Athletics
Athletics are a major part of Hamden Hall's student culture; all students are required to participate in the athletic program.
Lower School students are involved in intramural teams and/or general physical education activities. Generally, the younger the students, the more "fun" and less competitive the activities are. Moving closer to the final year of the Lower School, some students who excel athletically will not participate on Middle School interscholastic teams.
In the Middle School, all students participate in either interscholastic or non-competitive athletic teams or activities, with the majority choosing the former. Athletics in the Middle School are managed on a trimester system with all students participating in athletics all three terms. Many exceptional Middle School athletes participate on Upper School Varsity and Junior Varsity teams, with some even beginning this participation in the first year of Middle School.
In the Upper School, the trimester system is again used. Upper School students are mandated to participate in only two trimesters per year of school, with mandatory participation in the Fall trimester. All freshmen must participate in at least one team sport, the idea behind this being that team sports in the first year of school will help build class unity for the remaining years. Despite the requirement of only two trimesters, many students participate in athletics all three trimesters. Some opt to compete on teams only two trimesters and do general athletic training for the remaining trimester. Occasionally, a student may have major extracurricular commitments, such as theatre, or the senior editors of the school yearbook, and may be exempt from the two trimester requirement.
As the years passed, the school developed an athletic rivalry with nearby Hopkins School. Although the student body strongly supports their school for all events, the annual basketball games between the two schools always fill the stands to cheer on their respective school.
In the Middle and Upper Schools, interscholastic varsity teams are formed in football, soccer, wrestling, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, and tennis for boys; and field hockey, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, softball, and volleyball for girls. Cross-country, golf, and swimming squads are coeducational. Non-competitive athletics include weightlifting, yoga, Pilates]], and Outdoors club. Additionally, several students participate in independent athletics for credit. In the past, these have ranged from martial arts to dancing.
Most Hamden Hall athletic teams compete under the umbrella of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council, with some competing in specific leagues such as the Fairchester League. Hamden Hall may be most remembered for its Boys Basketball team, winning 8 Fairchester League titles and producing such players as former star Yale University guard Casey Hughes. Yale Girls' Basketball starter, Maddy Gobrecht, also hails from Hamden Hall. Many other Hamden Hall teams are extremely competitive as well. The Varsity Baseball team has won several Fairchester League titles, including back to back New England championships, and produced many highly regarded prospects, such as pitcher Josh Zeid who plays in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system, outfielder Casey Frawley, playing in the Cleveland Indians minor league system, and pitcher Tyler Mizenko, recently drafted by the San Francisco Giants. The Girls' Soccer team has won back to back New England Championships. And Deb Gruen, former (Yale University) swimmer, has won a Bronze medal in swimming at the Paralympic Games.
Hamden Hall maintains two off-campus athletic facilities: a small, soccer sized field directly adjacent to the main campus, and an 30-acre (120,000 m2) athletic complex 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from campus. The latter contains some of the most highly regarded playing surfaces in the state, with fields/facilities for football, baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, tennis and cross country. Also at this complex exists the Beckerman Athletic Center: a $12.5 million USD, 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) state-of-the art athletic building featuring 3 collegiate-length basketball courts (one wood, two composite), an Olympic-sized, 25 yard swimming pool, a large fitness center, conference rooms, and more. Seating exists for up to 800 spectators.
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