An all star cast of colleges and universities spent a morning at Village Hall encouraging Juniors and Sophomores to think big and proactively about their futures. It was a real privilege to host Colby, UC Berkeley, Yale, Cal Tech, SMU, University of Denver, Columbia University  and Northwestern as they pitched their campuses in real time. A mid morning slot with conditioning and breakfast as bookends to the session is not the easiest to manage for presenters. I was pleased to see students following up in the break out sessions with individual colleges. 

Pamphlets and stickers go only so far in helping figure out the best next track for students and families. Talking ideas through, articulating dreams and understanding what students need to do to have a successful application is part of an ongoing dialogue. Talk to Karen at krowe@sbacademy.org for support and guidance with this process. 

Fresh on the heels of last summer's World Cup, SBA staged its own COPA on the backyard lawn. Players embraced the frenetic pace of the game with the crowd refusing to stop play for throw-ins, corners, or goal kicks by simply ricocheting the ball back onto the field. There was some fancy footwork, uncompromising tackling, oohs and ahhs from the sidelines plus laughter and some very loud music. Steve Roberts, organizer extraordinaire, kept the games flowing with moderated whistle work. The goals at times needed repair due to ferocity of the shots, plus some excellent Cristaino Ronaldo goal celebration impressions, but most importantly there was the obvious joy from the thrill of competition. COPA 2026 may not have attracted the big broadcast networks, but it was their loss not ours!

Special thanks to Joe Pfeister for capturing the action and to the Community Committee for the International Food Fair that fueled our athletes during COPA.

All the best,

moose mutlow

Interim Executive Director & Head of School