Independent School League (Boston Area)

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Independent School League
Data
Classification New England Prep School Athletic Conference
Established 1948
Members 18
Region New England
Sports fielded 18
Locations

The Independent School League (ISL) is composed of sixteen New England preparatory schools that compete athletically and academically. Founded in 1948, the ISL's sixteen member compete in eighteen sports in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC). The Independent School League is the oldest Independent School athletic association in the United States.

Contents

[edit] History

Charter members of the Private School League were Belmont Hill, Brooks, Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N), The Governor's Academy, Milton Academy, Noble & Greenough, St. Mark's,Thayer and Tabor. Like the Ivy League, the ISL began as a loose affiliation to promote football among academically rigorous, Northeastern schools; however, administrators formalized the league during 1948.

In 1968 Middlesex had joined and in 1972 Groton had replaced Tabor. In 1974 Roxbury Latin was added. The league changed its name to the 'Independent School League' that same year.

St. Paul's, Lawrence Academy, and St. George's – all private boarding schools – joined during the mid-1970s.

Rivers & St. Sebastian's – both private day schools in the Boston area – joined during the early 1980s.

[edit] Members

School Mascot Location Founded Entered ISL Grades Number of Students Varsity Teams
Belmont Hill School Belmont, MA 1923 1948 7-12 420 Boys 16
Buckingham Browne & Nichols Cambridge, MA 1883 1948 pre-K-12 700 19
Brooks School Bishops North Andover, MA 1926 1948 9-12 354 21
Governor's Academy Governors Byfield, MA 1763 1948 9-12 376 20
Groton School Zebras Groton, MA 1884 1972 8-12 352 19
Lawrence Academy at Groton Spartans Groton, MA 1793 1973 9-12 375 22
Middlesex School Zebras Concord, MA 1901 1968 9-12 350 24
Milton Academy Mustangs Milton, MA 1798 1948 K-12 680 25
Noble and Greenough School Bulldogs Dedham, MA 1866 1948 7-12 525 25
Rivers School Redwings Weston, MA 1915 1981 6-12 426 19
Roxbury Latin School Foxes West Roxbury, MA 1645 1974 7-12 290 boys 10
St. George's School Dragons Newport, RI 1896 1973 9-12 345 24
St. Mark's School Lions Southborough, MA 1865 1948 9-12 325 22
St. Paul's School Pelicans Concord, NH 1856 1973 9-12 524 17
St. Sebastian's School Arrows Needham, MA 1941 1981 7-12 350 boys 11
Thayer Academy Tigers Braintree, MA 1877 1981 6-12 668 23

[edit] Sports

Member schools compete in the following sports:

[edit] Soccer

[edit] History

In 1948 eight local private schools banded together to form one of the first high school soccer leagues in the area. A number of the schools had been competing informally and a structured league was desirable. Full round robin play was not achieved until 1952 but has been a constant feature since that year. The original eight schools included Belmont Hill, Brooks, Browne & Nichols, Governor Dummer, Milton, Nobles, St. Mark's, and Tabor.


In 1948 a championship cup was procured and was named in honor of Richard Gummere, a longtime teacher and coach at both Browne & Nichols and Haverford College; the Gummere Cup is undoubtedly one of the oldest secondary school soccer trophies in the country. In 1968 Middlesex joined the group and in 1971 Roxbury Latin competed before joining permanently in 1974. 1972 saw Tabor leave the league and Groton join. That brought the league to ten schools where it remained until 1984. The original Private School League had expanded during this time and had grown into the 16 school Independent School League. In order to include the six ISL schools not in Gummere Cup play at the time (Lawrence, Rivers, St. George's, St. Paul's, St. Sebastian's, and Thayer) the Athletic Directors created a separate ISL soccer league in 1980. Because full round robin play was not possible at that time, North and South Divisions, each with eight schools, were established. A Championship Final was held on the Wednesday following the regular season. The Founder's Cup was awarded to the winning school.


Both the Gummere Cup and ISL competitions operated simultaneously from 1980 through 1983. Due to the ban on post season league-sponsored play no finals were held in 1982 and 1983. In 1984, a full round robin schedule was adopted and all sixteen schools began competing for the Gummere Cup. The Founder's Cup is now awarded to the second placed team.

