Tabor Preseason Starts Under New Leadership

For the first time in two decades, Tabor Academy has started preseason athletics under the direction of a new athletic director.

The position was taken over by Conan Leary, a Tabor graduate from the class of 1997, who was chosen for his excellence and enthusiasm in his numerous roles in the Tabor community throughout his time as both a student and a member of the faculty.

Between September 1 and September 5, approximately 200 athletes gathered on campus to prepare for the upcoming fall season, enduring two practices per day in their respective sports in hopes of earning a coveted spot on a varsity lineup.

For Girls Soccer Captain Nicole Fernandes, a senior at Tabor, the most important part of preseason is “having the entirety of the girls’ soccer program train and play together and not be segregated by team or talent.”

“Everyone is able to enjoy playing soccer while both strengthening and forming bonds with other female soccer players at Tabor,” said Fernandes.

To better facilitate the preseason activities and the beginning of the sporting year at Tabor, Leary has decided to direct his full attention to the new position rather than coaching JV football as he has in the past.

“It’s allowed me to be a little bit more present and aware,” said Leary. “I can be a part of all the teams.”

One of Leary’s biggest focuses has been to take advantage of the passions and skills of the school’s teachers. Nearly all Tabor faculty are what Leary calls “triple threat faculty” – those who are teachers, coaches, and dorm parents all in one. Because of the success of this model, there are only two non-faculty coaches this year.

Leary has communicated with the faculty to learn about their passions and match them to not only where their strengths lie, but also where their enthusiasm most greatly benefits the athletes.

The goal is to “help the kids involved in those sports have a better experience,” said Leary.

In his first season as athletic director, changes have already been made to the fall’s athletic offerings. Joining the current sports – football, field hockey, cross country, and soccer – will be volleyball, giving students more options to stay active in the fall season.

One of the most popular activities this fall is becoming “crew” onboard the school’s schooner, the SSV Tabor Boy. To better accommodate the overwhelming number of students interested in working onboard the vessel, the season has been split up into several three-week sections, rotating the students so that they get a taste of the vessel and decide whether they would like to continue as crew in the spring season.

In other sports such as field hockey, a third team referred to commonly as “JV B” will be added to accommodate the large number of students interested in the sport.

In addition to his role as athletic director, Leary will continue to coach wrestling this winter, a sport in which he not only earned New England Independent School Wrestling Association Coach of the Year in 2014 and Massachusetts Coach of the Year in 2015, but was an All-American and National Champion during his Tabor career.

For Leary, this position is a great opportunity to build upon the Tabor Academy athletic community that he has both benefited from and contributed to.

“The prior athletic office did a very good job, but it’s exciting to think forward,” said Leary. “There is a lot to do, but it’s very good work.”

By Jack Gordon