Industry News
Athletics is huge in the United States, with popular leagues like the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB grossing billions of dollars every year. Sports are part of the American culture, and it starts very early in children’s lives. From elementary school to high school and college, sports are a constant presence. It is not uncommon to find schools throughout the country that have sports complexes that cost millions. However, there is one unique aspect of having a sports program that most schools in America do not have.
Eaglebrook Middle School is a junior boarding and day school for boys in grades six, seven, eight, and nine and is located in Deerfield, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1922 and is 100 miles west of Boston and 175 miles north of New York City. In addition to top-notch athletic facilities that are spread across its large campus, the school features a private ski area served by a double chairlift and snowmaking. The ski area operates on weekday afternoons when school is in session for students and faculty. Students can participate in recreational ski programs, racing, and junior ski patrol. Easton Ski Area also hosts regional alpine ski races.
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Eaglebrook School offers alpine skiing at both the competitive and recreational levels. Competitive levels include teams at the Development, Junior Varsity, Varsity B, Varsity A, and the United States Ski Association levels. Each team competes weekly at the Prep School Mount Institute Race League. The top racers also compete in the Tri-State Western Massachusetts USSA Sanction Race Series for qualifying spots at the Tri-State Championships, Eastern United States Finals, and the Eastern United States Championships. The Eaglebrook School Ski Club, one of the oldest in the country, hosts a USSA race or a New England Prep School Championship event each February. All the coaches and skiers are registered with the United States Skiing Association and the Tri-State Alpine Ski Racing Association.
Since 1923, many skiers have developed from the Eaglebrook School Ski Program and gone on to achieve collegiate, national, and international fame in the snow sports world. Chris Waddell ’84 is a United States Gold Medal Para-Olympian, and Roger Langley, co-founder of the National Ski Patrol, served as athletic director from 1924 to 1934.
“We strongly believe that our athletic program teaches valuable life lessons of commitment, cooperation, and sportsmanship. By experiencing the thrill of competition, the exhilaration of a personal physical triumph, or the camaraderie of a team pushing its boundaries, boys discover their true characters. Boys have the opportunity to choose competitive and non-competitive sports each season, and our teams are suitable for players of all sizes and abilities,” Eaglebrook School’s website states.
Besides offering a private ski area, Eaglebrook has many other athletic facilities, such as:
- Playing fields
- Baseball diamonds
- An indoor ice hockey arena
- An indoor swimming pool
- An all-weather track and field
- Wooded trails for cross-country running, hiking, skiing, and mountain biking
- A gymnasium
- Squash courts
- Fitness center
- Ropes course
- Wrestling facility
- Spacious locker rooms
If you are thinking about sending your children to Eaglebrook, the school year is divided into three academic trimesters with seven classes that meet Monday through Friday in a rotating schedule of six periods. There are 262 students enrolled for the 2024–2025 school year from 21 states and U.S. territories, and 19 countries and territories. Needless to say, Eaglebrook does not have a problem recruiting students. The tuition ranges between $51,300 to $83,600 based on whether the students are day students, need boarding, or are domestic or international students. This price may sound extremely high to some. However, it is competitive with other private boarding schools’ tuition costs. Among the United States 146 private boarding schools, the average annual tuition, plus room and board, is $69,150, according to Education Data Initiative. Some expensive amenities and facilities are offered at private boarding schools, but, the bonus at Eaglebrook, is it comes with a private ski area.
