Conversations in the Coop: Recent Episodes
Drew
On today's episode of Conversations in the Coop, we sit down with senior cross country and track runner Toby L'Esperance about how he fell in love with running and his goals for the remainder of his college career.
In today's episode, we sit down with sophomore men's tennis player Rico Buoro about his path from Brazil to the United States at first for a high school exchange program, how he navigated his way back to the US amid Covid restrictions and complications, and the joy of tennis as a team sport.
In today's conversation, we sit down with women's lacrosse sophomore Caroline Lally to talk about how lacrosse is built into her family's DNA, how she took advantage of the Covid shutdown to work on her skills, and how she's found her passion for teaching.
On today's episode, we sit down with women's golf first-year Malisha Van to talk about how the sport of golf has brought her from her home country of Kazakhstan to Florida for high school, and now to Trinity.
On today's episode of Conversations in the Coop, we talk to women's tennis senior captain Josephine Kimball about growing up in New York City finding court time, the mindset in a sport like tennis, and how she has embraced all Trinity has to offer on and off the court.
In today's conversation, we chat with men's lacrosse senior captain Peter Cannon about his lacrosse journey from starting out in Houston, Texas where the sport is not as commonplace, to being cut his first year and staying on as a manager, to making the team his sophomore year and being a senior captain.
In today's conversation, we chat with men's golf senior captain Jack Godin about how special golfing with his family is, transitioning from a sport like hockey to golf and adjusting his approach, and the high expectations of the Trinity Men's Golf program.
In this week's episode of Conversations in the Coop, we check in with women's rowing senior, Zoë Tiffin. We talk about how she locked into the sport after starting in a Milwaukee winter entirely on the erg, the nature of team competition, and how impactful the Trinity women's rowing alumnae community has been.
In today's episode, we catch up with baseball senior captain Jack Mathews about how he fell in love with the sport, his outlook on the season, and his deep love of the New York Yankees.
In today's episode, we sit down with men's rowing junior, Felix Goldmann. We talk about his roots in Germany and his journey to college in the US by way of an international high school experience in Costa Rica, his introduction to rowing and how he got hooked on the sport, and a cross-country bike trip he took last summer from San Francisco to Washington DC.
Spring sports are here! Today, we sit down with softball senior Gianna Tito about her four years at Trinity, how exciting it is to get on the field at home early this season, and her experience participating in Trinity's Health Fellows program.
In today's conversation, we chat with junior swimmer Brooke Zurcher about her journey of patience and perseverance through college swimming. We talk about swimming at a prolific high school program, dealing with two different medical diagnoses and multiple procedures to continue her athletic career, and what it means to be part of the team after all she's been through.
In this week's episode of Conversations in the Coop, we chat with Bantam Wrestling brothers, Adam and Alex Schaeublin. We talk about growing up in a wrestling household, how having each other helped them both improve during Covid times, and their goals for the year.
On today's episode of Conversations in the Coop, we sit down with women's squash senior captain Nouran Youssef about coming to the United States first for high school, how she found her way to Trinity, and how last season's setbacks have shaped this season's mentality for the team.
On today's episode of Conversations in the Coop, we catch up with senior women's ice hockey captain Jenny Guider about the team's season so far, her time at Westminster and all the connections to Trinity from there, and her love for baking.
We open up a new year of Conversations in the Coop with a senior on the men's squash team, Abdelrahman Nassar. We talk about his roots with the sport back home in Egypt, how coming to the United States for college became a possibility, and how a program with so many different cultures and backgrounds comes together as one brotherhood.
On our last conversation of 2023, we catch up with senior defenseman on the men's ice hockey team, Ned Blanchard. We talk about his pathway to college hockey from prep school, the decision to attend college close to home, and the expectations the program puts on themselves to succeed at the highest level.
It's another sibling special as we sit down with women's basketball sisters, Hannah and Avery Marzo. We talk about the opportunity to play together for the first time since middle school, the culture and goals of the women's basketball program, and when people started connecting them as sisters on campus.
In today's conversation, we sit down with men's basketball senior captain, Ben Callahan-Gold. We talk about growing up in New York City, the various stops in his basketball journey, and uncover his secret talent off the court.
In today's conversation, we chat with two fifth-year members of the Bantam football team, Kevin Clark and Luke Folan. We talk about the full circle from their first year to winning the NESCAC title last season, the decision to stay on for a fifth year, and how team culture is built and maintained.
In today's episode, we chat with new head men's squash coach Moustafa Hamada about his own journey to Trinity as an undergrad coming from Egypt, taking over the program his former coach Paul Assaiante built, and how important it is for him to be back in Hartford.
In today's episode, we catch up with men's soccer junior Nick Bellak about growing up in a college town, the transformation of the men's soccer program over the last year, and the team's surprise visit from USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Tim Ream.
In today's conversation, we chat with ice hockey student-athletes John Campomenosi and Betsy Winslow about each of their paths to Trinity and a new program they are both student leaders for called Radical Health. Radical Health is a peer-to-peer program where upperclass student-athletes meet weekly with groups of first-year student-athletes to discuss different pillars of mental health.
In today's conversation, we chat with field hockey senior captain Kylie Tierney about how growing up as the youngest of four shaped her into the person and athlete she is today, the experience of going from no fall season her first year to a final four at home the next, and the team's mentality heading into the rest of the season.
In today's episode, we chat with women's soccer senior captain Cassie Lee about the growth of the soccer program during her time at Trinity, the opportunity to study abroad, and her upcoming sister-sister battle later this season.
This week on Conversations in the Coop, we chat with new Softball head coach Lena Springer about her pathway through the sport, growing up in an incredibly competitive family and the values that shaped her, and what it means to be back home in Connecticut.
Check it out on Spotify or at BantamSports on Youtube.
Conversations in the Coop is back for the 2023-24 school year with new stories and a new format! We kick off the year with new Men's Golf head coach, Jack Junge '19 to talk about his experience from Bantam student-athlete to head coach, and what makes working at his alma mater so special.
Check it out on Spotify or at BantamSports on Youtube.
In today's conversation, we talk with women's rowing senior Anastasia Hanifin about how she found her way to the sport of rowing and how she stays connected to her family's Ukrainian culture through dance.
Links from the episode
Vogue Article about Anastasia's dance company:
https://www.vogue.in/culture-and-living/content/the-ukrainian-dance-company-that-finds-strength-in-tradition/amp
On today's episode, we chat with women's tennis junior Angelina Shyltsyna about how traveling the world for tennis brought her to Trinity, and how her musical talents helped shape her as a tennis player.
Today we catch up with two members of the Trinity Track and Field throws team - Ethan Wilkie and Kamila Zygadlo. They each talk about how they arrived to Trinity from very different backgrounds and the mental strategy behind a sport like throwing.
On this episode, we talk to men's lacrosse senior Ryan Werner about the team's growth over the course of this year as a young squad and his family ties to medicine, including his own future plans.
In today's conversation, we chat with Trinity's new head field hockey coach Jess Bergen about her journey in the sport, growing up in rural Vermont, and why everyone should get excited about the sport of field hockey.
Today, we chat with senior men's rowing captain Chad Obrey about his introduction to the sport, his lifelong passion for the water, and how he's combined his passions for a capstone project and his next steps post graduation.
On this episode, we chat with identical twin sisters on the Trinity Women's Lacrosse team, Ali and Keelyn McNamara. We talk about their shared journey to college athletics, how they found Trinity as the right fit for both of them, and some pranks and twin shenanigans they've pulled off over the years.
On this conversation, we catch up with senior softball catcher Alyssa Gazivoda about her role as president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), spring break training trips, and the energy at games that is so unique to softball.
In this episode, we chat with baseball senior pitcher Cooper McGrath about his unique journey to the mound at DiBenedetto Stadium - one of perseverance, hardship, and many life lessons learned along the way.
Spring sports are here, and today we catch up with women's golf sophomore Catherine Wallace to talk about growing the culture of Trinity's newest team, her current experience participating in the college's Legislative Internship program, and how to take advantage of all Trinity has to offer.
Today, we sit down with legendary men's squash coach, Paul Assaiante, to talk about the rise of college squash, the mentality and perspective he takes with coaching, and how he prepares his team for Nationals on campus this weekend.
In advance of Squash Nationals, we catch up with long-time Trinity Women's Squash coach Wendy Bartlett about her path to Trinity College, how the sport's landscape has evolved through her career, and going into nationals as the #1 team in the nation.
Today we host a sibling special as we head to the hardwood to catch up with Trinity Basketball's sibling duo, Will and Lucy Dorion. With Will as a junior on the men's side and Lucy a first-year for the women, we talk about their family ties to the NESCAC, how they both found their way to Trinity, and what it's been like to have a sibling on campus.
On today's conversation, we head to the pool to talk with senior captain of the Women's Swimming & Diving team, Rachel Papalski. We cover everything from how she and her sister both found their way to collegiate swimming, the return of a team training trip this year for the first time since January 2020, and her role in and the importance of the Athletics DEI Committee.
In this conversation, we chat with Wrestling senior captain Anders Klass about the mental game that comes with wrestling, how the sport has shaped his life since getting involved, and his cross country road trip last summer.
In today's conversation, we chat with Men's Ice Hockey senior captain Andrew Troy about his three unique junior hockey stops, living with billet families at each one, and his post-grad plans.
Conversations in the Coop is back for 2023! In this episode, we chat with sophomore women's squash player Lulu Palacios about her introduction to squash in her home country of Paraguay, the decision to pursue education and sport in the United States, and her experience living with a host family in Indiana to improve her English.
On this conversation, we chat with Women's Ice Hockey captain Claudia Capone about her outlook on the season, her unique summer of working overnight shifts and having double ankle surgery, and the perspective that both have given her as she embarks on her senior season and considers what's next for her after college.
On this conversation, we talk to Women's Basketball senior Frankie Silva about her work with the Athletes of Color Coalition on campus and within the NESCAC, how her return from injury last year has shaped her perspective, and how the women's basketball program has developed during her four years. Finally, the podcast comes full circle as Frankie also confirms the consensus from last season's women's basketball episode that she would be the ultimate Survivor.
This week, we head up campus to catch up with Trinity's new Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Matt Hyde. We talk with Matt about his longtime connection to the NESCAC prior to arriving at Trinity, from growing up in Williamstown, competing as a student-athlete at Bowdoin, and working at Tufts, and how he sees athletics and admissions working hand in hand.
On today's episode, we chat with new Head Softball coach Mackenzie Keyes about her path to coaching, her approach to offense and winning softball games, and what she's looking forward to as she gets underway in her new role.
In today's Conversation in the Coop, we chat with sophomore volleyball player Grace Sullivan about her summer study abroad program in Kenya, her passion for the intersection of climate change and public health, and the team's excitement heading into the final stretch of the volleyball regular season.
On today's episode, we chat with senior Men's Golf captain Nick Li about how he developed his passion for golf, his experience growing up in three different countries, and his love for the Vancouver Canucks.
On today's conversation, we chat with new head Women's Tennis Coach Mike Louis about the energy behind growing up playing tennis in New York City, what excites him about his new role, and what drives him as a coach.
Ahead of her Hall of Fame Induction and in the midst of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, we chat with legendary Trinity College coach and administrator, Robin Sheppard. She reflects on the early days of her time at Trinity, how much women's sports have changed over the course of her career, and what it means to be inducted to the Hall of Fame this weekend along with two of her former players.
Competing in two college sports is a rarity these days, and today we catch up with three of our dual-sport athletes. Molly Broderick, Gabby Grattan, and Julianna Kennedy will all be on the soccer pitch this fall, but you can find Molly on the lacrosse field in the spring, and Gabby and Julianna on the track & field teams in the winter and spring seasons. We talk about the support from their families in pursuing athletics, the balance of being a dual-sport student-athlete, and what they've learned from their collegiate experience so far.
