Sean Dennehy ’19 receives a pass in the game against Deerfield
In any sport, playing a game at a team’s home athletic venue can be an asset because of increased fan support and familiarity with the facility. At Choate, student athletes may experience some negatives when participating in an athletic competition at home, but playing at home is mainly associated with positives.
When Choate students participate in home athletic contests, they don’t have to acclimate to their surroundings. Practicing and playing at the same venue all season helps build a familiarity that cannot be replicated in an away game. For example, Choate lacrosse teams play away games at schools with different types of field conditions, ranging from long grass to turf. The difference in playing surface can affect the way the lacrosse ball bounces on the ground, which can be particularly important for lacrosse goalies. Similarly, hockey rinks at other New England schools can have different dimensions or ice surfaces than Choate’s hockey rink, The Remsen Arena. Taft and Hotchkiss have Olympic-sized hockey rinks, which means they are wider than most, including The Remsen Arena. Choate Boys’ Junior Varsity Hockey Head Coach Mr. Jesse Minneman said, “In hockey rinks, the dimensions are all a little bit different. The puck bounces a little bit differently, and the ices are all a little bit softer or harder.”
In addition to the conditions, the athletic resources at Choate are definitely an asset on gameday. The trainers at Choate can provide any treatment that student-athletes may need before games. Varsity Hockey and Baseball player Chris Guyette ’19 said of the resources at Choate: “As an athlete at Choate, I am fortunate to have access to our amazing trainers and facilities. Thus, an advantage of playing at home is that I can go to the trainers to get treatment for any injuries before a game.” Many Choate student-athletes also have their own pre-game routines. Guyette said, “Playing at home makes these routines easier to accomplish because you know where everything is, and you know how the facilities work. So, you can focus all your attention on the game, instead of worrying if you’ll be able to do your pregame routine.”
Another positive aspect of having a home game is having more fans. For games at Choate, many local families can regularly attend home games because of the convenient location. Choate students can also easily support their classmates at home games. More home fans at athletic competitions can provide motivation for home teams. Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse player Liza Diffley ’19 said of the fan support at home games: “It also helps that, at home games, we often get a larger crowd of fans than we do at away games, even if it’s just local parents.”
Oftentimes at Choate, not enough students show up at games. Many Choate students participate in sports with athletic competitions or simply have other commitments that can prohibit them from attending some Choate home games. Girls’ Varsity Hockey Head Coach Ms. Nicole Stock said, “Overall, we do not get a large number of fans at the games. Usually, it is just parents from both teams.”
At some marquee home games during the year, the Boar Pen will decide to feature a specific game in an attempt to increase fan support from Choate students. These games are usually between Choate’s league rivals or for teams that are doing particularly well in their seasons. Mr. Minneman commented on the marque games: “For things like the Friday night or Saturday night games in the winter or Under the Lights in the fall or the spring, I’ve seen that really makes a difference. When our fans are there, and there is a game that the Boar Pen has picked as a marquee game, I think it has a huge impact.” A promoted game with a large attendance of Choate students can also act as a type of social gathering, like a SAC dance. Guyette said, “Every year we play Deerfield on a Saturday night, and every year since my freshman year there has been 100+ students packed into the Remsen Arena.” He continued, “A Saturday night hockey home game acts almost as a social gathering for Choate students, which I believe is a reason that many students attend our games.”
While there are certainly benefits to playing a home game at Choate, there are also some negatives. Especially on Wednesdays, many Choate student-athletes have other classes or commitments right before an athletic event. A bus ride to an away game can allow student-athletes to spend some time focusing on the game. Ms. Stock said of the negative aspects of a home game: “The only negative to having a home game is that you do not have the bus ride to nap or focus in on the game. You can be doing other things on campus right up until you need to be at your game, which can mentally be challenging for some athletes.” Mr. Minneman shared a similar sentiment, explaining, “There is something to be said for having everyone together as a team an hour or two in advance. In some ways, it can force setting aside time to prepare before warmups.”
Overall, the advantages of playing a home game at Choate obviously outweigh the disadvantages. Specifically, the greater fan support at home games provides motivation for Choate sports’ teams playing at home compared to teams playing away games., Guyette added, “Most importantly, as a player, there is nothing more memorable than looking into the crowd during the game and seeing your best friends and classmates making signs for you and attentively watching you play the sport you love. That in itself is a huge reason why home-field advantage exists at Choate.”
