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•  Thank Emily for the introduction

•  Thank Lou Tozzi

•  Thank MSTCA

 

•  Congratulate the other new Hall of Fame members

•  Congratulate Adversity Award Winners

 

I told Lou I'd be using my entire 15 minutes of fame today. Even at that I'll have to talk fast.

 

This has to be one of the most incredible days of my life. It is impossible to convey what this means to me. I feel both lucky and humbled.

 

Five years ago I didn't even know there was such an award. But in 2003 I listened to Kevin Black's induction speech. To hear him talk about what it meant to him to coach track, and to thank his family for their large part in his success - it was at that point that I hoped that someday I'd be able to stand here and recognize those people who have enriched my life, many through track and field.

 

Because I realize that this isn't an award about what I've done, but more a recognition of the things that I've been fortunate to be a part of.   There are many people to thank. Tonight I'll be kicking for the many I forget to mention.

 

Let me start by recognizing those people who made the trip up to share this occasion with me.

 


Scattered around the room are some coaches that ran for me at North Attleboro. PJ Allessi at Franklin, Latif Thomas and Pat Beith at Foxboro and Derek Ellis at Mansfield. They were standout athletes in the state, competed in college and are now part of the reason their programs are wildly successful.

 

Other graduates are here as well. Jennifer Copley was a sophomore on my first team in 1979 and came back to help coach. Lynn Liberatore and Cheryl Lyons from 1991 and Jessica Blake from 1995 are three of the best distance runners North has ever produced. All three became captains of their college teams, Lynn and Jess have broken 3 hours at the Boston Marathon, and as a physical therapist Lynn treats many of my athletes.

 

Over here I have five seniors from this years team. Cross country Captain Ashley Willox, track captains Leah Seward, Jen McNamara and Amanda Walkins, and this years New England High Jump Champion TyLynn Graham. Just to prove that people who choose track are smart, Leah is presently ranked #1 in her class and will be competing for Brown University in the fall.

 

Jerry Espinosa – I really shouldn't talk to him because he broke my HJ record at north. But that was back in 1980 so I've almost gotten over it. He has donated countless hours helping out our program at North and has used his position at Ballys to support track and field at the state level.

 

My in-laws Bill and Ruth Olson who are probably wondering what all this fuss is about.

 

My brother Keith who did the same events as me in high school.

When its high jumping do you call it following in the footsteps?

 

My mother who was at every one of my high school meets but never saw me because she couldn't bear to watch. Mom turns 80 this year. I looked it up and all she needs to do is clear 2'9" for All American status – I've got her starting plyos three days a week.

 

When I told my sister about the award the first thing she said was "Too bad dad isn't here to see this. But dad never missed out on anything that had to do with North track so I'm sure he snuck out up there and is watching."

 

My son and daughter, Ethan and Emily have given me some great moments in track. Just having them choose to share time with me in my chosen sport made it special. That they excelled was a tribute to their own commitment to the program. I still see every race in my mind. Emily went on to captain at Yale and just flew up from Georgetown Law School to share today with me. Ethan will be starting his PHD program in marine biology in the fall. I hope there's no truth to the rumor that his education will last as long as my coaching.

 

Is there is some magic formula to raising good kids? Mine was to have them stick around the track when they were young so they would be spending time with some of the classiest people I know.

 

And of course the largest credit goes to my wife Arlene. We celebrated our 30 th wedding anniversary this year. I told her I'd take her out for breakfast on her birthday – its today. The saying that behind every great man there's a great woman is incorrect. There are great women behind all of us. Unless of course there's danger and then they're in front. But I'm the luckiest man alive when I'm walking the outer beaches of Cape Cod with her at my side.

 

 

 

 

When people think about North Attleboro track and field they don't think about Dwight Estey, unless of course I'm being called by John Carroll because I've submitted a seed time that would break a world record, or by Charlie Butterfield for a uniform infraction. To me, a sign of success is going to a meet at Reggie Lewis and not hearing John say "Will the North Attleboro coach please report to the infield."

 

I hope most of you would think about good handoffs, the team depth that makes us successful at relay meets, pretty solid field events, and of course our 4X100 relay uniforms. The older coaches may remember some of our standout athletes like Melody Johnson who threw 48'9" in the shot back in 1986. Or PJ Allessi and his great high jump duels with Shawn Earle. I hope all of our athletes are thought of as the good sports that they aspire to be, respectful and maybe even friendly. And I hope that in a good way they're a little bit feared for their competitiveness.

 

Personally, I'm lucky that in junior high school I had a friend, Barry Ryan, who encouraged me in the sport of track and field. Throughout high school the sport gave me focus, and developed in me the self-confidence that I was lacking. At that point in my life, track was just about the fun. I had no idea at the time the many ways it would shape the rest of my life.