On this week's conversation, we chat with Men's Soccer senior captain Gabe Mangiafico about his return to the pitch after a foot injury last year, the decision to take last fall off as he recovered, and the excitement surrounding the team as they embark on their first season under new head coach Methembe Ndlovu.
On this week's conversation, we catch up with new Trinity Head Men's Tennis Coach Willy Nelson about how college tennis and recruiting has changed in recent years, the different environments he's spent time in as a coach, and some of his favorite ways to connect with the city of Hartford and its surroundings.
In today's conversation, we catch up with Women's Rowing Head Coach Peter Graves. Peter shares his own family history with Trinity Rowing, his decision to chase the Olympic dream after college, and his goals for the women's rowing team under his tenure.
In this Conversation in the Coop, we speak with new Trinity Women's Golf Head Coach Andra Frappier about how she began her own golf career, what excites her with her new role, and some of her dream courses to play on.
This week, we caught up with the recently appointed Director of Cross Country and Track & Field, John Michael Mason. John Michael talks about the value of growing up as a multi-sport athlete, the ever-changing landscape of the sport, and his Trinity journey from student athlete to assistant coach, and now to director of the program.
We kick off season 4 of Conversations in the Coop with new Head Swimming & Diving Head Coach, Hannah Hagy. We chat with Hannah about her return to Hartford after a year away, the environment she hopes to build as a head coach, and some hikes on her bucket list to tackle now that she's back in the northeast.
In this episode, we chat with Women's Squash senior and one of our Ukrainian student athletes, Nadiia Usenko. She was recently awarded the prestigious Susan E. Martin Award for being a top scholar athlete on a women's team, and has demonstrated incredible perseverance in the face of adversity this spring and throughout her entire Trinity career.
In today's conversation, we chat with Men's Ice Hockey senior captain and McCook Trophy winner Lucas Michaud about how valuable his time playing junior hockey was, his career at Trinity, and what's next for him after graduation.
In this week's conversation, we chat with Women's Lacrosse senior captain Anna Costello about tearing her ACL this past September and the work that she put in to come back in just six months to compete during her senior season.
In this episode, we chat with Bantams rower and swimmer Quin Woods about the physical demands of being a multi-sport athlete, what it was like to row for the first time ever in college, and his recent 24-hour, 52-mile journey through the Appalachian Trail during Quest-a-thon.
This week, we chat with Women's Golf sophomore Carter Nelson about her journey to the east coast from Alaska, what it's like to play golf in the land of the midnight sun, and the opportunity she and her teammates have being a part of Trinity's newest athletic program.
NOTES: Anchorage is actually the fourth largest city in the US by area. The largest is Sitka, AK, and four of the top five are in Alaska.
On this week's conversation, we reflect with Women's Ice Hockey captains Cassidy McNeeley, Angelica Mushenko, and Camille von Steinbergs on their hockey careers, where they see the direction of growth in the women's game, and their unforgettable stay at the Middlebury Inn.
In this conversation, we chat with head Softball coach Molly Rathbun before her team heads down to Florida for their first games of the season. We discuss the development of team culture on and off the field, the team's playing style, and how excited she is to coach her first game for the Bantams after Covid shutdowns in 2020 and the birth of her first child last spring.
On today's episode, we speak with head Women's Lacrosse coach Katy Dissinger about the chemistry her team has had to kick off the season, how fall practices and an extended preseason have helped shape the squad, and we preview a very special celebration to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2012 National Championship team later this spring.
In this week's conversation, we talk with our head Baseball coach Bryan Adamski about his outlook for the season and baseball in the NESCAC, the team's upcoming trip to Florida, and the benefit of having some fall ball and an earlier start this season.
This week, we chat with our head Men's Lacrosse coach, Jason Tarnow over a season preview zoom with alumni and families. Coach Tarnow talks us through some stylistic changes fans can look forward to this year, how he's adjusted practices with so many students heading into their first full seasons after two Covid-shortened years, and more.
Over an alumni zoom panel, we chat with our new Men's Soccer head coach, Methembe Ndlovu, about getting started at Trinity, his style of soccer, and his aspirations for the program.
