For Felix Rockefeller ’23, the Deerfield Lacrosse program has always held a special place in his heart — he’s been attending Deerfield lacrosse games since 2016. Growing up in New York City, Rockefeller played several different sports, including basketball, football, lacrosse, and ice hockey. “I started playing lacrosse at 10 years old, around 2nd or 3rd grade, because of my two older brothers. But hockey was my main sport until 8th grade, which is when I realized I was a lot better at lacrosse.” While Rockefeller’s ice hockey career never reached further than the Junior Varsity level, he has found tremendous success on the lacrosse field, akin to his two older brothers, Teddy Rockefeller ’21 and Nolen Rockefeller ’18.
Rockefeller cites his oldest brother, Nolen, as his biggest inspiration in the sport, saying, “I’ve been going to [Deerfield Lacrosse] games ever since he made Varsity his sophomore year. He was team captain [during my high school application process], and it was one of the main reasons that I was like, ‘I want to go there.’” That’s the way I fell in love with the Deerfield Lacrosse program.”
Felix Rockefeller, a four-year senior, had his inaugural high school lacrosse season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his favorite memory as a team member occurred during this time. “The Burning of the Sticks,” a treasured lacrosse team tradition, usually occurs on Jim Smith Field, with the whole team and coaching staff present. With COVID-19 making an in-person gathering impossible, Head Coach Chip Davis and Assistant Coach Drew Philie ’09 conducted the tradition via Zoom. This is where Rockefeller began to understand “what the program really meant, and it’ll be one of those things that always [resonates with him].”
Despite an unpredictable beginning to his high school career, Rockefeller has made the most of his time in the green-and-white. He has been an integral part of the team’s offense for the last three seasons, playing as an attackman or midfielder, compiling an impressive career record of 29-7. For the 2022-23 season, Rockefeller alongside Owen Bunten ’23, are captains for the team, an accomplishment he holds in high regard. “There’s a lot of history and legacy to this program. Coach Davis has built a powerhouse, and being a captain under the coaching staff that we have [is definitely something to be proud of.] Being a four-year freshman and having had great captains that I’ll always and have looked up to [really means a lot].” Rockefeller’s impact in this leadership role has been acknowledged by teammates such as Billy Weller ’26. Weller said, “Felix always leads by example and helps the team however he can to become better.”
Rockefeller said he has immensely appreciated captaining the team alongside Bunten, the other four-year senior on the squad. Rockefeller expanded on their close relationship by saying, “Freshman year, those that were here know, that’s been my boy. Him and I, since we got here, it was right to work. Not only getting accustomed to school but also staying consistent throughout these four years, always having a goal going into the Spring, getting better every day. It helps out having someone to do that with that’s one of your best friends—it’s been a ride.” Bunten’s words encapsulate the two’s relationship: “Without him, there is no me.”
Bunten will be heading off to play lacrosse at West Point next year, while Rockefeller will play under Coach Mike Daly at Brown University. Rockefeller’s older brother, Nolen, captained the Brown lacrosse team during the 2021-22 season, while his other brother, Teddy, is currently a sophomore on the team. When asked why he chose to commit to Brown, Rockefeller stated, “[I love] the culture there. First thing was academics, always. Everything that I was looking for in a college academically, they had it. Honestly, to me, the culture, the program, and the coaches, kind of resembled what we have here [at Deerfield], which is something that played a big part in my decision.” Rockefeller’s goals at the next level are simple: “build and succeed.” He said highly of the importance of working hard as a team and appreciating the grind.
Rockefeller has also had to hold tight to these sentiments while navigating through the current season’s ups and downs. “Going into the season, I knew it’d be a different type of year than my past years that I’ve had, which meant a lot of new challenges,” he said, “We’re still building every day, in practice and games, but it’s been very fun to see the evolution of our team, coming together and finding that unified will to go out and compete.”
Rockefeller’s relationship with the Deerfield Lacrosse team has been reciprocal. The latter have given him mentors, friendships, thrilling experiences, and countless other tangible and intangible benefits.