HARDWICK – Hazen Union Athletic Director Aaron Hill just completed his first year as director and coach, after coaching and teaching for 25 years. In his time at the high school, he has learned extensively about today’s changing youth, athletics and hard work.
He is originally from Hardwick, began coaching while he was still in college at UVM, and has stayed at the school ever since. He expressed a love for Hardwick and Hazen Union’s years of traditions and sportsmanship, especially given the rise of the internet.
“I find that there are more distractions for the kids, in some ways more opportunities to do other things. But overall, I feel like the internet and particularly phones have really not been a good thing for the kids’ health, mental and physical health. Overall, it’s harder for kids to concentrate and for longer periods of time,” said Hill.
He explained that less students are participating in sports than when he began, all over the state. He worries that children are having a harder time committing to hard things, not just because of the internet, but also because of parents and adults that fail to push them.
Still, Hazen maintains a rare school spirit and tradition in comparison to other towns, said Hill.
“There’s a real pride in the athletics at Hazen that is kind of a throwback to the past. Most communities do not have the support that we have. If you go to games, say at the Barre Auditorium, where we play our semi finals and championships, our community support is by far the biggest of any teams that go there,” he said.
He referenced the tradition of wearing replicas of the old Hardwick Academy jerseys once a year, maintaining a connection to the town’s history.
The community helps to take care of the athletes as well. Whether a child needs a new uniform or admission to Hill’s annual summer basketball camp, he knows the community will offer financial support.
This week and next, Hill will be running the 24th annual basketball camp at Hazen Union, with sessions for younger children in the morning run by varsity athletes, and sessions for high schoolers in the afternoon.
Hazen Union is always in need of more fans, and is also in need of coaches for various sports team, said Hill. For more information, reach out to Hill at [email protected].
Alex Strand
Alex Strand is a Hardwick Gazette reporting intern for this summer. She is a rising junior at the University of Vermont studying English and Psychology. She is from Boston, MA, but has begun to fall in love with the Northeast Kingdom. In her free time, she likes reading, swimming and canoe tripping.
