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HAC Athletics

HAC Athletics

The family of Dick Chapman visited Harley last summer to tour the school and see the memorial plaque in Dick’s honor.

Harley School Athletic Director Dick Chapman always had keen insight, and when he arrived in 1958, he saw the potential in the School’s student-athletes and knew the existing athletic program needed to grow. Always a forward thinker, he, along with a small committee, imagined a new athletic facility to provide athletes a competitive edge. Under Dick’s tenure, the “field house” and pool opened in September of 1969, and Harley and Allendale Columbia sports teams merged in fall of 1972 to form HAC Athletics. Dick was the visionary behind these two huge milestones in Harley School history.

Award Created to Honor Coach Chapman

The family of Dick Chapman visited Harley last summer to tour the school and see the memorial plaque in Dick’s honor.

Harley School Athletic Director Dick Chapman always had keen insight, and when he arrived in 1958, he saw the potential in the School’s student-athletes and knew the existing athletic program needed to grow. Always a forward thinker, he, along with a small committee, imagined a new athletic facility to provide athletes a competitive edge. Under Dick’s tenure, the “field house” and pool opened in September of 1969, and Harley and Allendale Columbia sports teams merged in fall of 1972 to form HAC Athletics. Dick was the visionary behind these two huge milestones in Harley School history.

The new Dick Chapman Perseverance Award, a tribute to Coach Chapman initiated by his wife Linda, honors a Grade 12 Harley student-athlete who shows the same drive and forward-thinking vision as Coach Chapman. Linda, the Chapman family, and 30 donors — composed of former students, colleagues, and friends of Dick’s —raised over $10,000 to endow this special recognition. It was first presented at the end-of-year award assembly in 2022.

The first recipient of the Dick Chapman Perseverance Award is Ben Friedberg ’22. The award was presented by Athletic Director Peter Mancuso at the Honors Assembly.

Ben Friedberg:
• Nine athletic letters in his career (baseball, swimming, golf)
• Three section V team championships in swimming
• League all-star in baseball and swimming
• Three school records in swimming and participant in the 2021 New York State Swim Championships
• Multiple scholar-athlete team member

Ben Friedberg:
• Nine athletic letters in his career (baseball, swimming, golf)
• Three section V team championships in swimming
• League all-star in baseball and swimming
• Three school records in swimming and participant in the 2021 New York State Swim Championships
• Multiple scholar-athlete team member

During quarantine, Ben made a decision to get himself into better swimming shape and dedicate the time necessary to make it to the next level, and he accomplished his goal senior year, winning three individual sectional championships along with helping HAC three-peat for the team sectional championship. Ben set three school records in the process and represented HAC at the New York State swim meet.

We believe Coach Chapman would be very proud of Ben and his diligent work as an athlete and a scholar.