Alumni
Welcome
Celebrating Our Senior Athletes
Senior athletes and their parents and coaches gathered in Trapier Theater for a celebration of our graduating athletes. Thank you to parents Tina Namian and Lisa Pavia for creating this slideshow of highlights from our seniors' athletic careers:
“I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be here,” Headmaster Robinson welcomed the crowd. “My heart is just overflowing with joy and gratitude that we can be together and honor our amazing senior athletes ... Nothing gave me greater joy this year than to be able to see the beginnings of sports start to come back before spring break with some soccer matches, some cross-country meets, and that unforgettable undefeated football season, and then to see us plan for and execute very successfully full spring athletic season.”
Robinson praised the seniors for their leadership and resilience: “None of us could have ever believed or predicted that your final chapter at St. Albans as student athletes would have looked like this. But notwithstanding the challenge of this year, you carried yourself with so much heart, so much grace, so much resilience, and so much character as you advocated for your fellow student athletes and for the athletic program.”
Buddy Bardenwerper ’08, who served in the Coast Guard offered a powerful keynote speech about facing adversity and finishing strong. “I know what it's like to lose the opportunity to do something that you love,” said Bardenwerper, who served in the Coast Guard until a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis led to a sudden and undesired medical retirement. “My experience and yours are proof that our worlds can change on a dime, in that opportunities can vanish as quickly as they appear. Therefore, you have a duty to yourself to take advantage of the blessings in your life when you have them.” Bardenwerper concluded with a tribute to Coach Schnell.
Coaches from all seasons recalled the strengths of each team, including the winter teams that were unable to play this year. Students and alumni shared a tribute to retiring Athletic Director Gary Schnell.
Enjoy this video of the entire event:
Thanks to Coach Ted Haley for taking these photos of the event:
Back
“I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be here,” Headmaster Robinson welcomed the crowd. “My heart is just overflowing with joy and gratitude that we can be together and honor our amazing senior athletes ... Nothing gave me greater joy this year than to be able to see the beginnings of sports start to come back before spring break with some soccer matches, some cross-country meets, and that unforgettable undefeated football season, and then to see us plan for and execute very successfully full spring athletic season.”
Robinson praised the seniors for their leadership and resilience: “None of us could have ever believed or predicted that your final chapter at St. Albans as student athletes would have looked like this. But notwithstanding the challenge of this year, you carried yourself with so much heart, so much grace, so much resilience, and so much character as you advocated for your fellow student athletes and for the athletic program.”
Buddy Bardenwerper ’08, who served in the Coast Guard offered a powerful keynote speech about facing adversity and finishing strong. “I know what it's like to lose the opportunity to do something that you love,” said Bardenwerper, who served in the Coast Guard until a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis led to a sudden and undesired medical retirement. “My experience and yours are proof that our worlds can change on a dime, in that opportunities can vanish as quickly as they appear. Therefore, you have a duty to yourself to take advantage of the blessings in your life when you have them.” Bardenwerper concluded with a tribute to Coach Schnell.
Coaches from all seasons recalled the strengths of each team, including the winter teams that were unable to play this year. Students and alumni shared a tribute to retiring Athletic Director Gary Schnell.
Enjoy this video of the entire event:
Thanks to Coach Ted Haley for taking these photos of the event:
St. Albans School
Phone: 202-537-6435
Located in Washington D.C., St. Albans School is a private, all boys day and boarding school. For more than a century, St. Albans has offered a distinctive educational experience for young men in grades 4 through 12. While our students reach exceptional academic goals and exhibit first-rate athletic and artistic achievements, as an Episcopal school we place equal emphasis upon moral and spiritual education.