How did every varsity fall sport team this past year advance to playoffs? What was the driving factor behind their improvements? Major Gifts Officer and former Athletic Director Chuck Richard largely attributes this newfound success within Independent School League (ISL) sports to recruiting, he said.
“We recruit mission-aligned students so that BB&N can try to be competitive within the league. Without that, it would be difficult to remain competitive overall.”
Similar to its ISL competitors, the school recruits student-athletes to generate morale and ensure success on the athletic fields, Mr. Richard said. The Athletic Department weighs the priorities of different sports teams and focuses on specialized positions, such as football quarterbacks, baseball pitchers, and hockey goalies.
Coaches also factor in academics when recruiting, Mr. Richard said.
“We ask coaches to recruit athletes who are mission-aligned students who value education and come from families that do as well,” he said. “In addition to being strong athletes, it’s just as important that they have strong character and that they contribute to the school in meaningful ways, whether that’s playing multiple sports, an instrument, or being involved in the broader school community.”
According to the New England Baseball Journal, the trend of “reclassing” has increased for sports like baseball, in which 35-50% of players on New England prep school rosters repeated a grade as of 2021. Students who reclass are typically older than their peers, giving them a physical advantage.
“College athletics recruiting has gotten really intense, and there’s a trend of students reclassifying to improve their chances of getting recruited,” Mr. Richard said. “Sometimes, it’s for academic reasons, and sometimes, it’s to allow more time for athletic development. If you look at your average college freshman hockey player, they’re 21 or 22 years old, and we’re seeing that more and more in other sports, too. It’s just a sign of the times.”
Dante Snoonian ’27 was recruited by Varsity Football Coach Mike Willey.
“I first met Coach Willey when I was playing on the Mass Elite football team, an all-star team that plays in different states all across the country,” Dante said. “So, I met him and a couple of other coaches in the ISL, like Coach Lindsey from Rivers, a coach at Middlesex and then a coach at St. Mark’s. And Coach Willey was just the coach that stuck out to me. … So, I met with the coaches, went on a couple campus tours, and met with some of the players.”
For Dante, recruitment has its benefits and disadvantages.
“I think if you play on a really high-caliber team like football, which has been really strong, there’s definitely higher expectations than normal for us. I feel that’s the main disadvantage to recruitment. But, in a way, it can also be a good thing to have more pressure because it pushes you to be a better player.”
Non-recruited athlete Abby Brown ’26 has seen recruitment’s negative effects.
“There is a very competitive aspect of it in terms of the dynamics within teams,” she said. “I’ve seen ways that’s also translated to how people interact in school. Sometimes, a lot of tension is formed on the teams, and that carries into other social relationships.”
Athletics offer an easier pathway for students to attend the school, Abby said.
“I do think that they are sometimes underqualified for these schools. If it weren’t for their athletics, these kids wouldn’t be getting in.”
Jack Reinfeld ’27, a non-recruited athlete, said it feels like the school emphasizes athletics more than other schools, even within the ISL.
“I would definitely say academics is BB&N’s top priority, but athletics is a large part of our everyday life. And it’s not like that at most schools. For example, my sister went to public school, and you weren’t required to play sports, and instead, you can do gym class.”
Reclassing and recruiting can make competing in school sports more challenging for non-recruited athletes, Jack said.
“There’s all these reclasses who I have had to play against, which is really frustrating, because they’ve had another year to develop in terms of size, skill, speed, and everything. And I think reclassifying — it’s good — can help you a ton if you do it. But, for everyone else, it kind of stinks.”
