Grant Plotkin ’16: The Episcopal Academy entered into a new partnership with NXTsports, which will run athletic external affairs, managing athletic facilities and programs
on campus. Andrew Hayes, former Upper School Biology teacher and EA’s current Head Lacrosse Coach, oversees this partnership as the founder and CEO of NXTsports.
Founded in 2010, NXTsports “is a youth sports education and management company,” whose mission is to “create the most innovative sports education programs and execute industry-leading events at exceptional venues,” said Hayes. According to Hayes, “NXTsports’ main goal [at Episcopal] is to manage the facilities and help our varsity coaches develop their own programs including camps, clinics, and club teams on campus. In addition, we have also assumed administrative duties of the Episcopal Academy Aquatic Club.”
This partnership is unique because Hayes chose Episcopal as NXT’s sole partner school. “Episcopal is the only school in the Philadelphia area that NXT will partner with,” emphasized Hayes. “NXT will leverage its entire database and reach to support Episcopal’s external athletic programs and will work hand-in-hand with Episcopal admissions.”
The guiding principle behind this partnership is that “properly managed athletic external programs provide tremendous exposure for the Episcopal Academy because of the school’s unique campus,” Hayes added. This exposure can greatly benefit the school by “bringing thousands of prospective student-athletes and their families to campus.”
When Hayes first took over the lacrosse program at EA, he felt that “we needed to get more talented student-athletes on our campus, so through our club program and camps we could generate interest in the school and our lacrosse program and staff.” As a result of this exposure, many students were introduced to EA through the programs run in the upper and middle schools. He continued, saying, “a broader partnership will create formal connection between external programs, the Episcopal athletic department and the Episcopal admissions office.”
NXTsports is “bringing in kids from other schools on to our campus which they otherwise may not have seen,” said Gina Buggy, Director of Athletics. “It’s also an added bonus for our coaches and gives them exciting recruiting opportunities.”
According to Hayes, “NXT will create and market clinics, camps, programs, and events that benefit Episcopal’s coaching staff in all sports.” Hayes has met with almost every Varsity coach “to talk about how NXTsports can be helpful to them.”
In addition to impacting admissions, the partnership will generate significant additional revenues for the school. Besides the NXT lacrosse program, many local sports groups have rented out EA’s fields and facilities. As Hayes mentioned, “Two baseball programs, a girls lacrosse program, and a soccer program,” are currently on campus. Buggy also commented, “One of the many reasons we like working with NXTsports so much is because Mr. Hayes knows how important maintaining the fields and facilities is to Mr. Farrell [Associate Director of Athletics] and myself. By the three of us working together, we all are in line with each-other and know that he will regard and treat the campus how Episcopal wants it to be”.
Benjamin Valdes 16’ said he prefers NXT over other athletic programs due to its family-
oriented style. He referred to his fellow NXT players as his “big-happy-family.” Valdes also
believes Hayes is building up a great lacrosse program for NXT and Episcopal. He described Hayes as “a very well rounded, strong coach” and one who “works his players hard but treats them well.” Curtis Zappala ‘15 also praised the NXTsports lacrosse program, adding, “I loved it. It’s a well-organized team with fabulous coaches and they always make it fun.” Kippy Garino ‘15, who has played in the NXTsports lacrosse program since freshman year, stressed that “The NXT program is a really unique and fun experience. I look forward to its new presence at EA.”