Quarantine Q & A with Coach Blake
Lauck Blake, a member of the physical education department, has been residing in Vermont since the pandemic began.
A former Division III college baseball player for Roanoke College, Coach Blake reflects on athletic memories and how life has been since quarantine.
What has life been like since the pandemic?
I got out of the city and went straight to Vermont–where things are naturally socially distanced.
How are you keeping yourself busy?
There wasn’t that much of a change for me to adjust to. When I go up to Vermont, I usually stay with my parents and work outside. Every day, I have been creating workout videos for the Lower School boys. In my free time, I have been working outside building stone walls, and I have made some wooden furniture.
How have you adapted to online learning?
I’ve adapted pretty well to distance learning, and there has been some positive feedback from parents and students about doing the workouts and daily physical education challenges online. I still miss teaching in person and will be happy for the day when we can walk through those red doors and climb up those 100 or so steps to workout, hit in the batting cage, or play strike ball in the upper gym again. Hopefully soon!
What is your favorite memory at Browning?
My favorite recent memory at Browning came as a fan experiencing the varsity basketball team win the 2019-20 NYCAL Championship. The basketball team’s late dramatic comeback in that game that ended with a buzzer beating win was phenomenal to be a part of as a coach and fan.
What is your funniest moment at Browning?
Well, this would be more funny and less personally embarrassing if it happened to someone other than me. I put on some dance moves during a timeout while watching the college game leading up to our basketball game at the Barclays Center. Gus S. ’21 quickly turned on his camera and filmed my not-so-good dancing and put it on the Browning Instagram for everyone’s amusement.
It was also great to see my impromptu dance decision video turn up again in the slide show during the winter sports award assembly. I just have to laugh at that and am glad others were able to get a laugh out of it.
What are your favorite sports?
My favorite sports are basketball and baseball for different reasons. I have found that I can have a short memory in basketball because the game flows quickly and can make up for past mistakes immediately during the next possession.
Baseball is a different animal—I love playing baseball for a sprint and strength workout. It’s more about controlling your decisions and reacting quickly. I like baseball best, because it is cerebral and goes from slow to fast quickly.
What was the best Browning team you have coached so far?
Five years ago, the seventh and eighth grade Red team was the best. There was a lot of talent on that team, and those guys who stayed were a big part of the championship this year. We also had some other players who are playing high level ball elsewhere.
Coach Blake with the seventh and eighth grade Red team in 2016, comprised of members of the Class of 2020 and 2021. Coach Blake described this iteration of the team as the best he has ever coached. (Sanford Pelz ’71)
What was your most memorable high school moment?
My most memorable experience was being a part of a championship team. I played football all throughout high school. I went to a private school in New Hampshire, called New Hampton School. I played defensive back and wide receiver.
We went 10-0 that year and won the New England Class A Superbowl against Berkshire Academy. It was a night game during a blizzard in Cushing, Massachusetts. We dominated the game and won the championship. That was the culmination of a lot of hard physical and mental training starting from the first day.
What was one of the toughest moments of that championship year?
This probably would not be allowed now in school, but on the first day of training camp in late August the team was shuttled to Cannon Ski Mountain, where we were met with 10 foot logs weighing 300 pounds a piece. Our job was to hike the logs up the mountain with our teammates–seven to eight guys to a log. It was a mentally exhausting exercise that was designed to be a kind of analogy to the struggles and teamwork required to overcome obstacles and win the championship.
Where did you grow up and how did you gain your passion for sports?
I grew up in Vermont and played sports growing up. My passion grew after watching sports on tv and going to high school games. I loved playing sports as a kid because they made me feel good and allowed me to spend time with my classmates in a positive way.
Who was you favorite athlete growing up?
My favorite athlete was Jerry Rice. I always pretended to be Jerry Rice lining up as a wide receiver on the playground. I scored a lot of touchdowns during recess. Watching games on Sundays was the highlight of my week.
Who is your favorite athlete currently?
Honestly, when I was playing in college it was Ichiro Susuki. I guess now I'm most impressed by Steph Curry.
What was your favorite subject at school?
My favorite subject growing up, aside from PE, was English. I used to look up words in the dictionary and write down the meaning into a journal. My goal was to learn two new words a day when I was in high school.
Where did you go to college and what sport did you play?
I started my undergraduate degree at Roanoke College, then transferred and got my degree at Castleton University. I later got my Masters Degree from Canisius College. I played baseball in college.
Coach Blake sprinting to the next base during his college baseball career at Roanoke. (Coach Blake)
What was your favorite college baseball memory?
My favorite college baseball memory was also my final one: playing against the #1 ranked team in the nation, Trinity College, in the NCAA regional tournament. We had won our league tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. It validated my hard work and allowed me to believe in myself that I could compete at a high level. I went 2-3 in the game and just beat out a push bunt against the arm of Trinity’s third baseman, who later was drafted to play pro ball. We lost the game 5-9, but competed against the eventual winner of the NCAA tournament. I was proud of my team and proud of myself.
What is your favorite activity to do in New York?
My favorite activity to do in New York is to explore different neighborhoods and find good restaurants to eat at.
What is your favorite restaurant in New York?
My favorite restaurant is San Mateo.
Why did you come to Browning?
I came to Browning because it provided me to do what I love to do: teach PE and coach middle and high school sports.
