From athletics to the arts, food, exercise and sleep all help set the tone for the school day. On Tuesday, September 16, freshmen and sophomores spent X-Period discussing how these factors affect everything from classroom learning to athletic achievement. 

The diverse panel of experts was drawn from all over campus. Middle School Nurse Courtney Ash and Football Coach Lance Cleland were joined by Ampersand Theatre Artistic Director Paul Takács, who stressed the importance of physical fitness in the performing arts. Takács reminded participants that acting can often be physically demanding and requires close attention to good nutrition. “Physical health isn’t just about athletics,” said Director of Health and Wellness Ann Vanichkachorn. “We wanted to have a panel that spoke to the goals and passions of all our boys. From where we were, looking out at the audience, it wasn’t just athletes out there,” she said.

Robert Churchwell, the School’s diversity, community, and inclusion director, discussed his career in the NBA, shared lessons learned, and provided examples of daily sleep and hydration habits that he continues to practice. Head of Upper School Jake Westermann recalled his experience with nutrition as a college athlete, and Ian Squires, health teacher and wrestling coach, discussed how his coaching and athletic classroom lessons intersect. 

Recalling a difficult recovery from a sports injury, Squires explained that he wanted to stress the importance of healthy eating with his students. “My doctor coordinated the physical activity piece of the recovery, but I saw how important diet was, too,” said Squires. “When I paid more attention to that, I found improvement in my mental state, which allowed me to care for myself better. Eat what your body needs, not necessarily what you feel like eating,” he said.

According to Vanichkachorn, US boys submitted nearly 100 questions for the panelists in advance. The talk was aimed at the younger Upper School boys, as this is an important stage in their development and directly addresses what will be required of them in the years ahead. “They’re just in the beginning of their growing years,” said Ash. “They’re experiencing a lot of changes to sleep and school workload, and they’re finding that balance of what a healthy routine looks like for them. They’re exploring what that looks like, and we’re here to support them here at school,” she said. 

More resources: