It’s not about winning, but living right

Published by The Boston Globe

In the last girls’ soccer game of the season at Maimonides School, an underclassman pulled off her uniform and handed her jersey over to an injured teammate.

Senior player Tifara Ramelson had torn ligaments in her knee during her final season, but Shoshana Ehrenkranz, a seventh-grader, wanted Ramelson to have one last chance to play.

Moments like these permeate the athletic program at Maimonides School, a Jewish day school in Brookline.



For its athletes and leaders, it was no surprise they were recognized for good sportsmanship this year.

“For me it’s not about winning the game; it’s about playing well,’’ said Sophie Edelman, the varsity volleyball captain. “I want to have a good relationship with my teammates rather than show them I’m the best server in volleyball.’’

Today, Maimonides will honor its athletic teams at the opening game of the girls’ basketball season by presenting the District Sportsmanship Award.

The school received the award last month at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 17th annual Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium.

The summit recognizes one school in each district for sportsmanship, and Maimonides won the award among private schools, said Peter Smith, the association’s assistant director. The summit has grown in the past several years as more schools are interested in attending, with 1,100 people participating this year, he said.

“This is the type of stuff you take for granted,’’ said Smith. “There are a lot of people out there doing good things, and they’re not things you see in the news.’’

Maimonides won the award after being nominated by Marie Laundry, athletic director at Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Brighton.

“They come prepared all the time. They’re good sports and play hard right up to the last minute,’’ said Laundry, who coaches basketball and soccer against the Maimonides teams. “They never give up, and they encourage each other.’’

Maimonides students, administrators, and coaches all agreed their sportsmanship stems from values the school teaches starting in kindergarten. Half the school day is spent in academic classes, while the other half is spent studying the Torah, administrators said.

Lashon harah, for example, is in Jewish law the prohibition of gossip. It teaches students to be mindful of what they say about others, said Rabbi Dov Huff, assistant principal of general studies.

“In the newspaper, you read about how some schools do terrible things and haze. That just doesn’t happen at Maimonides,’’ said Elan Baskir, a senior who plays soccer, basketball, and baseball.

Baskir said the men’s soccer team made the quarterfinals for the first time in school history this year. It wasn’t easy. One victory, Baskir recalled, came on a freezing, rainy day.

But when the team stood on the brink of losing in those quarterfinals, said Huff, he overheard the players chatting in their huddle, with their captain praising his teammates not only for a great season, but also for respecting others.

“To me, it was shocking. . . . What was on their minds is they did it the right way,’’ said Huff.

Rabbi David Ehrenkranz, who teaches the Bible and the Talmud and coaches varsity softball, said he teaches the same concepts in class and during practice.

“Dignity and self-restraint are second nature,’’ said Ehrenkranz. “I see no difference from students in my class, the way they behave in the classroom, compared to my athletes.’’

Athletic Director Hal Borkow said other schools and referees often compliment him on Maimonides students’ behavior, such as when a tough call is made, and the athletes take it in stride.

“The ref made a point to let me know that the kids behaved like mature young adults,’’ said Borkow.

But not everyone has to study the Torah to promote sportsmanship. Students said one of the most important ways to develop good attitudes is to maintain good relationships with teachers.

Huff, who graduated from Maimonides before becoming an administrator, said every grade has a tradition called shabaton, when students will spend the weekend at a teacher’s house, eating meals together and talking about important issues.

“Teachers in the school as a whole play a big role in how to behave,’’ said Tamar Kosowsky, a senior varsity volleyball captain. “Every school should focus on what it means to be athlete on the field.’’

Administrators said receiving the award meant they were doing the right thing, in and out of the classroom.

Judy Boroschek, general studies principal for the school, said, “It felt very affirming of what we’re trying to accomplish — to think school can have that much of an impact.’’

Needham parents barred from speaking on hazing allegations at meeting

Published by The Boston Globe

Parents of Needham High girls’ soccer players will not be allowed to present information related to an alleged hazing incident to the School Committee tonight as they had requested, the board's chairman said.

‘‘Details of student issues, we won’t discuss in public,” said Connie Barr, chair of the committee.

The Boston Globe reported last month that several members of the varsity girls' soccer team were suspended for hazing, but they returned to school while an appeals process began to determine whether to extend those suspensions.

Barr declined to comment on the appeals process.


At the last School Committee meeting, Mary Ellen Dunn, whose sophomore daughter is on the team, requested permission on behalf of the team’s parents to publicly present information related to the incident.

Dunn said parents are concerned that the soccer players’ civil rights may be violated if they are suspended. Dunn said that after she requested to present information at the committee meeting, Barr and Marianne Cooley, the committee’s vice-chair, offered to meet with her and other parents.

The parents met with Barr and Cooley, then with Superintendent Daniel Gutekanst, before the Thanksgiving break, said Dunn. She said she does not know whether the information she gave administrators has made an impact on the appeals process.

“We have provided them with all the information we have, including the information we have regarding the due process and civil rights violations that occurred with the suspensions,” said Dunn.

Dunn said the parents are not opposed to taking action against hazing behavior, but they believe the athletes should have had appeals before facing suspension. She said other punishments less harsh than suspension would have conveyed the message.

“We certainly agree they should investigate it, and there should be some consequences,” she said. “I would support a no tolerance message; every parent would, short of suspension from school.”

Powder puff game lives up to towns’ rivalry

Published by The Boston Globe

WELLESLEY — Clad in blue shirts, goldenrod shorts, and black leggings, the Needham girls powder puff football team stood along the sideline yesterday, hopping up and down, as much from adrenaline as from the chilly weather.

“I’ve been waiting all four years of high school for this,’’ said Courtney Steeves, 18, staring across the field at the rival Wellesley High team.

The Wellesley girls, wearing red shirts and black pants, were screaming so loudly they drowned out the Needham players across the field. They had nothing to lose. Needham had beaten them three years in a row, hanging on to a powder puff trophy Wellesley was determined to win back.


“We’re really competitive,’’ said Erin Baker, 18, of Wellesley. The Needham-Wellesley powder puff football game has been held the day before the boys’ Thanksgiving Day matchup since the 1980s, a boys’ rivalry that the towns contend is the nation’s oldest public-school sports rivalry.

Until the past decade, however, the powder puff games were secretly held by students in the woods and would attract underage drinking and violence between the schools.

“It was very unorganized and wasn’t very safe,’’ said Officer Tim Barrows of the Wellesley police. “It got pretty carried away to the point where police were called every time the game was played to break up fights.’’

It got so bad that the towns’ police departments volunteered to take over the tradition and coach the senior girls to compete for a trophy each year. Now the game is quite a bit more peaceful, but no less passionate.

At yesterday’s game, a group of shirtless boys with blue paint on their faces and chests spelling “NHS!’’ cheered on the sidelines, blowing blue plastic horns. “I love this,’’ said Tyler Reilly, 17, a Needham High senior.

Said Christina Gagosian, 17, “It’s a women-bonding thing, a rite of passage’’

Wellesley played Needham to a 6-6 tie in regulation time, with Needham’s Katherine Rayner scoring a touchdown with only 20 seconds remaining. Then, the two teams had a sudden-death “kick-off,’’ won by Wellesley.

“There was so much more community as a group,’’ said Leah Dowd, 17, who scored Wellesley’s touchdown. “We got really good at our positions and were really able to excel.’’

The Wellesley team, with about 30 girls, was smaller than usual this year. Needham’s team had about 50 girls.

The Wellesley girls will take a victory lap with the trophy at Needham High School’s Memorial Field during the football game today.

Yesterday’s game was a far cry from the pranks of years ago.

In 1991, some Needham students planted a rocket on the Wellesley field to show support for their mascot (the Needham Rockets), but officials at first thought the device was a bomb and the Thanksgiving game was delayed a day.

The Globe reported the rocket incident at the time, along with fans’ concerns that the prank and the powder puff “rumbles’’ were taking the rivalry too far. The Globe quoted one graduate as saying that students looked forward to the powder puff fight more than the game.

“We were chasing them through the woods,’’ said Officer Mike Schlittler, who coaches the Needham team. “The kids were put into a situation where they were going to get injured.’’

