The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time on the Colorado Academy campus. The smell of the grass as I walk on a freshly cut Firman Field still evokes high school and college memories for me. All of the competitive Upper School teams have a pre-season, which provides time to reconnect with old friends and welcome new teammates as well as prepare for the upcoming season.

 

It’s always invigorating to see the new students and their high level of energy and engagement — whether rising from the CA Middle School or entering CA as high school freshmen. They always seem to enjoy the preparation and camaraderie. Also new on campus are Middle School Athletic Director Xan Funk, Assistant Athletic Director Jon Hill, and PE teacher Nicole Buckley.

 

These new “teammates” come to CA with a variety of backgrounds that I am confident will benefit the entire CA community. Each of these individuals has a student-centered approach; they are positive, energetic, and inclusive.

 

Also new on campus are Middle School Athletic Director Xan Funk, Assistant Athletic Director Jon Hill, and PE teacher Nicole Buckley.   These new “teammates” come to CA with a variety of backgrounds that I am confident will benefit the entire CA community.  Each of these individuals has a student-centered approach; they  are positive, energetic, and inclusive.

 

Xan Funk comes to Colorado Academy after three years at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas (Mike Davis’s former school). In her time at St. Stephen’s, She taught PE and Health and coached field hockey, basketball and lacrosse at both the middle and upper school levels. Prior to St. Stephen’s, Funk spent two years at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. She earned a B.A. in Exercise and Sport Science with a focus in Sport Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her senior year at UNC, Funk was a member of the 2007 field hockey team that earned an NCAA Championship. She was also part of the 2009 coaching staff that earned an NCAA Championship. Funk is the youngest member ever to be inducted to the Chapel Hill High School Hall of Fame, where she played field hockey and basketball. Funk says she is “excited to be a member of the CA community and help the Athletics Department provide a great experience” for our well-rounded student-athletes. She believes sports are a microcosm of life, and the value of the life lessons learned through sports is invaluable.

 

Jon Hill joins the CA Department of Athletics after 12 years at Denver Academy, where he was the Director of Elementary Sports and Homework Club Program, Physical Education and Health teacher, and coach. He has more than a decade of teaching and coaching experience with all age groups. In addition to his time at DA, Hill coached boys basketball  at Ponderosa High School and received his personal training and sports conditioning specialist certifications from the International Sports Science Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Performance and Sport — Sport Industry Operations.  Hill’s main focus will be on Upper School athletics, although he is looking forward to coaching and working with all CA student-athletes and helping with the Lower School students, too. Says Hill,

“CA is a fantastic educational institution; it  has a wonderful reputation in the state both academically and athletically.  I look forward to joining forces with the rest of the CA faculty and staff and pushing the envelope on excellence in athletics at CA.” 

 

Nicole Buckley, after heading the CA JV girls lacrosse team last spring, joins us as a PE instructor and will collaborate closely with Bob Ulrich, Beth Folsom, Sean Stedeford, Marcia Richards, Dan Pratt, and Xan Funk. Buckley is excited to start the school year teaching and coaching students on and off the field. She will coach JV Field Hockey, assisting on the Middle School Cross Country team and teach PE classes. Buckley says she believes “teachers and coaches have a responsibility to value students’ differences and use those differences to create  an environment where students feel comfortable to learn, grow, and never give up.”

Buckley is a 2014 graduate of Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, where she earned Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education and History. She played Division II lacrosse all four years of college and was captain in her senior year. After graduating, Buckley spent a year working at Shrewsbury School in England as a PE teacher and coach before moving to Colorado. Last year she coached CA’s JV Girls Lacrosse team and assisted with the Middle School girls team.

 

As we embark upon a new school year, I encourage you to get on campus to meet these new teachers, coaches and administrators,  and to watch the CA student-athletes prepare and compete. At CA, we compete at the highest possible level and have been very successful year after year because of the quality of our student-athletes and their coaches. Don’t miss Homecoming on  Saturday, September 17.  Activities start early on Saturday morning with the Lower and Middle School carnival, and tennis and volleyball matches. Games begin at 9:00 a.m.  A full slate of games and times can be found on the CA website.  Here’s to a great school year for all CA students and continued success in the athletic arena.  Go Mustangs!