The Hill Academy Newsletter - June 7th, 2020

H.I.L.L. Message

We are deeply saddened in regards to recent racist acts and violence in the U.S., Canada and around the world that bring to light to the systemic racism that impacts our communities. We grieve together for the entire Black community who experience hatred, injustice and violence.

The Hill Academy is committed to providing an environment where students can confidently express themselves while respecting the perspectives and expressions of others. This is an on-going process, where we need to work together in order to identify and eliminate discrimination and bias. Our priority is establishing an inclusive, safe, respectful space for student-athletes to pursue their goals. 

In this difficult time, we support each other, acknowledge each other's pain, and show compassion to anyone in the Hill community who may be angry, grieving and hurt. 

Life at the Hill and Upcoming Events

Athletic Gala: Save the Date

We know that our students and their families - particularly the 2020 graduates - are affected greatly by the circumstances affecting their end-of-year. With that in mind, The Hill Academy will be celebrating this year's Athletic Gala in a Virtual event. 

Save the date - Thursday, June 18th 6pm-8pm The Hill Academy will be hosting a YouTube Live gala event to celebrate the athletic and academic accomplishments of our student athletes.

Monday Assembly Coach Noble will be running a Monday morning assembly at 9:00am via Instagram Live. All students are expected to tune in to the @thehillacademy1845 instagram account at 9:00am for the weekly message, journal entry and challenge.

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Hill Lacrosse and Hockey

Things came full circle as we welcomed back our first guest speaker, Peak Performance Specialist, Mark Glicini. A lot has changed since since our talk in March. Below are a few of the many take aways from the conversation:

-Not training as a means to end; meaning finding the joy and purpose in your work regardless of where you think it will take you. -Understanding the relationship between freedom and discipline. Discipline can imply constraint, but in reality can lead to freedom. - Mark shared a reflection on his time getting recruited to Yale. Coach Andy Shay asks all of his recruits to tell a story to display their toughness. Can your response of this time be your story of toughness? Hill Hockey: It was a proud week for our hockey program as two alumni earned National CHL awards. Cole Perfetti, was awarded the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year. Cole, one of the top young hockey prospects in hockey, is also just as committed to his academics and a true example of a "student athlete." Shane Wright, who was also nominated for the Scholastic Player of the Year, was awarded with the CHL Rookie of the Year, particularly impressive as an underage player. Cole and Shane will always be remembered at The Hill for their hard work and commitment to all areas at The Hill.  Two players that set a great example. We also want to recognize Lane Hinkley on being drafted in the first round, 16th overall in the QMJHL entry draft. Congrats Lane! Hill Lacrosse: We continued to host a number live practices this past week and we opened our boys lacrosse practice to the public on Thursday.  It was cool hosting an online practice with 60 players. Thanks to the players for setting the example and we hope it gave those that are missing lacrosse right now a taste of normalcy.  With the recent events and the death of George Floyd, the first people that came to my mind are all the black players I have coached or played with over the years. Sport creates this cool relationship and connection that can stretch beyond race and background. My heart aches knowing the pain they must feel and I am reminded of all the challenges they have endured in their own journey through sport. The Hill will continue to be committed to exploring ways to make hockey and lacrosse more inclusive and diverse. We can not condemn racism enough and we walk alongside the black community in the pursuit of equal rights.

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Hill Performance As we enter our final full week of courses, we would just like to congratulate all students on a great year. You have shown resilience in the face of adversity, adapted to the new style of learning and have continued to show progress athletically, academically and personally. With only a few short days left of the school year, we encourage you to see it through to the finish line and ensure you leave no stone unturned in completing your work.

Students who have yet to book an exit interview with one of their work out coaches must do so this week. Please see the Google Sheets link to book a time slot with your specified coach. Along with this, your health task is due on June 16th, 2020.

Our staff will continue to provide Zoom workouts and programming throughout the summer for those athletes who are interested. If you would like to continue to train with us online, contact Coach Noble for details.