Now-retired Holliston Police Chief Tom Lambert, who was a sergeant in Needham at the time, led the effort to get the police involved with the game in 2000, said Schlittler. The first couple of years had a low turnout, but participation has grown ever since, he said.

The organized games now attract family, friends, and even teachers in the stands, although the event is still not school-sanctioned and the football team is not supposed to attend, said Barrows.

“They’ve really taken what could’ve been a bad experience for many people and turned it into something great and positive,’’ said Diana Parkhurst, a wellness teacher at Needham High.

Needham High parents want to address school committee about hazing controversy

Published by The Boston Globe

A parent of a sophomore on the Needham High girls’ soccer team tonight asked to address the town's school committee about the hazing controversy that led to the suspension of several girls earlier this month.

Mary Ellen Dunn, a parent of a girl on the team that was allegedly involved in hazing incidents last month, said she was speaking on behalf of the team when she addressed the committee during the public comment period of the meeting tonight. She said the group would like to make a presentation when the school committee meets again on Dec. 7.


Dunn, echoing other parents' comments on the matter over the last several days, said the hazing occurred on Oct. 29 outside of school and was resolved among the girls involved before the next school day.

The decision by the school administration to suspend senior girls involved was “a misjudgement,” she said.

“There was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by our children,” said Dunn. “The school has come to a hasty, erroneous interpretation of the event.”

Dunn said the parents have unsuccessfully tried to give the administration information about the incident, and they would like to present an account of what happened to the committee at their next meeting.

In an interview after the public comments, Dunn said the administration has jumped to conclusions without knowing all the facts of the incident.

Another parent, Todd White, said the parents have been meeting since the incident occurred, and they all disagree with the way the administration has handled the situation, even the parents of underclassmen. White said his daughter, who is an underclassman, never received a copy of the anti-hazing policy from her coach.

“If our children were aggrieved, we wouldn’t be all taking this position,” he said.

Another Needham resident, J.P. Pages, spoke during the comment period about the incident. He said the school suspended the girls under a statue forbidding hazing, but the same statue requires the school to give copies of the hazing policy to all coaches. The coaches, in turn, are supposed to relay the policy to each athlete, he said.

Pages said his two children who have attended Needham High never received the policy, and he has spoken with other parents who have said their children never received it, either.

“It seems to me an adult in charge of educating children can not hold them liable or responsible for conduct under law that they themselves violate,” he said. “[The administration] are the ones that failed students.”

Connie Barr, chair of the school committee, said that the committee does not respond to public comments, but the administration has made an effort to handle the situation in a way that is best for everyone involved.

Barr did not give any details of the hazing, and Superintendent Dan Gutenkanst did not mention the incident in his comments.

The Globe reported last week that two other parents said 10 girls on the team were suspended from school and 12 or 13 were prevented from playing in a district tournament game against Brockton.

Three parents, providing new details in separate interviews, said the seniors drove the girls around for a short time until they arrived at a field off school grounds where the team practices. They said the girls were told to remove their blindfolds on the field and were taunted. At least one was told to wear a dog collar and two were hit in the face with whipped cream pies. Others were made to sing songs or sing the praises of the seniors.

But each of the parents interviewed insisted that the episode was all in fun, a team-building exercise that might have gone too far but didn’t leave any of their girls harmed.

Late last week, Needham High School's principal said the students' actions "were not in keeping with the school's core values, mission, or code of conduct.''

Parents, students react to Needham soccer suspensions

Published by The Boston Globe

Parents, students and former players reacted strongly to Needham High School's decision to suspend several players for an alleged hazing incident, with some Needham parents insisting that the school went too far.

The mother of a junior on the Needham High School girls soccer team says that the suspensions of several players on the team for alleged hazing were too severe for what she called a "misguided attempt at team building.''

In an email to the Globe, Needham parent Sharon Lund said that the team was supporting both the players and the team's coach, who also reportedly has been placed on leave. She said her daughter is a junior on the team who was not implicated in the incident.


Other supporters of the team, including the godfather of one of the players, also criticized the school.

