The Athletic Director Report

Tom Curran '05
Fairfield Prep Athletic Director

11/30/2020

The 2020 fall athletic season at Fairfield Prep was a season like no other and one we are not likely to forget soon. It is a season that will be remembered for students, coaches, parents and administrators coming together to create opportunities for our student athletes in a time when they needed it the most. There were many challenges and bumps in the road but also many triumphs and achievements that everyone involved should be extremely proud of.

The season began on July 6^th when our football and soccer teams received clearance to begin working out as teams again. After enduring a pause from in-person learning and team athletics that began on March 11, our athletes finally returned to campus. Digital daily health screenings were created, our students and coaches learned how to properly wear masks during athletic activity and everyone learned how to train and compete in small groups while still being all on the same field.

A month later it was time for our crew and cross-country athletes to begin their seasons and for our "out of season" athletes to begin training on campus as well. Despite all of the restrictions, guidelines and other daily road blocks created by COVID-19, 350 student athletes found themselves out on Grauert Field, Barlow Field, Rafferty Stadium, Lessing Field Track, Lavery Fitness Center and Captains Cove on a daily basis, doing what they do best.

Our football athletes had a particularly difficult experience this fall. Our state association, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) and the Connecticut Department of Health (DPH) had a very public and several week long disagreement about the risk level of football during COVID-19 and whether or not it should be offered in our state. Ultimately on September 20^th, after three months of workouts and training by our football team, the CIAC followed guidance from the DPH and did not sponsor a fall season. Despite the disappointment, our athletes and coaches picked themselves up and continued to practice and train at Barlow Field every day after school. Our football coaches continued to creatively physically develop our student athletes by bringing much of the weight room equipment down to the field and incorporated strength training into daily football practice. In October, a number of our football athletes were able to compete against neighboring schools in 7v7 passing league competitions. In November we were able to honor our 18 seniors with a ceremony for their four years of dedication and commitment to the program as well as their leadership during a challenging fall.

Not far away on Rafferty Field, our soccer team was able to get the green light from the CIAC and certainly made the most of it. The Jesuits finished the regular season 9-1 and were the FCIAC Eastern Region runner-ups after reaching the championship game. The team finished the year 10-2 overall. More importantly, by following a set of very specific guidelines, our freshman, JV and Varsity soccer programs were able to compete in 24 games and practice every day after school.

Across the street on Lessing Field, our cross-country team was also able to hold a successful season. The Prep runners participated in 5 league dual races, 2 sub varsity competitions and a league championship. Strong leadership from our coaches, captains, seniors and a full buy in by all athletes, allowed for the team to meet every day, learn and grow within their sport and ultimately make great strides in competition.

A few miles down the road at Captains Cove, our crew program was also able to make the most out of a difficult situation. Beginning in early September, the crew program had four 9-man boats on the water after school each day and finished the season with competitions against Stonington and Brunswick. When they were not on the water, the crew athletes were able to take advantage of the new Fairfield Prep Erg Room located in the Arrupe Basement next to the Lavery Fitness Center. The erg room features 14 erg machines and 2 erg bikes and offers our athletes a space to call their own, after sharing an erg room with the University for the past 10 years.

The fall season was a very challenging one for all involved but one in which every practice, scrimmage and contest felt like a major victory before any whistle blew. The student athletes and coaches at Fairfield Prep are a special group that I am honored to work alongside. The challenges are far from over as we head into another uncertain season this winter but knowing what our student athletes and coaches are made of, I know we will find a way to make it a successful one.

5/5/2020

Dear Prep Students:

As many of you know, earlier today the CIAC officially canceled athletics for the spring season. Unfortunately, this decision was to be expected considering everything that is going on in the world. Regardless, it is still a tough pill to swallow. Whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, a multi-sport athlete or just a spring sport athlete, this season had so much promise for so many of you. It is okay to be disappointed about losing something that means so much to so many people, while also understanding that the safety and well-being of our society needs to be prioritized.

I am disappointed for the freshman who did not get to experience their first season as spring sport athletes. I am disappointed for the sophomores and juniors who were not able to take the next step in their respective sports this spring. I am most disappointed for the senior athletes who spent three years preparing, growing and improving for a chance to make this spring season an unforgettable one. For some it was their first chance to compete at the varsity level, for others it was a chance to build on prior varsity experience and for all seniors, it was their last chance to make their mark on their program and school.

All is not lost if you spent this time off studying your sport, working out at home, staying in touch with teammates and staying ready for the next chance you have to play. Those who have been able to get past the disappointment and monotony and make the most of this time, will be ahead of all of those who have just shut it down for the past month and half. If you haven’t been as active and diligent as you should have been, today is not too late to start.

More importantly all is not lost for this group of seniors. There are many pieces that make athletics at Prep work and for the past 3 years our current seniors have been a very important piece. Your prior work at the sub varsity level and the varsity level, laid a groundwork for the underclassmen below you. Your work in the weight room, on the practice field, in the classroom and through service, continued the strong tradition of well-rounded student athletes at Prep. You were role models to the underclassmen and you were admired by your coaches, teachers and faculty members at the school. Being an athlete at Prep is about the journey you set out on, starting the first day of school your freshman year. Our seniors experienced highs and lows on that journey but they stayed the course and they were ready for the pay-off this spring season. While the pay-off of a season will not happen, the lessons and the experiences you had on that journey can never be taken away from you. You should all be proud of the work that you put into your athletic journey at Prep and understand that you are an extremely important piece of Prep athletic history.

When we return to the athletic fields, we will return stronger for having gone through this experience together as student-athletes, coaches and administrators. We will have a greater appreciation for the camaraderie, teamwork and competition that athletics provides. For now, we need to stay safe, stay the course and stay ready for when we return.

GO PREP!

8/2/2019

Athletics at Fairfield Prep enjoyed another successful and fulfilling school year on and off the playing fields during the 2018-19 athletic season. The year will be remembered for the hockey team’s second straight CIAC Division 1 State Championship and the unbelievable student and faculty support for the team all season long. The championship season was culminated by a sold-out Yale Whale Ice Rink for the State Final, filled with Prep students, faculty, parents, alums and supporters, celebrating the team’s success. Southern Connecticut Conference championships by the Prep soccer, swimming and lacrosse teams, a Gold Cup championship for the sailing team and a Northeast Jesuit Rugby Tournament championship for the rugby team, were also major highlights during the school year.

Off the field, a leadership program was developed by the athletic department for team captains and senior leaders. The program will continue to grow next school year and will look to build on the leadership opportunities and education that our student athletes receive on a daily basis from the Prep faculty, encouraging them to be men for others and transformational leaders. In addition to the leadership program for our student athletes, the first ever Fairfield Prep Coaches retreat was held this past fall. The retreat was designed to open up discussion about our Jesuit mission and values amongst our coaching staffs and how we can incorporate them into everyday coaching.

An important weight room expansion project began late this spring and will be completed in the coming weeks. This project will mark the second expansion in 3 years that has taken place in the Earl Lavery Fitness Center. The project will feature a lobby for our athletes, as well as a turf strip for stretching, core and footwork exercises. The additional space will also allow for more athletes to work out at a time, with more dynamic physical exercises and strength building taking place.

The Fairfield Prep athletic department is committed to continuing to find new ways to improve and enhance the student athlete experience at Fairfield Prep and to work to build student athletes of high character and performance. Please use JESUITpride.com to stay up to date on all updates from the athletic department, schedules, results, rosters, coach information, game recaps and more this upcoming school year. Thank you to the broad Fairfield Prep community for their continued support of Fairfield Prep Athletics and GO JESUITS!

9/26/2017

Welcome to the second edition of the Athletic Director’s Report. After a busy summer behind the scenes for our coaches, athletes and athletic department, the 2017-18 athletic year is underway and has already been filled with many exciting moments for the Prep community.

