Athletics Awards

This year's Stearns Cup winner was just inducted into the 2024 4x3 class, for participating on the Soccer, Basketball, and Softball teams.  As co-head of AA she has brought leadership, energy and enthusiasm to the role. 

After recovering from a serious knee injury, this Soccer co-captain led by example with her hard work to heal and get back on the field. Always available to offer insightful feedback in team discussions and support her teammates. She also could be found being positive and cheering for her teammates when she was on the bench or on the field. She was able to be a friend to all and never stopped working to improve and have a positive impact on the team. 

The resilience and determination this year's Stearns Cup winner showed during basketball season was exceptional. Still recovering from her injury, she displayed remarkable strength and skill on the court, shining brightly in crucial moments. Her defensive prowess was unparalleled, consistently making crucial stops and bolstering the team's strength from the bench. 

Her coach describes her this way “Her leadership qualities were invaluable. As a senior leader, she exemplified what it means to be a great teammate, always willing to go the extra mile and eager to improve both individually and collectively. She is profoundly deserving of the Stearns Award, which honors outstanding athletes who exhibit not only exceptional skill but also extraordinary character and leadership”

This Softball captain consistently works hard to improve herself while also dedicating time and energy to helping her teammates grow. Her coach says “Her encouragement and infectious positivity boost our team spirit, making every practice and game a joy. Her genuine love for the game and her determination to support and uplift her teammates make her a perfect embodiment of the Stearns Cup values”

She exemplified what it means to be a great teammate, always willing to go the extra mile and eager to improve both individually and collectively.

Alex Hayes is one of our 4x3 inductees and is the epitome of team spirit and school pride. She was the loudest and proudest at Homecoming, Mountain Day and Field Day. She is also a skilled, strong and determined athlete. She was an outstanding captain of the soccer team for two years, and when you watch her play, she always gives 100 percent effort. Not to mention—she knows how to score goals. 

Alex also took on the role of elder statesman in both indoor and outdoor track this year. She was very good about herding the ninth graders on the indoor team to the check-in table on time, and could always be counted on to run up to the stands to grab a baton or check on a teammate. Even though she was injured for nearly all of the indoor season, she was a very positive influence and a fantastic role model for the younger members of the team. This trend continued during outdoor, and she was always an enthusiastic presence in the stands and on the sidelines when not competing.

This year's  Stearns recipient is the definition of enthusiasm and excitement. She shows up to practice and her presence is felt in the most positive way.  Her teammates enjoy being around her and coaches love working with her.  She is a leader in everything she does (even if she doesn't always have the title).  

Regardless of the sport, season or score, Emily's supportive voice could be heard on the bridle path in Central Park, on the basketball court at the Field House and on the track out at Ichan. She makes sure her teammates feel included and lifts their spirits with sugary snacks. When her track teammates were competing in indoor track (a team she is not even on), she made the trip to the Armory to scream, cheer and support.

As a thrower in track and field, Emily demonstrated similar adaptability and showed herself to be a resilient competitor. She always strives for greatness as an athlete, but more importantly as a person.

The International Coaching community defines a coach as someone who:

-helps a person change in the way they wish and helps them go in the direction they want to go.
-supports a person at every level in becoming who they want to be.
-builds awareness, empowers choice and leads to change.

Tonight we are going to start off our evening honoring a special Coach and Teacher who exemplifies this definition. 

You have been a committed coach and teacher at Brearley since 1991.  You have coached and taught countless sports and physical education classes. You have been the leader of MSAA and a passionate advocate for the growth and development of our middle school sports program. You have certified hundreds of students in CPR and You are someone who always volunteers to help. You can also be depended on for a funny story or two.  

Coach Snyder it is my pleasure to have the opportunity to honor you with the 2024 Coach’s Achievement award.  This award is given every year to a head coach, assistant coach or entire coaching staff that has demonstrated outstanding achievement.   

Today we are honoring your 33 years of coaching and teaching by renaming our Coaches award after you.  Moving forward “The Synder Coaching Achievement Award” will be given to coaches who reflect your passion and commitment to Brearley sports.  Please accept this year's Coach Achievement award for your years of extraordinary dedication to Brearley sports. 

This special blanket was created for you with years of Brearley homecoming, field day, and other event shirts. We hope that through looking at this blanket you will be reminded how much the Brearley Community appreciates your selfless work.  

Thank you, Lorre and we all are wishing you a healthy and productive retirement.

When we think about a coach being the “face of a program,” we typically think about coaches who have been with their teams for decades and decades. We think of Bill Belichick and the Pats, John Wooden at UCLA, Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee, and so on. This coach, despite having been at Brearley for less than a decade, has established herself as virtually synonymous with cross country. Indeed, Brearley cross country and Cait Bradley are just like PB and J—it is nearly impossible to think of one without immediately thinking of the other. 

For the past eight years, the cross country team has flourished with Coach Bradley at the helm. The team has grown to the size of a small army—or a thundering herd of bulls! Cross country has finished in the top five at NYSAIS Championships twice and won AAIS Championships in 2021. However, building a strong cross-country program is not merely about results on Milesplit; rather, it is about creating a positive and inclusive environment. Creating this type of environment comes very naturally to Coach Bradley and is her greatest strength as a coach. 

Student-athletes often talk about the cross country team as a “friendly” team with “good vibes,” which is a direct result of Coach Bradley’s firm yet compassionate leadership. She takes the time to check in with every single athlete at the beginning of practice and is quick to modify workouts or lend a kind and sympathetic ear after a rough day. Most notably, she bravely risks car sickness after meets by checking in with every athlete on the bus while the bus lurches through traffic. Her athletes, students and colleagues know that she will always treat them with empathy and respect in every situation. When called upon to help with anything, she never fails to lend a hand. 

Coach Bradley herself, however, is not without her own athletic accomplishments. After a solid track and cross country career at Fairfield High School, she ran at Dickinson College where she currently holds school records in three events: the 600 meters and mile for indoor track and the steeplechase for outdoor track. Other highlights of her collegiate career include second place at Divsion 3 cross country nationals in 2006 and third place in the steeplechase at D3 outdoor nationals in 2007. In 2008, she was the D3 national champion in the steeplechase. She has turned her focus to marathoning in recent years and has run two marathons under three hours. 

To her embarrassment, I often use her as an example of how others could coach their teams in the organized, detailed, loving way she runs the cross country program. Brearley has been incredibly fortunate to count Coach Bradley among its faculty and coaches for the past eight years. We will all sorely miss her next year as she embarks upon a two-year journey to become a physician assistant. 

Her genuine compassion for others combined with her stellar work ethic will certainly serve her well while working in healthcare. I think we would all be very relieved to see her if any of us ended up in the hospital for some reason. In recognition of her effective and empathetic leadership, the 2023 Coach of the Year Award goes to Coach Cait Bradley. 

Ms. Jacobs stepped into a role she doesn't ordinarily fill. Along with her co-directors and student choreographers, she created a dance performance that was intentional, beautiful, inclusive and meaningful.  If you did not get a chance to see the work she did for winter 2022's “Evening of Dance”, I promise you missed something magical.  

Coach Jacobs please come forward and accept this award in recognition of your outstanding achievement in leading the dance program this school year.