By Bella Welch ’26
Soccer recruits hopping in the pool for water polo, linebackers cleating up for ultimate frisbee, and field hockey players switching to netted sticks for lacrosse — Choate’s trimester-based system encourages students to step outside of their athletic comfort zones and try new sports in their off-season. The School’s requirement for students to participate in at least two athletic activities throughout the year has driven varsity athletes to find enjoyment in a new medium of athletics.
These crossovers have helped athletes enhance their skills for their primary sport. Maddy Childs ’26, who is mainly a wing forward in soccer but currently plays for Girls’ Varsity Water Polo, reflected on the similarity of the two sports. “It’s that same idea of picking up whoever that one really good player at the top is, and basically just trying to stop them from getting the ball,” Childs said. The strategies might differ due to the unique dynamics of each sport, but the core principles remain the same: prevent the other team from scoring. “Tracking back and man-marking to a player translates from soccer [to water polo] a lot,” Childs said.
Childs has also learned the valuable lesson of thinking ahead by participating on various teams. She said, “Soccer definitely helped me with just having a sports mind, like understanding who is open, where they’re going to pass the ball to next, and trying to think a few plays ahead.” In the spring, she translated this mindset to water polo, which has helped her find success.
Similarly, Mary-Jaine “MJ” Malonis ’27 has found many benefits in participating in various sports, namely Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey and Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse. “I think that my communication skills on the field have gotten better, and it has crossed over to both sports, as well as just being in shape,” Malonis said. “My strength, teamwork, and attitude [have also improved].” Through the sports-crossover culture at Choate, Malonis has also been able to experience the simultaneously inclusive and competitive team dynamics of the School’s varsity teams. Because many of her teammates also play both field hockey and lacrosse, she has been able to form deeper connections with her teammates on and off the field.
Using tactics and skills from Varsity Football, Pearson Hill ’24’s spring term began with his breakout season on the Varsity Co-ed Ultimate Frisbee Team. Hill said, “I see every long throw like a fader out in football. I can be patient with it and then see where the angle that it is going to be, and then run to it at the last moment so my defender doesn’t have a chance to get it.” As a wide receiver in football, Hill’s running routes translate to moving into open space for passes and tracking the frisbee.
Originally a hockey recruit, tri-varsity athlete Maggie Swanson ’26 brings her game from the ice to the field hockey turf and the softball field. Although Swanson grew up playing hockey and softball, she tried field hockey for the first time as a freshman at Choate. “I feel like there’s a lot of crossover between field hockey, softball, and also with hockey. A lot of the stick skills are similar, so when I was joining new to field hockey last year having never played before, it was easy to pick everything up and gain the skills quickly,” she said. On the other hand, navigating between three sports came with challenges. “There are very different forms and also the rules are very different, so it was hard to change the way I played at first, but I adapted to the different amount of contact with each,” Swanson said. Furthermore, many of her Girls’ Varsity Hockey teamates were also on Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey, making it a fun season full of team bonding.
Within the complexities of tactical plays and traverse skills, it is easy to overcomplicate distinctions between sports. However, open-minded Choate athletes can identify the connections between these activities and use these similarities to dominate multiple fields.
