Protecting Our Student-Athletes

Greenhill parent makes a gift to keep athletes shaded from the sunDr. Mark Thieberg is a dermatologist and Greenhill parent of Alison ’21 and Lilly ’22. One day last September, while he was watching Lilly Thieberg play field hockey, he realized how hot the sun shone on Frankel and Maalouf fields, even after 5pm.Dr. Thieberg recounts, “I felt so bad for players. It was sweltering hot. The small portable shade structure was not available for use that particular day and the players were not protected from the sun. I wanted to help Greenhill find a permanent solution.” Being a dermatologist, Dr. Thieberg is especially knowledgeable of UV light exposure and cites rising rates of melanoma and carcinoma in young adults.“Sometimes you can solve a straightforward problem with a straightforward solution,” says Dr. Thieberg. He spoke to Athletic Director Jarrett Shine and Chief Advancement Officer Susan Holmes and proposed a permanent shade structure to be installed between the two fields, covering the benches for home and away games. “We wanted to provide safety and comfort to the athletes for different sports and through different seasons.”The shade structures are 10 x 20 feet each and were constructed in the winter of 2020 thanks to the generous gift of $30,000 from the Thieberg family.Plans are in place to apply the Greenhill logo to the shade fabric in the coming weeks, which will be visible from Spring Valley and Midway roads.Mark and Rachel Thieberg have been Greenhill parents for 14 years and have enjoyed the newer, improved fields for their daughter’s games.We share our gratitude to the Thieberg family!