Matthew Hession is an Assistant Coach for Girls Hockey and an Instructor in History & Social Sciences. He has taught and coached at Andover for 19 years, during which, from 2011 to 2017, he served as the Flagstaff Cluster Dean. Hession was initially a Boys Hockey Assistant Coach and has also contributed to both Andover’s Junior Varsity Hockey programs at Andover. Since arriving at Andover, coaching has been one of his main commitments, and on the ice, he enjoys working with student-athletes.
“Coaching has always been one of the most important parts of my time here at PA. From 2006 to 2015, I was the Assistant Coach with Boys Varsity team, which was awesome. I’ve also helped out with Boys JV and Girls JV for a time too. I love coaching and couldn’t imagine the rhythm of my day any other way. I love transitioning from the history classroom, jumping out on the ice, and working hard at whatever goals we set for ourselves that practice day. PA athletes are incredibly talented, committed, competitive, care for each other, and give 110% every day,” Hession wrote in an email to The Phillipian.
Head Coach of Girls Hockey, Martha Fenton ’83, referring to both Assistant Coaches Hession and Daniel Holland, described their interdependence as team leaders. Hession, a former collegiate hockey defenseman, specializes the team’s defensive strategy during practice. In-game, he oversees the team’s offense and directs its actions during power plays –– when one team has more players on the ice than the other due to a penalty.
“As a coaching unit, we each take on different responsibilities and talk about all matters relating to the team. We have been working together now for three years and I’d like to think we complement each other well. Coach Hession primarily works with the defense, and as a longtime varsity coach and former collegiate player, he brings great experience and perspective to that role. Coach Holland by profession is a skills coach and he has been invaluable working with all of our players on the more detailed aspects of the game. He runs the offense during games and is also responsible for our power play units,” wrote Fenton.
Girls Hockey athlete Sienna Glass ’27 highlighted her appreciation for his advice to the team’s defensive line and his understanding personality.
“Coach Hession always provides helpful advice in practice or after a shift in a game. He knows when it’s right to correct and when the players know how to fix their mistakes. He has also made great defensive drills that I personally enjoy doing in practice. He’s always very supportive and a great asset to the team,” said Glass.
Sports, Hession believes, are a vital piece of human development and its lessons apply to overarching areas in life.
Hession wrote, “I wouldn’t be the first to say that sports are a metaphor for life. Sports teach young people how to work with others towards a common goal, how to enjoy the journey and develop lifelong friendships, and how to find resiliency through adversity. Athletics are one of the best venues for developing those values, and they extend far beyond any field, rink, or court.”