"As the parent of an underclassman, I can safely say that the ENTIRE Needham Girl's Soccer team and parents are UNANIMOUS in supporting each senior who has been placed on suspension and the coach who has been placed on administrative leave, and assert that the event in question in no way warrants the issuing of suspensions by Needham High School,'' Lund said in the email. "In a nutshell, there was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by team members, during a misguided attempt at team building.''

She continued:

"In my personal opinion, these girls have handled a serious mistake in a more mature fashion than either the NHS administration or the press has to date. This was an isolated intra-team issue that they resolved to everyone's satisfaction amongst themselves with active support from the coach, and in the process strengthened the bonds amongst them. As some of the parents have so aptly pointed out, aren't these the life skills that we want our daughters to have?''

Separately, Brendan Copley, a Needham High senior, said he thinks hazing is not as big an issue as bullying at Needham, because hazing is more like a ritual. He said his coaches have never talked about hazing before, and sometimes, underclassmen on his teams would get "picked on," but he thinks it may make some freshmen feel included.

"Some freshmen enjoy it; they're big kids now in the high school," he said. "Some take it a different way, and the seniors who do it should keep that in mind."

"The newscasters are brutal," he said of the news coverage of the Needham incident. "It's been blown out of proportion. Parents are overreacting because their kids just got to the high school, and they don't know what's going on."

Several members of the Needham High School girls’ soccer team were suspended before Monday night’s state tournament game for allegedly hazing younger players on the team.

WBZ-TV reported that the hazing victims had been blindfolded and led around on dog leashes, then hit in their faces with pies. The team’s coach, Carl Tarabelli, was put on administrative leave, the station said. He could not be reached for comment.

In an interview, a 1988 graduate of Needham High School who said he was the godfather of one of the suspended students said he was shocked and disappointed that the girls were suspended.

"This is something that has been going on for years. It is nothing major, and everyone jumped to conclusions so quickly," said Joshua Melia, a Needham resident. He said he was "angry and disappointed" on behalf of his goddaughter, a senior co-captain, and her teammates for "something so minor."

"This was not bullying and it was not hazing, but that's what they are calling it. To just label the kids in that way isn't fair," said Melia, who said he was a member of Needham High's wrestling team, and recalled that minor-league teasing of freshmen team members was common in his day.

In an email to the Globe, Benji Eisenberg, who identified himself as a Needham High graduate, said, "Hazing/initiation rites are one of the most important aspects of team building and bonding ... tryouts are almost a hazing experience in themselves.''

Parents watching the Lincoln-Sudbury varsity boys soccer playoff vs. Brookline today said they felt that, overall, Needham school officials had acted properly.

"Hazing is a form of bullying," said Nancy Childress, who said she was a teacher and the parent of a Lincoln-Sudbury freshman. "When you are put in a position of having to do something you didn't want to do, it's bullying."

School officials have said little to explain the suspensions.

“The Needham High School Community is saddened about recent events involving the girls’ soccer team,’’ said a statement from the superintendent’s office Tuesday afternoon. “The high school administration, staff, students, and families urge the local Needham community to support our team as they face Brockton tonight.’’

A huddle to celebrate Needham's 300th

Published by The Boston Globe

Walter Cardinali and Ed Eastman can’t remember a fonder moment during their year as cocaptains of Needham High’s football team in 1952 than the Thanksgiving Day game when they defeated Wellesley High, 51 to 0.

A mischievous smile creeps across Cardinali’s face when asked how it felt to beat Needham’s biggest foe in the oldest public high school football rivalry in the country.

“It was good,’’ he said with a nod.

The famous match, first played in 1882, is just one aspect of Needham football’s rich history.



High school sports have been such a part of the town’s fabric over the years that the Needham 300 Committee will kick off a yearlong celebration of the town’s tercentennial with a football game, Needham vs. Dedham, tomorrow night. The committee has also commissioned a documentary, “100 Years of Needham Football,’’ in which Cardinali, Eastman, and other old- and not-so-old-timers talk about the glories of past Rockets squads. It will be shown at 6 p.m. on a drive-in-movie-sized screen at Memorial Field, with the game to follow at 7 p.m.