Today, we talk to our three men's basketball captains, Donald Jordan Jr., Darius Lue, and Tyler Mola about their leadership through challenging Covid pauses, former Bantams who inspired them, and their future plans after Trinity.
On this week's episode, we talk with Wrestling captain Kevin Lyskawa about some of his favorite Trinity memories on and off the mat, his passion for neuroscience and experiences as an EMT, and some of his favorite recent reads.
In this episode, we chat with our three women's basketball senior captains, Liz Althoff, Bailey Hyland, and Katie Kirsch about everything from their favorite Trinity memories to who on their team would win a game of Survivor.
On today's episode, we head to the ice to chat with Bantams defenseman Jake Borgida '23 about his path to Trinity through junior hockey in Alaska, his career aspirations and internship experiences in the medical field, and his outlook on the rest of the season.
On October 9, Molly Broderick ’23 (Soccer & Lacrosse), Michael Grande ’21 (Ice Hockey), Bailey Hyland ’22 (Basketball), and Kevin Lyskawa ’21 (Wrestling & Lacrosse) joined me on a panel for prospective students to talk about their experiences as students and athletes at Trinity.
It’s a special Conversation with head coaches Emily Garner, Matt Greason ‘03 and Kevin MacDermott talking about recruiting the next great Bantams. This panel was recorded as part of the 2020 Virtual Homecoming Celebration and presented by the Virtual Long Walk.
We’re talking about practice?!?! As the Bantams hit the fields and courts for the start of practices this fall, we talk with head athletic trainer Ben Stralka about the measures in place for team activities in a Covid world.
Students are back on campus in the era of Covid, so we get perspective from two amazing senior student-athletes, Caroline Munn (field hockey) and Ellie Tate (field hockey and swimming).
We talk to one of the dominant Bantam defensive linemen of all-time about the power of the Trinity network. Herman Brito ‘12 took advantage of his time in Hartford to grow and launch his professional career.
We kick off Season 2 with a conversation about careers in the world of sports. Emma Tani ‘16 used her success on the ice at Trinity and Bantam connections to land a role with her hometown team in the NHL.
It’s part two of our look into recruiting during these challenging times as we speak to Trinity’s Dean of Admission (and former All America swimmer) Adrienne Oddi.
We talk recruiting with a pair of Bantam coaches - football coach Jeff Devanney ‘93 and women’s soccer coach Rachael Schroeder.
We’re visited in the Coop by former Bantam tennis captain Adam Naylor. As a sport psychologist and leadership expert, Adam has a unique perspective on our current sports hiatus and how coaches and athletes can get through this time.
Our second remote episode brings a wide-ranging talk with Trinity Volleyball Coach Jen Bowman. Among the topics, the twists and turns of Zoom and her path from Maryland to Connecticut.
In the first of several remote episodes, we talk to long time athletic director Rick Hazelton (1982-2010) about his time in charge of Bantam Athletics.
In an episode recorded just days before her first softball season at Trinity was canceled (along with all NCAAa spring sports around the country), we talk with Molly Rathbun about her coaching arc and the draw of Trinity.
Trinity student-athletes do an amazing job of supporting each other. In this episode we talk to Dakota Foster, Kinnard Hughes and Peace Kabari, who started the Athletes of Color Coalition on campus last spring.
It's almost lacrosse season, so we talk culture, recruiting and the expanding reach of their sport with Bantam women's lacrosse head coach Katy Dissinger and men's lacrosse head coach Jason Tarnow.
One of eight sets of siblings currently competing for the Bantams, Alex and Eric Sinson ply their trade on the ice of the Koeppel Sports Center. Alex, a senior, is the captain of Trinity's women's ice hockey team, while Eric is a first-year on the men's ice hockey team. Listen in as they talk about growing up in a hockey household and the best parts of having a family member on campus.
Bantam basketball coaches Emily Garner and James Cosgrove tip off the podcast with a wide-ranging conversation about basketball, coaching and building team culture.