Put Me In Coach! Excited to Join the Blue & Gold

By Stephen Marks, Director of Athletics
Post Date: January 16, 2026

The start of every new school year always brings excitement and anticipation. For me, starting a new leadership role this year at Belmont Day added another layer to those feelings. I was joining a community with a strong tradition and a deep sense of identity, and I was also following someone in my role who had been an important part of the school community for many years. I knew that my mission was not about replacing what came before me but about building on the excellence that exists, creating new relationships, and empowering the people around me. That reality reinforced for me that leadership is not about arriving with all of the answers; it is about listening, learning, and building trust to move forward together.

One of my earliest and most meaningful entry points into the Belmont Day community in the fall came through coaching. The first Blue & Gold team I’ve had the pleasure of coaching was the girls’ varsity soccer team. As the players can attest, our first practices of the season were not about tactics or results. They were about connection.

Those first days on those fields were driven by a quote I have carried with me throughout my career, “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Students of all ages need to know that you see them as people first before they will fully buy into what you are teaching and coaching. Trust has to come before productive instruction. Only when students feel cared for are they more willing to try new things and push themselves.

This idea extends well beyond the playing fields and gyms. Whether with students, coaches, or colleagues, I create environments where people feel trusted and invested in their work. While I work to understand how to best motivate each person, I also believe in setting clear guardrails for expectations and responsibilities. I often think of it like bowling with the gutter rails up. As a leader, I can set the pins, provide the ball, and put the rails in place, but it is up to others to take the shot.

Coaching soccer this fall also reminded me that leadership has to be flexible. No one approach works for everyone. What motivates one student may not work for another. Some respond best to encouragement, others to structure, and others to more independence. The key is taking the time to know people well enough to adjust your approach.  

This mindset extends, of course, to working with our great roster of coaches as well. Each one of them brings their own style, experience, and perspective. My role is not to force one way of doing things. Instead, it is to build alignment in the program while respecting individuality. When people feel heard and respected, they are more willing to lean in and contribute.

For me, communication sits at the center of all of this, especially listening. Leadership is most effective when it begins with listening and understanding. When leaders take the time to listen, they build trust and clarity, and people feel valued. Nothing is more important than that.

My first few months at Belmont Day have been incredibly energizing and encouraging. Coaching the girls’ varsity soccer team (and now the boys’ varsity basketball team), working with thoughtful and committed coaches, and learning from a community with such strong roots have reinforced how excited I am to be here. Leadership, at its best, is about relationships, trust, and helping people believe in themselves.

Thank you for believing in me as I’ve joined the BDS team. I am so grateful for the warm welcome and excited to keep learning, listening, and growing together as a community. And as always … GO BDS!