So far this fall, our Varsity Football team has gotten off to a fast start winning their home opener in front of a packed Rafferty Stadium. Head Soccer Coach Ryan Lyddy recorded his 100^th victory of his career in just the fourth game of his 8^th season. The Cross Country program has already won three key league meets and on the water, after a few weeks of training, Prep’s Crew and Sailing teams are ready to begin their upcoming seasons. Crew will be traveling to Hartford for the Head of the Riverfront regatta, while Sailing will compete in the upcoming Great Oaks Qualifier in Black Rock.

While our fall athletes are busy competing on the fields and on the water, all of Prep’s student/athletes have also been hard at work in the recently expanded Lavery Fitness Center. The Prep athletes have been taking advantage of the extra space and extra equipment the weight room now offers. Much of this has been a result of generous alumni donations. This fall, there has been up to nine teams a week working out in the space and participating in Fairfield Prep’s new training program that offers two strength trainers in the room after school.

A few key upcoming dates include our Soccer team hosting two nationally recognized programs in Boston College High School and St. Anthony’s High School (LI) on October 9^th and October 14^th at Rafferty Stadium. The Varsity Football team will host the Thanksgiving game against West Haven High School at 10am at Rafferty Stadium and the Fairfield Prep Holiday Basketball Classic will be held on December 27^th and 28^th at Alumni Hall. Town rivals Fairfield Ludlowe, Fairfield Warde and Notre Dame of Fairfield will all compete in the tournament and Prep will tip off at 8pm on December 27^th.

With all of the changes in youth and high school athletics the one constant is the unwavering support that we receive from our teachers, parents, alumni and friends. Please come by the school this fall to catch a game or a practice or visit our new athletic website JESUITPRIDE.com to learn more about what is going on Fairfield Prep!

4/17/17

Welcome to the first edition of the Athletic Director's Report. Fairfield Prep is pleased to announce the launch of a new athletics website JESUITPRIDE.com, which can be accessed independently or via the Athletics button on www.fairfieldprep.org. This new website will allow us to recognize the achievements of our student/athletes while also keeping parents, alumni and friends informed about all the latest happenings with Fairfield Prep Athletics. JESUITPRIDE.com will feature up to date schedules, rosters, game recaps, coaches information, statistics and more. The website will also offer our parents and alumni the chance to financially support our individual teams with our new "Friends Of Program," as well as our overall athletic department with the newly created "Bomb Squad Club." The excitement generated by Prep athletics is outstanding, and we now have a website that matches that excitement.

Our spring season at Prep is well under way and despite the tough weather conditions, our tremendous coaching staffs have prepared our students for competition. Spring is the busiest season at Prep as we feature Lacrosse, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Crew, Rugby, Track and Sailing. Through the generosity of alumni, the new addition of Barlow Field turf has served tremendously as a practice field for our Football, Lacrosse and Rugby teams as well as for sub-varsity games. In addition to Barlow Field, Rafferty Stadium (previously Alumni Field) serves as the home location for our Football, Soccer and Lacrosse programs. This spring our Baseball team will compete on the newly renovated Alumni Diamond, that now boasts a press box as well as stadium seating. Rugby will continue to play their games on Grauert Field and on the April 22nd weekend we will host our second annual Northeast Jesuit Rugby Tournament featuring six Jesuit schools in the area. Our Crew program has recently moved its operation from Beacon Point Marina in Shelton to Captain's Cove in Bridgeport. The Cove allows our students to have a much closer commute to practice each day as well as much improved viewing for our spectators. Our Track team will continue to practice on the Lessing Field Track and our Sailing team remains at the beautiful Pequot Yacht Club.

There are many great things happening with our athletic programs and none of it is possible without the support of our coaches, parents, alumni and administration at Fairfield Prep. Check out JESUITPRIDE.com and come see an event for yourself! GO PREP!