For the film, alumni who played football for Needham between 1940 and the 1970s shared their stories in front of a camera set up at the Village Club on Morton Avenue last month.

“Needham High football games bring the whole community together,’’ said Kathy Walker, who worked with her husband, Jamie, on the documentary. “It’s a cool thing to do on a Friday night.’’

Needham football players and cheerleaders, past and present, will be invited onto the field to be recognized tomorrow night, she said. Walker, whose four children have all played football or been cheerleaders for Needham High, said the games are a chance for all generations to gather.

And the committee’s documentary is sure to capture a span of generations. One former player featured in the film, Bob Giumetti, 70, is part of the only known father-son pair of captains in Needham history. Giumetti coached his son, Rob, on a Pop Warner team, and Giumetti Jr. went to become captain of the high school squad in 1993.

“I didn’t push him into it, but he became a great athlete,’’ Giumetti Sr. said. “He has a bunch of trophies; I’m really proud of him.’’ Giumetti Jr. said having his father for a coach made him work even harder in Pop Warner, and as captain he tried to live up to his father’s accomplishments.

“At one point, you just want to be the best you can be,’’ he said.

Giumetti Sr., who played from 1956 to 1958, said one of his favorite football moments was speaking as captain at the Friday night pep rallies, back when the games were played on Saturday afternoons.

“We didn’t have lights then, so we’d get the team motivated on Friday night,’’ he said. “Having your own teammates looking up to you . . . it’s an honor I’ll never forget as long as I live.’’

Charlie Wright, who used to work on Needham’s local-access cable TV system and made a short documentary about the Needham-Wellesley rivalry in 1987, was chosen to help with the film project. His old videotape, however, had been lost, so Wright began his research from scratch.

“I thought, let’s see if we can get some old-timers to come; they know this stuff,’’ he said.

Eastman and Cardinali were witnesses to many landmarks in the team’s history during their stint playing for Needham, from 1950 to 1952. Legendary physical education teacher Mario “Mike’’ DeFazio was the team’s assistant coach, the Booster Club was formed, and, Eastman said, the team’s nickname went from the Hilltoppers to the Rockets.

Back in their day, the rivalry between Needham and Wellesley was a respectful one, said Eastman, 75, and Cardinali, 76.

They even visited the Wellesley High pep rally the night before the Big Game when it was being played in Wellesley, and spoke in front of the opposing student body.

“We demonstrated what a nice relationship we had. Weren’t you taken with one of the Wellesley cheerleaders?’’ Eastman asked Cardinali, who laughed.

Cardinali, however, said the seriousness of the rivalry could be seen at every Needham practice, when DeFazio would place the names and numbers of Wellesley players on the tackling dummies.

It all began when the section of town known as West Needham broke away in 1881 to form Wellesley, said Gloria Greis, executive director of the Needham Historical Society. In November 1882, the Wellesley team’s captain, Arthur Oldam, issued a challenge to continue the East Needham-West Needham game as an intertown match, she said.

“They all knew each other; it was easy to make the challenge,’’ said Wright. “And the original games were mad chaos . . . it was more like rugby. They played with ringers, their older brothers who had graduated, and Wellesley even claimed once Needham was using [someone’s] father.’’

The Needham football team didn’t become official until 1904, when the high school introduced rules of academic eligibility, said Roy Johan, a current assistant coach at Needham. The name back then was the Needham Athletic Association.

The reason behind the shift from Hilltoppers to Rockets is a bit uncertain.

Johan said the nickname was changed in 1954 to recognize the military’s new Nike missile site in town. Eastman, however, said a father of one of his hockey teammates dubbed Needham’s hockey players as “Rockets’’ in 1951, and then the name was adopted by the other teams three years later.

The nickname wasn’t the only change the team has seen: Equipment has evolved, the team’s games moved from Greene’s Field to Memorial Park, and the players have gotten bigger, said Cardinali.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the strength of the football program’s involvement with the community, said Ralph Toran, who played from 1958 to 1960. Toran, whose wife is a former Needham cheerleader, remembers watching the older players and looking forward to his turn on the field.

