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07/02/2023 10:10 AMSometimes in athletics, through rigorous reps and training, an action for an individual can transform from a simple hobby to pass the time to someone’s personal pastime–that has been the case for Aidan Chittenden when it comes to track and field, specifically throwing to new heights.
The North Branford junior track thrower grew up playing football and baseball before parting ways with the latter around middle and high school.
Following joining track during the indoor campaign his sophomore year, Aidan this past spring on the outdoor circuit placed third at the Shoreline Conference Championship for the shot put with a toss of 43 feet-10 inches, making him an All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention in his first season in outdoor track, having previously only done indoor track. He walked away from being captain of the frisbee team to pursue throwing further. In addition to throwing the shot, he was also quite successful at discus this year, placing fifth at Shorelines with a personal record of 125 feet and seven inches.
“I love track because you are going into a competition where truly the best move on from conference championship to state championship, and then the State Open championship meets. I also like how you are able to go to any track and practice your events without a coach or team,” says Aidan. “I have undergone a lot of strength training, and I have been doing the training since 5th grade. I also work on form and video myself throwing and making corrections, which is how I learned and got better.”
T-Birds’ boys’ outdoor track Head Coach Michael Rabuffo exclaims that Aidan’s steady and swift progress with shot put and the discus comes with little shock and great awe given his diligence and dedication to the craft.
“Aidan has a work ethic like no one else. He bought his own shot puts to practice with at home, and he’s always the last to leave practice. He is 100% dedicated to becoming the best, and he’s made great progress,” says Rabuffo. “He went from starting his sophomore year barely throwing over 30 feet to now consistently throwing over 40 feet this year. He has even thrown an unofficial 49-foot throw during a warmup for one of our invitationals. For being so new to the sport, he’s picked it up so quickly. He has also essentially taught himself. Aidan is such a positive influence to be around, and I have never had an athlete work harder than him. He has become one of the best throwers in our conference because of his hard work and sheer willpower. He’s also a standout person as well. He is funny, kind, easy to talk to, and a positive influence on the rest of the team, helping to mentor the newer throwers.”
Aidan himself has seen his rapid rise and progression within two short seasons. A year ago, he marveled simply at qualifying for states in the shot put before breaking new personal marks. Yet he knows his work is far from being concluded–stating he is still finding and perfecting his form.
“My sophomore year I did not think of throwing as anything serious and more of something to do on the side. Yet I took time practicing more and more, and I went from throwing under 30 feet in my first shot put competition last year to throwing 43 feet and 10 inches this spring, and the two guys I finished behind at Shorelines this year [for shot put] went to Nationals,” Aidan says. “My balance has gotten better. I am not the most coordinated guy, and the big thing is that I need to move more fluidly, which I am slowly getting better at.”
As he served as a key piece of such a small but close-knit team of tossers for track, Aidan aimed for an opportunity to set the bar high this spring through his actions as a member of the upperclassmen wing for the T-Birds.
“I joined the track team late as a sophomore, and I was the only thrower there until we added a couple guys this year. Yet I also learned from some of the newer guys,” says Aidan. “I tried to lead by example this year through training and working hard with such a small throwing team.”
Embarking on his senior season, Aidan seeks out greater goals in joining the brethren of those that finished ahead of him in the postseason in 2023. He additionally looks to set himself up quite well academically for college while being privy to North Branford’s steady ascension up the Shoreline Conference and state ranks.
“Next year, I would like to not just qualify for Nationals. I would actually like to compete there. I also want to continue my good grades, increase my grade-point average, and stay on the radar for colleges,” Aidan says. “We made a lot of progress as a team this year. Coach Rabuffo was a great coach. We went from only having a few kids qualify for states for indoor track to having multiple athletes in multiple events for states during the outdoor season. We have some fast kids who are returning next year, which will hopefully help lead us to more team success.”