Head Coach Chris Powers enters his first year in charge of Andover Baseball after spending several years coaching at Pingree, then in Maryland at the Landing School. Powers’ vast experience has greatly benefited the team, which currently holds a 5-2 record. He hopes to prepare his players for moments of pressure, so his team can perform at its best during the most critical moments of the season.
“Trying to help maximize the confidence that [players] have in themselves, I think, is what I’d use to keep them motivated. Self-confidence can play a huge role in your performance, not just athletically, in all areas of life. Having that belief in yourself and [knowing] that you’re prepared and know that there’s no situation that you aren’t ready for,” said Powers.
According to Co-Captain Andrew DeBenedictis ’23, adjusting to a new coach was somewhat stressful, but Powers has exceeded expectations on the team. DeBenedictis highlighted Powers’ confidence and ability to encourage his players, as well as his ability to build upon past success.
DeBenedictis said, “I was nervous because I mean, [with] my Senior year going and we had a brand new coach. I didn’t know who he was, but I would [like to] say once again, he’s really confident in what he does. He just wanted to enhance what we had already built as a program rather than take away anything from it. So, I would say he’s done that pretty well thus far and I think it will continue.”
Robert Brown ’25 met Powers early in his Andover career and immediately looked forward to his leadership. Brown felt supported during the first meeting and the endless kindness has not stopped since.
“My first impression of Coach Powers was nothing but positive. I was able to get an opportunity to meet with him and talk to him when he first got to Andover in the fall. From then on, he’s been nothing but helpful and supportive for me, as well as the rest of the team. He’s great with everyone, he’s a great leader, he has plenty of baseball knowledge and baseball experience, and he’s been in the game of baseball forever so he’s good at making in-game decisions. He runs practice very well and he’s very competitive,” said Brown.
Powers brings “quiet confidence” to the group, according to DeBenedictis. Despite not being as loud as previous coaches, his advice is extremely constructive and helps the team thrive during practice and games. More importantly, Powers knows what to say during difficult moments in the season.
“I’d say [he] definitely brings enthusiasm to the group. I mean, we do already have a lot of enthusiasm on the team, but he definitely brings that here. He’s not the most vocal guy, I would say at least compared to [Coach Kevin Graber] in the past, but he definitely knows what he’s doing and he’s instructive when he really needs to be, which is super helpful,” said DeBenedictis.
Powers emphasized the amazing player development that former Coach Graber began in previous years. He looks forward to focusing on building off of the skills that Coach Graber has built in his players to further his team’s baseball careers.
Powers said, “The short-term goal would be to continue player development. I think [Coach Graber] before me had done an incredible job of not just bringing in quality players, but developing them and getting them ready to move on to the next level. That’s something that I certainly want to continue to grow, and make sure Andover’s baseball program is known. The long-term goal is to continue building on the success and produce the type of players that have moved on to the next level and found success. You know, it’s incredible the success that the program has had and just trying to build on those successes.”