“Three-quarters of these guys still live in Needham, and they continue to give their time and effort to building the community,’’ said Toran, 67. “And in these hard times, young folks pushed to get appropriations and raise money for the turf field, and that tradition is continued.’’

Celtics star Ray Allen shoots hoops with fans

Published by The Boston Globe

Boston Celtics All-Star guard Ray Allen took on five fans today in a game of knock-out at Dunkin' Donuts in Waltham.


The fans were selected for being "caught cold" with Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee as part of a new promotion the coffee franchise has started with the Celtics. For more photos, go here.

All five contestants received free tickets to tomorrow's opening game against the Miami Heat. They will also all have the chance to be in a commercial with Allen for the promotion.

Click to see photo gallery and video

"Playing shoot-out is always fun," said Allen. "It's like going back to your childhood. It's a great way to stay in shape."


Mike Gesualdi, 30, of Lowell, Donald Hill, 45, of Delaware, Kendra Bannister, 20, of Virginia, Anthony Barnardo, 25, of Dracut, and Diana Cincotta, 21, of Plymouth, all signed up for the contest at the Dunkin Donuts on Lexington Street in Waltham.

The competition started off light, said Allen. He didn't play his full game at first to give everyone a chance. He realized he had to step it up, however, when Bannister, a junior guard for Newbury College, and Cincotta, a junior guard for Brandeis University, showed off their skills.

The two college athletes were the remaining contestants, until Bannister finally knocked out Cincotta. She only lost to Allen.

"He knocked a lot of people out for me; he did most of the work," said Bannister. "I didn't get nervous until it was just me and him. Then he tapped me on the shoulder, and I just chucked it up there and lost."

Dunkin' Donuts said its new promotion, which corresponds with their renewed sponsorship for the team this season, gives away tickets to people across the state “caught cold” drinking iced coffee near Dunkin’ Donuts locations or in other public places every Thursday this season. The contest was the kick-off event.

“Both the Celtics and Dunkin’ Donuts are local icons in Boston,” said Tom Manchester, field marketing manager for Dunkin’ Donuts. “We’re trying to give our customers access to see the Celtics.”

Allen said with the current economy, the Celtics want to do everything they can to get people to their games.

"It's awesome," said Allen. "I’d be out here if I was 12 or 13 years old, trying to get tickets any way I can.”

After the game, Allen talked about the importance of winning every game this season.

“Roles start as the season takes shape,” said Allen. “We have to make sure we set a precedent.”

He also said Shaquille O'Neal, who joined the team this season, is "like a big kid."

"You've got to be on your toes with him," Allen said.

Renovated Bowditch ready for new legends

Published by The Boston Globe

Bowditch Field in Framingham once had a concession stand by the front gates where former football players, back to watch the current crop, would eat hot dogs and reminisce about the great high school running backs of their day.

On Saturday, when Bowditch’s stadium hosts its first game since a $5 million renovation project, the old concession stand will be gone. But in its place, fans attending the Framingham High-Norwood High match will find a plaza with a display showing milestones in local football history, and leaving space for the memories to continue.

“A lot of people have had great moments here,’’ said Robert Merusi, director of the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. “There’s a strong emotional attachment . . . so we felt compelled to capture the history.’’


A full slate of activities this weekend will celebrate the nearly yearlong overhaul of the newly renamed Bowditch Field Athletic and Cultural Complex.

The upgrades include new restrooms, locker rooms, concession stands, and lighting, a press box, and bleachers with room for 5,100 fans, the same as before but with more safety and comfort. “I’m proud of what we accomplished with that amount of money,’’ Merusi said.

Renovating Bowditch is part of a wider effort to boost Framingham’s economic development and improve its image, he said. The events at the revamped complex are expected to draw business to area restaurants, increase property values, and entice visitors from out of town.

“This is one of the most prominent stadiums in the state,’’ said Merusi. “People . . . are going to know what town they’re in.’’

Bowditch Field has always been a landmark for area athletes and sports fans, said Gary Doherty, Framingham High’s head football coach and athletic director. The renovations have preserved memories while creating a first-class facility, he said.