[edit] Ice Hockey

[edit] Divisions

The growth of ISL boys hockey over recent years has prompted league officials to created two sub divisions based on school size. These divisions are known as the Keller Division, for the nine more competitive schools, and the Eberhart Division, for the seven less competitive ones, although in recent years some Eberhart Division teams have beaten Keller Division teams. This division structure leads to each team playing the following games:

  • Twelve or Sixteen games within its division (twice against each opponent)
  • Numerous games against other 'cross-over' teams within the ISL
  • Numerous games against other top New England Prep teams
  • Winter tournaments, either on Thanksgiving, Christmas or both breaks.

In the table below, each column represents one division. Championships are awarded to the two division champions. At the culmination of each season, the top teams are selected the Division 1 or 2 New England Tournaments.

Keller Division Eberhart Division
BB&N Brooks
Belmont Hill Groton
Governor's Middlesex
Lawrence Rivers
Milton Roxbury Latin
Nobles St. George's
St. Paul's St. Mark's
St. Sebastian's
Thayer

[edit] Lacrosse

Tennis

Boys Leaders from 2007

Milton Academy (12-0) Belmont Hill (11-1) BB&N (10-1) Thayer (10-2) Rox. Latin (8-3) Groton (8-5) Brooks (8-7) Nobles (6-6) St. Pauls (6-6)

Girls Leaders form 2007

Milton Academy, BB&N, Nobles, St. George's / Groton (tied for fourth) Thayer, Brooks

[edit] Baseball

Buckingham Browne & Nichols, St. Sebastian's, Belmont Hill, and Roxbury Latin are usually at the top of the league

[edit] Crew

Only a few ISL schools participate in crew, but among those include: Belmont Hill, BB&N, Brooks, Groton, Middlesex, Nobles, Thayer, and St. Mark's. St. Paul's races eight-man boats, but do not compete with the other ISL schools in head-to-head regattas. The regular season ends with the NEIRA regatta, with the top two boats entered into the National Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio. Almost every year, a New England boat wins the national title. Some perennially strong crews include Groton, St. Paul's, and Brooks, but Belmont Hill has been the most dominant program of late, winning five consecutive New England Championships (2003-2007) and three National Championships (2003, 2006, 2007) with its first boat. St. Paul's is noted to have produced some of the best crew eights in high school leagues.

School Home water Location
BB&N Charles River Cambridge, Massachusetts
Belmont Hill Charles River Cambridge, Massachusetts
Brooks School Lake Cochickiwick North Andover, Massachusetts
Groton School Nashua River Groton, Massachusetts
Middlesex Batemans Pond Concord, Massachusetts
Nobles Charles River Needham, Massachusetts
St. Mark's Lake Quinsigamond Worcester, Massachusetts
Thayer Lincoln Maritime Hingham, Massachusetts

[edit] History

A (not-at-all) short history of the N.E.I.R.A

Prior to the first regatta in 1947, several school coaches held organizational meetings at the Harvard Club in Boston, choosing the name New England Interscholastic Regatta. At the 1949 annual meeting in Boston the first officers were elected: Director Ken Burns; Secretary-Treasurer Dave Lanier; and chairmen for both fours and Eights.

Until 1959 the headquarters for the races was at the Shrewsbury Boat Club, south of the Route 9 bridge. Over the years, the schools decided to launch their shells from the beach, near the present finish line, by walking the boats into the water. New facilities added in 1959 allowed the headquarters to be moved to regatta point; by 1960 the facilities were complete, and looked much as they do today.

The 1947 regatta had heats, consolations and finals for the First and Second Men’s Fours, and finals for First and Second Eights with about ten schools in Fours and four schools in Eights. No records were kept of the entries, but the winners appear on the Father Still Trophies- Pomfret in First Fours, Kent in First Eights. A School might have a First Four and a Second Eight entered in the Regatta one year and a different combination the next.

The member schools in 1951, the first time they were recorded, were these: Fours: Belmont Hill; Choate; Gunnery; Salisbury; St. George’s; Browne and Nichols; Exeter; Pomfret; South Kent; and St. Mark’s. Eights: Kent; Halcyon and Shattuck Clubs from St. Paul’s; Shrewsbury; and Tabor.

In 1955, the name became New England Interscholastic Rowing Association.Which the Governor's Academy has won

In 1956, the Fiftieth Anniversary of the founding of Kent School, Mrs. Julier, sister of Father Sill, donated two Revere bowls in memory of the Kent Headmaster, Frederick H. Sill, to be awarded to the winners of the First Eights and First Fours events. In the same year Andover and Springfield Technical joined, rowing eights. In 1959, Brooks and Middlesex joined- and in 1961 Groton and Noble and Greenough- all rowing fours.

