached two years as a spring season coach at the collegiate level, and has five years of prior experience as head coach at the high school level. While intensity and focus are huge factors in her coaching style, Hamilton also understands how academically demanding Newark Academy can be. She believes that it is best to be “democratic,” and finds it important that she finds a balance for her players who have a high demanding academic life and a high demanding soccer life. Clearly, Coach Hamilton is focused on individual and team success, both on the pitch and in the classroom.

Football

The NA football team also brought in a new head coach this year, and he’s been around every level of football. Keith Fischer, also the new admissions director, played high school ball at Bernards High before taking his talents to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he was a Dickinson Red Devil. He then became an assistant football coach for Dickinson for three seasons before scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles for nine and a half years. Now, after hitting college and the pros, he’s returned to high school football in hopes to turn around the Newark Academy football program. Coach Fischer knows the history of NA football dates back to the 19th century, and is looking to “bring back a proud tradition to Newark Academy football…something that the whole school can be very proud of.” While he has been around football for a while and understands the history behind the game, Coach Fischer also realizes the game is changing, and is potentially “in danger of not being around.” He is looking to create a winning culture while also keeping in mind the health of the players, and wants to “adapt the new techniques” that will be safe for the players.

Most of his career, Fischer has been a defensive coach, and is now calling the shots on offense. But his players wouldn’t have been able to tell–sophomore starting quarterback Alex Fishbone says the team “has studied and looked over the playbook and is ready for any situation,” thanks to Fischer’s preparation. According to Fishbone, Coach Fischer has stressed “playing smart, fast, and physical.”

Coach Fischer’s coaching style was described as “laid back, calm, and easy to work with” by senior running back Pierce Henderson, the team’s leading rusher as of Week 1. Henderson admitted that Coach does have moments where he gets angry, but the team already feels a “strong connection” to Fischer because of the “great vibe” that he gives off.

Field Hockey

Though field hockey Coach Joette Nigro returned for her second year as Head Coach this season, the Newark Academy Field Hockey team welcomed in two new assistant coaches, Coach Shirey and Coach Eggert. With a program consisting of over 25 girls, the addition of two new coaches was necessary for the team’s success. When some of the players were asked to comment on the dynamic of having three coaches, they explained that one of the biggest adjustments they’ve had to make is understanding and combining the three different opinions and directions that each of the coaches have to offer. In addition, seniors Maddie McEvoy and Stephanie Do agreed that their new assistant coaches have had a positive impact on both team morale and the player’s mastery of basic skills. Coach Eggert is very focused on the fundamentals of the sport and teaching her players specific techniques. Meanwhile, Coach Shirey is more involved in directly applying skills to the games and more specifically, being aggressive in taking shots on the field. Coach Shirey described her coaching style in two words, “Enthusiastic and Instructive,” and added, “I’m not just a sports coach, I’m a life coach.”