As the school year begins to wind down and the lawn fills with students playing Spikeball, excitement for the next year begins to build, including conversations about the future of athletics at Andover.
Andover has already committed significant resources to athletics, from the construction of facilities such as the Pan Athletic Center and Phelps Stadium to the admission of student-athletes with impressive résumés. While some teams have rewarded that investment with playoff runs, others reflect on seasons with records that emerged weaker than expected. As other selective boarding schools rise in athletic rankings and build state-of-the-art facilities, Andover’s athletic spending has drawn scrutiny from those who believe that the resources could be dedicated elsewhere. However, I believe that Andover’s commitment to sports is seen in many ways that go unnoticed.
With the completion of our very own 70,000 square foot Pan in 2022, and 98,000-square-foot multiuse Snyder Center in 2018, Andover has come a long way from the Borden Memorial Gym. With a new indoor track, Olympic-sized swimming pool, dance studio, and other updated spaces, Andover has shown a clear willingness to invest in athletics, competing amongst the strongest NEPSAC contenders such as Phillips Exeter Academy and Deerfield. Because of this, it is easy to argue that we are spending too much on sports. According to the 2026 State of the Academy, more than 65 percent of respondents reported that they think Andover glorifies athletics over other extracurriculars, such as the arts, music, or robotics. However, it is important to remember that these facilities are not just for athletes hoping to play in college, but for the benefit of the entire student body.
Coming from public school, I believe requiring each student to participate in an activity, whether life-sport or interscholastic, has many benefits for the student body’s health. Our athletic program recognizes the value of being active each day, working with teammates, and building trust. Some of the strongest friendships I have made at Andover are those with my teammates. Whether it’s the crew team pulling for each other even when their arms feel like they are about to fall off or the basketball team trusting each other with game-winning shots, sports teach you to rely on a teammate and create forms of healthy communication. Not to mention, daily physical activity is known to provide cognitive benefits, decreasing depression and clearing brain fog.
Financially, continued investment in athletics might also yield more funding for the school in general. According to the 2025 Annual Report of Phillips Academy, 52 percent of the academy’s revenue comes from philanthropic donations and pays for 45 percent of the academy’s annual expenses. Strong athletic programs help build school spirit, strengthen alumni engagement, and attract prospective students and donors. While I am sure the school’s finances are more complex than I could imagine, it seems fair to ask whether further improvements to athletic facilities could benefit the school in the long run, both by strengthening philanthropy and by supporting student health.
While I deeply appreciate Andover’s athletic facilities as they are, especially given they are among the strongest in the nation, I still believe there is space for improvement. With only 1 turf field, many of Andover’s 17 interscholastic sports compete for time on the turf, leaving most teams to practice on the grass fields in Siberia. In the fall, for example, Varsity Football and Varsity Field Hockey often split the time for practice. As a football player, I felt that limitation directly. The limited turf time restricted the drills we were able to practice. Moreover, early in the season, our practices were in the Siberia Fields, where the uneven grass contributed to many twisted ankles and cut knees. While it is unrealistic to expect every team to play and practice on turf, I think improving the condition of grass fields could be something Andover could work towards to improve the safety and quality of its athletics.
It can be easy to focus on the negatives in Andover’s athletics, but doing so ignores how much the school already does well. While I complain about the turf space, I also recognize the support all athletes get, with athletic trainers, accessible transportation for games, and food, all being widely available. It is unfair to expect every single one of our sports to be ranked first in the country, but often we judge our athletic program with that as the standard. Andover’s athletics play a big part in the Andover experience, and athletic investment benefits more than just students hoping to play sports at the collegiate level. It supports the health, school spirit, and friendships of every Andover student.