 

It led me to four years at the University of Connecticut with coaches Bob Kennedy and Bill Kelleher who taught me lessons, some of which I learned and pass on to my own athletes.

 

After graduation I traveled back to my high school alma mater, North Attleboro. In the spring I was the starter at track meets and only years later did the girls let me know how afraid they were of me. Back then I was known simply as, "The Man with the gun."

 

I waited for the boys coaching position to open up. Only through persistence, did my athletic rival Steve Robertson convince me to join him, to become co-coaches of the girls' program.

 

I clearly remember going down to the discus circle that first day of practice and asking the returning girls to show me what they knew. For a half hour I sat speechless watching twenty girls desperately trying to reach the 50' line – all with forms that defied description. I went home that night pretty much in shock, firmly convinced that I made a mistake and was crazy for doing this. By the end of the year a freshman had thrown over 100'. Jennifer Copely was well on her way to becoming one of the best sprinters in the state and North Attleboro had its first winning season ever – an undefeated 8-0. They were good, I was lucky and I was hooked.

 

I learned a valuable lesson – never underestimate the quality of your athletes. The great ones always exceed your expectations.

 

In the late 70's and early 80's there were some great programs in the state to emulate. Frank Mooney's program at Seekonk, John Carroll's at Falmouth and Bob Littlefield's at Norwell. Those were the teams we tried to copy, then compete with and in a good year maybe even beat.

 

Within the Hockomock there were icons like Val Muscato at Oliver Ames and George King at Canton. Hockomock League competition has gotten even tougher. Every year we face strong programs like Mansfield, Franklin, Foxboro, Oliver Ames   King Philip. By the time we get to state level competition we're either ready or dead.

 

Maybe I've mellowed over the years. I know a few of my long time rival coaches like Kevin Murphy and Paul Travato have – although the passion for our teams can still make the blood boil when it has to.

 

Over the years I've been blessed with great assistant coaches. Athletes also come back to donate their time to the program. Jennifer Copely, Vanessa Megna and Jerry Espinosa are just a few who have produced dramatic results. I realize that I'm not young enough to know everything so I've used the same philosophy with them that I have with my best athletes. "Don't confuse them. Get out of their way and let them do what they know how to."   It always works.

 

I have one major regret, not getting involved with the MSTCA earlier in my career. I used to take this organization for granted. It took people like Rick Kates and Jimmy Hoar to open my eyes – and expand my interests beyond my own team. I am learning to appreciate just how hard some people work to promote our sport. If you spent a day following around Lou Tozzi, or Frank Mooney you'd know that coaching is the easy part.

 

If you haven't been active in the MSTCA, think about getting involved. If you have a good facility, consider hosting a big meet. For three years in a row North Attleboro hosted the Class B Relays. It was good for our program, brought our parent's group even closer together and got great support from the community. My team is disappointed that we aren't hosting again.

 

When I found out that I'd been selected for this award I thought back to the hundreds of athletes I've had the pleasure to coach over the years. I've been so blessed to be able to work with talented individuals, including many state and New England Champions. Many have gone on to excel in college, some becoming captains at schools such as Yale, Harvard, Holy Cross, Middlebury, UMass, and Connecticut College. Those whose lives drifted away from track have become leaders in their own fields.

 

Some of those who were less successful when measured by the watch or tape have had just as profound an impact on me. I remember a freshman girl that came up to me at the end of a meet and said. "Mr. Estey, I know its not good but I jumped 11' today and that's the best I've ever done." I think of her every year and it helps me to remember that no athlete who tries hard and improves should ever have to think that what they're doing isn't good.

 

Without all of them, this doesn't exist.

 

I could tell that athletes bought into the program when words like dedication and commitment became part of the daily vocabulary. Sure there were growing pains. I've even heard that one of my former athletes does a great imitation of my dedication speech, including the part where I tell them to either wear the red and white with pride or find the closest door.

 

But I knew they wanted to be successful, wanted to be able to be proud of the things that they accomplished. And to do that they had to be able to look in the mirror at night and say "I did something today to make myself better". They had to believe in themselves and that what they were doing had value – and they did.

 

Now I do much less coaching and lecturing. The athletes know the drill. Seniors convince freshmen to join their event. They take pride in the tradition and help coach those who might even end up beating them. If North Attleboro is successful in 2008 I have to thank seniors like Leah, Jen, Amanda, TyLynn and Ashley.

 

As unbelievably proud as I am to be standing here today, I'm a little jealous of those of you who are at the beginning of your careers. You are coaching one of the greatest sports in the world. I wish you success - and remember. If you're good at leading people, make sure you're headed in the right direction.