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(09/23/21 2:21pm)
Eliza King Freedman ’23 is a junior on the women’s squash team from Sharon, Connecticut. In this installment of “seven questions,” Freedman details some of her favorite memories with the squash team, whom she looks up to on the roster, and how she conceptualizes being a student-athlete at Middlebury. AS: What are some of the things you do — either by yourself or with teammates — to make squash practices fun?EKF: I feel like, as a team, we put effort into making even the harder days fun. For example, we have a shared playlist that we all add to. We're all such close friends that even though we’re always working really hard, we also just enjoy being around each other. It's just cool to be with people who are all so passionate about one thing, so practice is inherently fun, which I think I'm really lucky to be able to say.AS: It sounds like you have a lot of fun with your teammates. What’s your best memory to date — either at practice or at a match?EKF: I think my favorite competitive memory was during my freshman year when we played Williams away [and] it was one of my teammates’ birthdays. I remember we all really wanted to win. I don't think that we even ended up winning; honestly, I believe we didn't, but I think it says something that I can't even totally remember if we won or not. I remember the bus ride back and how fun it was to be all together. It was my teammate's 21st birthday and she had just gotten back from abroad and it was this great weekend. AS: What about any good memories off the court?EKS: My favorite memory off the court was when we did “de-initiation” for our seniors last year. It’s essentially something we do because we don't have any sort of initiation when you join the team. This past semester, we did it in November because so much of my team didn't come back last spring and it was really special to see how quickly everyone had bonded after only three months and without a season. We got the opportunity to sing songs and do all of the little traditions that we’ve developed over time. There are just so many inside jokes that come of it, so it was really nice.AS: What’s on your mind when you’re playing a match?EKF: When I'm playing a match, my favorite thing about squash is that I don't think. If I can get to a place where I'm not even thinking, and my mind is just quiet and I'm just letting myself play, I think that's when I'm playing my best. I think that's honestly the best part of playing — when you can get to that place where you know that all your work has paid off and you can just relax.AS: Are there any pre-match or practice rituals that you think are unique to the squash team?EKF: There’s one ritual that’s developed over the years where before every match we either go to our locker room or, at away matches, we’ll try to find a bathroom or a place outside to do it. We usually have like three songs, one or two that are consistent and the others change. We listen to the songs, and we have different things that we do during each one. Then, we all sit in a circle after the match and will say something like a goal that we have for ourselves or a goal that we have for the team.AS: Is there anyone on your team, or on another Middlebury team, that particularly inspires you as an athlete?EKF: The person who inspires me is our captain Ideal [Dowling ’22]. When you just talk to her in passing, it’s apparent that she's really invested in our lives and the social aspects of the team. She always makes an effort to check in about how we're doing. But she's also someone that I love to watch play because of how focused she gets. I think it goes to show that she's a captain and has been our best player for the last three years. Ideal really embodies all of the qualities that make us come together in a way that I really think is necessary for the kind of team that we are.AS: How conscious are you of being a student-athlete? How much do you think being on the squash team defines your Middlebury experience?EKF: Since I was a walk-on and making the team was my main goal coming into Middlebury, once I made it, I really made the team my whole identity on campus. I think that was a common thing to do for a lot of athletes on campus and partially still is, but I also think Covid-19 took that away from all of us. Essentially, I think Covid has really changed the way that student-athletes define themselves. Squash is definitely something that I'm still equally as passionate about, but because it couldn't be my whole life last year, it's definitely changed in my mind how I identify myself at Middlebury, and I think definitely for the better.Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
(05/13/21 9:59am)
Skateboarding, historically a counter-culture activity centered in city environments, has carved out a place for itself on Middlebury’s rural campus. Skateboarders frequently perform tricks outside Proctor Dining Hall or on Adirondack View Road, creating a community and culture unique to Middlebury’s campus.
While some students have skateboarded throughout their Middlebury careers, many have noticed a recent boom in the number of students skateboarding together on campus. Some attribute this swell to the rise in popularity of skateboarding during the early months of quarantine when people were looking for new ways to stay active.
“I always thought [skateboarding] was cool,” said Alex Burgess ’23, who started skateboarding this year. “But my interest was pretty pandemic-inspired.”
On a hilly, grassy campus that isn't necessarily conducive to skateboarding, skateboarders have still found areas to convene. The most popular meeting spot is outside Proctor, where students often perform tricks and jumps in front of outdoor diners. Their set-up consists of a rail and a ramp, the latter of which is borrowed from the dining hall staff.
“It used to just be a couple of people, but then other guys were recruited and as of right now there are probably about ten people out there who come by pretty regularly,” Sabian Edouard ’21 said.
However, when asked about skateboarding culture at Middlebury, the campus skateboarders were loath to admit that one even exists.
“No, there definitely isn’t a skateboarding culture at Middlebury,” Noe Horiwaki ’21 said. “It’s mainly just a bunch of people working on tricks together. Skateboarding culture is about more than just the tricks — it encompasses things like what people wear, how they speak and the kind of videos they watch.”
Whether you call it a culture or not, it’s clear that a strong sense of community, mutual support and friendship has blossomed among skateboarders on campus. Burgess and Edouard both recount instances when they’ve been trying to work on tricks and have been encouraged and taught by those around them until they’ve succeeded.
It’s this sense of mutual support and willingness to coach fellow students that seems to define Middlebury’s skateboarding community. Horiwaki emphasizes the value in seeing people working hard to expand their skills, describing the special feeling that comes with watching someone be willing to fail repeatedly until they finally succeed.