“It’s a source of pride,’’ said Doherty. “Starting with our Norwood game, the kids are going to want to go out and play hard to represent their town and the community.’’

The Thanksgiving Day game against Natick High has been a favorite tradition at Bowditch Field, he said. On past game days, the field has had standing room only, as up to 6,000 people crammed into the stadium.

The original concrete grandstands, built in 1935 as one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal projects, had been deteriorating for some time when they were declared unsafe by engineers in 2004. The following year, efforts began to replace the stands and bring the complex up to current building, environmental, and accessibility codes.

Many people will appreciate the new stands, Doherty said, because the aluminum seats are safe while the brick parts of the stadium harken back to the feel of the old, concrete stands.

Doherty said he also appreciates that the stadium has locker rooms, replacing the old ones that were behind the Parks and Recreation office on the Union Avenue side of the complex.

“Now, we can come out and go right out onto the fields. They just did a great job,’’ he said.

Unlike renovated fields in other nearby towns, the new Bowditch Field does not have artificial turf. Merusi said that’s because of cultural events the town wants to host in the new stadium. Turf may be installed in the future, but for now, concertgoers and soccer players will enjoy a field of grass.

“There’s advantages and disadvantages to both,’’ said Doherty. “If it was turf, we’d be able to take advantage of it just by the number of games and number of teams that could use it.’’

In 1869, the Middlesex Agricultural Society purchased the land between Union Avenue and Walnut Street where Bowditch Field stands, and established exhibition halls and race tracks.

As Framingham’s economy moved away from agriculture, and athletics grew in popularity, the town bought the field in 1917 for park property. The athletic field was built in 1922, and the stands followed a decade later.

Town lore has it the Flyers nickname for the high school’s sports teams was created to honor the many young Framingham men who joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, said Fred Wallace, a researcher at the Framingham History Center. The history of the Flyers’ name, which first appears in a newspaper report in 1944, is uncertain and “buried in folklore,’’ he said, but most people have taken the story as true.

When Framingham’s high schools, North and South, were recombined in the mid-1990s, debate ensued over which mascot to keep, said Merusi. The Spartans of Framingham North had a better football record, but tradition won the day, with the new school keeping the blue and white Flyers taken by Framingham South.

The grand reopening weekend starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, and continues with the official dedication ceremony at 1 p.m., followed by a football doubleheader featuring Framingham vs. Norwood at 3 p.m. and Marian High hosting Pope John XXII Central High at 8 p.m.

Sunday will feature music and entertainment on two stages, including ensembles from area schools, the Latin Jazz Orchestra at 2:30 p.m., and folk icon Arlo Guthrie bringing his “Journey On’’ tour with the Family Band as the headliners at 5 p.m.

Tickets for Sunday’s performances are $5 for residents, $1 for children; $10 for nonresidents, and $2 for nonresident children; they are available at the parks office at 475 Union Ave.

Monday’s slate of free sports events includes youth lacrosse, a Framingham United soccer game at 2:30 p.m., and a Brazilian soccer game at 4:30 p.m.

Newton West falls to Peabody Western in first Little League state championship game

Published by The Boston Globe




View the PEABODY photo gallery here.




View the NEWTON photo gallery here.

Video highlights:

Senior athletes honored with day

By Katrina Ballard and Lyle Moran

PUBLISHED by The Daily Free Press

As ice rinks and basketball courts give way to sunnier days and greener fields, senior athletes are beginning to reminisce about their time playing for Boston University teams and look forward to their plans after graduation.


The finale for each sport culminates every year in Senior Night, a special ceremony for fans to recognize the accomplishments of the graduating seniors.

"For any sport, I think it's important to recognize that you've been there for four years and had the trials and tribulations of balancing schoolwork," Terriers ice hockey forward and School of Management senior Craig Sanders said.

Men's hockey had its Senior Night on March 7, which was the end of the regular season -- a win against Providence College.
Defender Kevin Kielt, a Metropolitan College senior, said Senior Night was "tough" for him because he didn't get to play, but it was a positive experience overall.

"It was good to be there the last night and soak it all in," Kielt said. "It was the last time we played in front of the fans in that building . . . It was the parents' night to congratulate us and be proud, with everything they helped us accomplish."