The Association voted that each school should wear a distinctive colored crew shirt to help in identifying the order of finish and that there should be an official program with lanes and times of races which Charlie Swift produced.

In 1962, singles races were added, to be run during lunch hour.

In 1962, J. Satterthwaite of Groton raised money for the “Ox” Kingsbury Cup, awarded to the winner of Second Fours; Ken Burns of Shrewsbury raised money for the Dixon “Tote” Walker Cup, awarded to the winner of the Second Eights. Kingsbury had coached at Brooks, Walker at Kent.

In 1964, St, John’s joined the Association; in 1967, Mount Hermon; and in 1968, St. Paul’s sent crews representing the school. Since then, the membership has continued to grow.

Until 1970, the Eights raced one mile. The fours raced ¾ of a mile. In 1970, the Fours and Singles switched to 1500 meters, and there were two finish lines. In 1972, all crews rowed 1500 meters. When women’s crews joined in 1974, the girls eights raced 1500 meters and the girls fours 1000 meters.

By 1970 Dave Lanier retired from teaching, and the Association lost its competent and faithful Secretary- Treasurer, the only one it had had.

In 1972, starting floats were used for the first time, and the races were run under rules drawn up and accepted that year.

In 1973, Ben Sylvester of Choate presented the Alden Johnson Sculls for the winner of the Senior Singles. The Sculls honor a former Choate sculler.

In 1974, the Association voted to give competitor ribbons and to award a small trophy to members of the Winning First Crews and Senior Singles. In 1976, these awards were extended to winning First Women’s Crews.

In 1977, Robert Warner raised funds to establish the Kenneth F. Burns Trophy, to be awarded annually to the winner of the women’s First Eights race. This trophy honors the man who has done the most for the regatta and who has been rowing and racing on Lake Quinsigamond throughout his life. Winners since 1974 have been inscribed on the trophy.

Also in 1977, Noble and Greenough School presented the Robert Warner Trophy for the winner of the Women’s Fours. This trophy honors retired coach of Nobles and the Secretary-Treasurer of the N.E.I.R.A who almost single handedly carried on the business of the Association for seven years.

With Bob Warner’s retirement, a Committee of Management consisting of nine coaches took over the work of the Association.

In 1977, the regatta lasted two days. Men’s Pairs without coxswain, Women’s Open Singles, and Women’s Double Sculls were added to the events. The one-day regatta came back in 1978, and the pairs and double sculls events were dropped subsequently.

In 1979, friends and Faculty of St. Paul’s School honored the late Converse Prudden by establishing the prize for Second Women’s Eights. Mr. Prudden was the first coach of women’s crews at St. Paul’s. His Crews won several N.E.I.R.A Championships.

In 1980, The Committee accepted two new prizes. The girls of Groton School presented the Robert Parker Award for Second Girls’ Fours to honor their former coach. The generosity of Arthur Martin produced the Arthur Martin Trainer, a boat to be used for one year by the winner of the Men’s Singles.

Since the first regatta run for nearly a dozen schools in 1947, the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association regatta has grown to a day-long event for approximately 900 oarsmen and oarswomen rowing in several hundred boats representing 30 schools

[edit] Reputation

ISL schools are noted for their academic excellence, superior college placement, and in many cases, storied histories. For example, the ISL features two of the United States' ten wealthiest boarding schools, St. Paul's and Groton. Also, the ISL features two of the United States' ten oldest boarding schools, Governor's and Lawrence, and the oldest school in continuous existence in North America, Roxbury Latin. Collectively, these New England schools are sometimes termed St. Grottlesex. The term is a blend, using the St. part of St. Paul's, St. Mark's, St. Sebastian's, and St. George's, part of Groton School, combined with part of Middlesex.

[edit] External links


Members of the Independent School League, New England
Belmont Hill School | Buckingham Browne & Nichols | Brooks School | The Governor's Academy | Groton School | Lawrence Academy at Groton | Middlesex School | Milton Academy | Noble and Greenough School | Rivers School | Roxbury Latin School | St. George's School | St. Mark's School | St. Paul's School | St. Sebastian's School | Thayer Academy