Dean of Students & Coach Evan Campbell on Junior Boarding Schools, Coaching Roles, and Building Better Athlete Relationships

Evan Campbell from The Rectory School in Connecticut discusses his 17-year journey from college tennis player to Dean of Students and interim Director of Secondary School Advising, while also coaching varsity tennis and assisting with varsity hockey. He explains what a junior boarding school is (boarding grades 5–9, with only 11 in the U.S.), how Rectory supports varied student outcomes, and how proximity to neighboring high schools like Pomfret enables shared facilities without being a guaranteed feeder path. Campbell compares coaching in hockey versus tennis, emphasizing the mental demands of individual sports, the value of students playing multiple sports, and how his dean role shaped his coaching through consistency, accountability, and care. He breaks down head vs. assistant coaching responsibilities, humility, role clarity, and concludes with a mindset shift toward intentionally building personal connections with each student-athlete.00:00 Meet Evan Campbell00:37 Many Hats at Rectory01:32 How He Got Here02:19 What Is Junior Boarding06:17 Rectory and Pomfret Neighbors08:47 Coaching Tennis in Winter09:38 Multi Sport Upbringing12:09 Pond Hockey Culture13:35 Dean of Students Reality14:28 Discipline Through Relationships18:21 Dean Role Shapes Coaching21:28 Head vs Assistant Coach26:36 Assistant Coach Humility27:22 Multi Sport Coaching Benefits29:19 Hockey vs Tennis Intensity32:11 Tennis as Mental Therapy35:08 Team vs Individual Lessons35:54 Head vs Assistant Reps46:20 Building Coaching Staff Roles48:41 Delegation and Practice Splits51:48 Changing Minds on Connection54:47 Final Wrap and Golf Banter