Mark Tilton Court

Homecoming Weekend 2023

 Friday, November 10

Games vs. Kimball Union Academy: 

3:30 pm Women’s JV Field Hockey

4:45 pm Women’s Varsity Field Hockey

Saturday, November 11

11:30 am – 1:00 pm Lunch in Memorial Dining Hall

11:00 am – 6:00 pm Welcome and Hospitality Tent on Kennedy Field

Games vs. Kimball Union Academy:

12:00 pm Men’s Varsity Soccer

12:00 pm Women’s JV Soccer 

12:00 pm Men’s JVB Soccer

2:00 pm Coed Varsity Mountain Biking

2:00 pm Men’s JVA Soccer

2:15 pm Women’s Varsity Soccer

3:30 pm Mark Tilton Court Dedication

4:30 pm Football vs Kingswood Oxford School

7:00 pm Fall Play: Pride and Prejudice

The Mark Tilton Court is finished and curing. It looks spectacular!

Please make sure you have November 11th on your calendar. That's the day we will dedicate the court as part of Homecoming weekend. See you then!

It's the first day of the resurfacing of the court. Enjoy these images.

We have great news! Thanks to you, we have reached our goal of $50,000 for the purpose of renovating and renaming the basketball court in honor of Mark Tilton!

Work will take place this month and we will dedicate the court the weekend of November 10-11.

We hope you will get your calendars out today and mark the date as we expect a great turnout to honor a great man!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/nhshuskynation/11vCax815o

And if you have more to add- please send them our way!

Mark Tilton was my history teacher in his first year at New Hampton School and my last year as a senior in 1986-87. He was also my colleague in the NHS History Department when I began my career as an educator from 1994 - 2000. He challenged me in the best ways, supported me when self-doubt crept in, and he had an amazing ability to impart wisdom without judgement. Mark gave us his time, his teachings, his advice, and his care, and what I will always appreciate was the fact that it was Mark Tilton’s family who gave us the greatest gift of all … their selflessness in sharing him. As we heard at his celebration of life on Father’s Day of 2022, Mark Tilton was like a father to many of us and to even more - he was an unforgettable and impactful teacher, coach, and mentor. I love him. I miss him. Kudos to NHS for keeping his memory alive in honoring him.

Teaching, according to Tilton, was less about getting an answer right and more about challenging students to think. Tilton taught and believed that the best teachers created conditions for self-motivation, and that the content in history was a vehicle to help students learn about life and how to navigate it, especially when they could connect past to present in meaningful ways. So, when I teach … I try my best to emulate Mark Tilton. I aspire to teach and learn with a sense of humor and an appreciation for the joy and laughter our students bring us and inspire us to keep learning as we go. 

The same is true for coaching. According to Coach Tilton, if you focus on the fundamentals - winning takes care of itself – if you take care of each other – winning takes care of itself and if you believe in yourself and your teammates … your team will play up to its potential … that’s what HUSKY PRIDE was all about. The pride at NHS that Mark Tilton instilled was all about people who worked together to make our community stronger.  He coached with pride - he led with pride and he was the epitome of HUSKY PRIDE.

Finally, I live by Tilton’s credo: “Don’t sacrifice what you want NOW for what you want MOST.” He taught all of us to make good choices - to strive in the face of adversity and to do well by doing good for yourself and others. He is a legend and his teachings live on in all of us who called him our teacher, coach, colleague, mentor, or friend.

"For me, Coach Tilton represents what education and what being a part of the New Hampton School community is about. He took an interest in me throughout my time at New Hampton and he was the most influential mentor in my life as a student-athlete, and later as a boarding school coach and educator. Mark taught me about the power of investing in people. While his gruff, no b-s exterior was always on display, it was his willingness to give you his time and make you feel important that made him special. He was always there for me, whether it was an evening conversation at Gables House, through the many notes and newspaper articles he sent me over the years, or attending my games as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College. He set an example of making his work about connecting with and caring about his students, his former student-athletes, his colleagues, and his family. Coach had a magical ability to make those around him feel seen, and sometimes that's all that is needed to make someone's day or change their life." 

Mark Tilton was a legendary basketball coach, teacher, mentor, and friend. Mark’s impact on the community continues to be felt by so many of us. Having his name on the court will always remind us of what he meant to so many people. Every time I walk into the gym I will be reminded of Mark’s spirit and passion. His name and memory will live on for years to come.” – Jamie Arsenault P’13, ’15, Director of Athletics