Women's ice hockey coach Brian Durocher said the team's Senior Night, a game March 1 against Northeastern University, recognized School of Management senior Stephanie Armstrong and College of Arts and Sciences senior Julie Poulin for their courage to transfer to BU and play for a brand-new team. Women's ice hockey is only in its third year of varsity play.

Durocher said Senior Night is especially important for the women's team because there is no professional hockey league for players to join after graduation.

"Some guys I've coached are going on to play professionally, but on the women's side its kind of an ending in a lot of ways," he said. "It's hopefully a fitting and appropriate ending and gives the fans a chance to clap for them and to shake hands."

Senior Day for the women's basketball team took place on March 8 when the Terriers played the University of Albany. Prior to the game, seniors Kasey Devine, Cheri Raffo and Corinne Jean were given gifts and led out onto the court with their parents, Devine said.

The underclassmen on the team also decorated the locker room and posted their favorite quotes from each senior.

"Senior Day is an extremely special day because you are dealing with young women you have just spent the last four years with," women's basketball coach Kelly Greenberg said. "It is the culmination of a lot of hard work, a lot of hours and a lot of memories are shared. It is also a day where coaches and younger teammates can really say thank you."

Later in the day, the team, coaching staff, family members and a select group of supporters headed to the George Sherman Union for a reception dinner. The dinner was a time for the juniors and Greenberg to reflect on what they will miss most about the graduating players.

"What I said to our team after [the season ended] is that if the younger players can learn anything from the three seniors, it is how they came prepared and ready to play hard at practice at every day for four years," Greenberg said.

Fenway graduation idea benched, as NYU plans Yankee field ceremony

PUBLISHED by The Daily Free Press

Boston University students won't have to coordinate their graduation gowns with the Green Monster anytime soon.


Though New York University students will get their diplomas at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx this May, BU will hold its traditional commencement on Nickerson Field.

"I'm sure it's been discussed previously," BU spokesman Colin Riley said. "In essence, we're having it on the Braves' field. They used to play here, so it's a similarly historical location."

Riley said moving about 35,000 commencement guests to Fenway Park would be inconvenient because bringing in all guests and equipment when a sufficient venue is available "doesn't make sense."

Fenway Park events spokesman Ed Carpenter said Red Sox home games may conflict with the graduation date and preparing the field for commencement would be a source of concern.

NYU is holding its ceremony in Yankee Stadium because few other venues are large enough, NYU spokeswoman Kelly Franklin said in an email. She said the University Senate faculty, administrators and students voted on the location based on student feedback and stadium accessibility.

Franklin said the majority of NYU students have responded positively but, some NYU Red Sox and Mets fans denounced their commencement location, calling the stadium the home of "the Evil Empire," according to an article in the NYU student newspaper, The Washington Square News.

The idea of a BU graduation at Fenway produced mixed responses among BU students.

College of Communication senior Monty Bennett said in an email that he thinks a Sox commencement is "a terrible idea." He said all students can take pride in graduating on campus, but the same would not be true for a Fenway graduation.

"Graduating is a big part of life, and a large portion of BU students are from the Tri-State area and are Yankees fans," Bennett said. "Many of whom, I'm sure, would consider graduating in Fenway like getting married in a sewer."

Red Sox fan Chris Martin said he disagreed.

"I'd love it," Martin, a School of Management sophomore, said. "It'd be the best day of my life."

College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Edward Frederick said commencement should stay on campus.

"Boston has so many universities, it could be any one," he said. "You should be connected to where you graduate."

School of Education freshman and New Yorker Brianna Kelly said her father and uncles are Yankees fans, and they would probably complain about a Fenway ceremony.

"They would obviously come to see me graduate, but they would make some sort of comment, and probably wear Yankees hats," she said.

Yankees fan Meredith Mills, a School of Hospitality Administration freshman, said she would have mixed feelings about graduating in Fenway as well.

"As a baseball fan, it's a cool stadium . . . it's unique," Mills said. "At the same time, I would be annoyed, because being a BU student doesn't mean you have to be a Red Sox fan. I would probably prefer another place."