JAMES “JAMIE” G. KING III
What will you miss the most about your work at Hamilton?
The relationships with student athletes. I had a long career of 25 years here. I’ve been to a lot of weddings and caught up with former students. There’s been a lot of good times and a lot of crazy times on the road, like getting stuck in a ditch. I’ll miss those good times, watching the students go through their four years at Hamilton and beyond. Talking in my office, coming in with their latest accomplishments and job offers, but also maybe the bad stuff, problems with roommates, with professors, with relationships. My couch got a lot of use over the years in the squash center.
What are you most proud of accomplishing?
The sportsmanship awards are something really important to me. My last year of coaching, my team won the Sloane Award, named after my coach at Williams College. All the teams in the country voted for the team with the best sportsmanship, and Sean Sloane was there in Philly to deliver the award to me. Sportsmanship is something I always talked about. We can’t always control the winning and losing, but we can always be respectful to officials, opponents, and parents. There’s been a lot of close 5-4 wins and that kind of thing, but none of that stands out as much as the way students behave themselves and being awarded as a team for them giving their best within the spirit of the game.
Looking back, what would you say has changed the most at Hamilton? What’s essentially stayed the same?
What’s changed a lot are the buildings on campus. When I first started, Taylor Science Center had just come online. There’s a lot more opportunities for people to explore their passions on campus and a bit more access to different majors and courses of study. For athletics, the athletic training building used to be in a basement in the athletics center, and it was a scary place to go. Now that they’ve changed that around, it’s more open to students.
The sense of community has stayed the same. The Hamily is definitely there. I’ve had teams over to my house for meals over my time here. These are special moments that have been maintained. My graduating seniors remember when we got together in areas outside of practice and matches, and we took an interest in each other outside of whether we won matches. I think that’s why Hamilton alums are so loyal to the institution. Their connections with coaches, professors, people at the dorms, dining hall staff, and custodial staff are special and enduring.