Other skaters praise Horiwaki in particular for contributing to this development of a teaching culture that allows for a welcoming environment.
“Noe’s a really great teacher and definitely takes a lot of time helping people out with whatever they want to work on,” Edouard said.
Skateboarders at Middlebury also mention the diversity among their group, noting that it makes others feel more comfortable to join. Although there is less gender diversity among the community — skateboarding is a traditionally male-dominated sport — there is clear racial diversity among those who regularly gather to skateboard.
There are also multiple group chats among skateboarders — and they are often used to plan gatherings, fueling a sense of community and collective engagement.
“I was skating by and they just kind of asked me if I wanted to join in and skate with them,” Burgess said. “Then they added me to a group chat.”
While some may deny that there’s a specific skateboarding culture at Middlebury, there’s something surrounding the skateboarding community. And regardless of how you describe it, at its core, it's a positive, open-armed and supportive community that’s weaved its way into Middlebury’s athletic culture.
“I think it’s really great,” Burgess said.
(03/25/21 9:58am)
Earlier this month, Simi Hamilton ’09, a three-time U.S. Olympian, retired from competitive cross-country skiing. The decision marks the end of a successful professional career, albeit one marked by an unfortunate ending.
As Hamilton geared up to compete in his final World Cup races in Switzerland, his wife and teammate Sophie Caldwell Hamilton tested positive for Covid-19 on their way to the host country. As a close contact, Hamilton was separated from his wife and placed in 10-day quarantine.
Even though Simi Hamilton received four subsequent negative Covid-19 test results, he was required to quarantine through the competition. Despite this disappointing development, the Colorado native maintained a positive attitude, not allowing the situation to overshadow the overall success of his competitive career.
“I knew that I needed to get over it and focus on my long and successful career before this,” Hamilton said.
Growing up in Aspen as the son of two cross-country skiers, Hamilton took up skiing at the age of two and started competing at a young age. When he raced at Middlebury, he won three NCAA Championships in four years.
Encouraged by his coaches to pursue racing after college, Hamilton had a successful first professional season in 2009-2010, which earned him a spot on the U.S. Olympic team ahead of the 2010 Vancouver games.
After his first Olympics, Hamilton continued to train as a member of the U.S. National Team with the Stratton Mountain School club, competing in six World Championships and two more Olympics in 2014 and 2018.
Hamilton originally intended to retire alongside his wife after the 2019-2020 season. However, after a discouraging season rocked by injuries, he decided to delay his retirement.
“If I’d hung up my skis after last year, I know I would have felt empty and unfulfilled,” Hamilton said.
This season, after an unconventional summer training program disrupted by the pandemic, Hamilton competed in a final circuit of races in Europe. Despite scheduling uncertainties, he stayed in Europe with the rest of the U.S. team for the entire season due to the effective operation run by the International Ski Federation.
Though his celebratory exit from the world of competitive skiing was upended, Hamilton said he remains pleased with his final season. Looking forward, he’s excited to move back to Colorado with his wife where he plans to begin the next chapter of his life.
(03/11/21 10:57am)
Thomas Phifer ’14 has risen to prominence in the world of competitive rowing, qualifying for the Men’s 1x United States Olympic Team Trials in Sarasota, Florida and advancing to the semifinals held on Feb. 25.
The accomplishment shines particularly bright given the barriers to entry Phifer has faced, including his club team roots and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Phifer walked onto the Middlebury men’s crew team his sophomore spring with no prior experience in the sport, spending three out of four semesters rowing with the varsity squad. Even though the Middlebury club team wasn’t as serious as Division-I teams, Phifer said he enjoyed the academic-athletic balance and formed lasting friendships with his teammates.
After graduating from Middlebury, the New York native stayed in town for a year to coach the Middlebury squad, train on his own and teach German in Vergennes. His next stop took him to Oxford University, where he trained with the school’s men’s team.
“It was just for one year, but I feel like I learned a ton,” Phifer told The Campus.
Phifer’s next move was to the US Olympic Training Center, when he received an invite to train with his current team at the Penn AC Rowing Association. Despite his place among some of the best rowers in the country, Phifer still felt disadvantaged given his unconventional history in the sport. “I felt like I was still playing catch up against guys from Division-I programs,” he said.
Phifer took up single sculling — solo rowing with two oars — realizing it was more conducive to someone with a club background.
After deciding to continue with the sport competitively after college, Phifer knew that his ultimate goal was to compete in the Olympics, but that he had to rise to the occasion and train strategically and aggressively to make it a reality. “I knew it was a slim shot, but yes, it always has been my goal,” Phifer said.
Even after the hard work and training, Phifer still had to reckon with the realities of the pandemic that put the competitive world of rowing on pause for a whole year. He was unable to train with his entire team, and all of the races for the year were canceled. Before the Olympic qualifying time trials, the last sprint race he was able to compete in was in August 2019.
However, Phifer was able to overcome these challenges with flying colors in the Olympic Time Trials, progressing to the semi-finals.
In reflecting on the trials, Phifer remembered the most difficult aspect being the mental component. He was able to move past this with his philosophy of taking everything as it comes. “You need to separate yourself from the idea that everything needs to be perfect,” he said.
Despite not advancing to the final round, Phifer still has Olympic ambitions; if the 2020 Olympics aren’t a possibility, then he will look toward the 2024 games.