Behind
the Athletic Director's Desk
With the fall season
underway and the winter season approaching,
there are many things the Saugus High School
Athletic Department can be proud of and can
also look forward to. This fall, our athletes
at Saugus High School and Belmonte Middle School
came out in big numbers and achieved great accomplishments.
With the season not over yet, I am proud to
write that the varsity field hockey team and
girls' varsity soccer team have once again made
the State Tournament. Both programs are headed
by knowledgeable, dedicated coaches who are
extremely eager and optimistic for the Tournament.
Barbara Guerante is the head coach for the varsity
field hockey team and Chris Coviello is the
leader for the girls' varsity soccer team. Time
will tell how they will do in the State Tournament,
but watching them throughout the season I feel
confident they will both do very well!
The varsity football team is working hard and
the coaches and kids are working diligently
to improve each week. The bright side for the
program is the freshman football team. As of
today the freshman team is undefeated and has
over 20 players on the team. There are many
freshmen playing in the varsity games and gaining
valuable experience. More importantly, though,
the freshman football players are positive and
full of confidence. They work hard in practice
and work together in the games. They listen
to their coaches and they are playing the game
the way it should be played- tough!
Jeff Mitchell did a great job with the golf
program. The golf program had over 25 players
and success was found at both the varsity and
JV level. Saugus High School teacher Frank Woods
headed the JV team and was an integral part
in helping the students learn the fundamentals.
Each year the program continues to grow and
this year was no different. With high interest
in the middle school and at the elementary level,
this program has a bright future.
One of the greatest and most instrumental accomplishments
this fall was by town officials and Superintendent
Langlois. Together they were able to reduce
user fees at Saugus High School and help the
many families and student-athletes. With the
reduction in the user fees, I anticipate there
will be higher participation in sports and it
will be more likely that athletes will play
two to three sports a year. With many communities
significantly raising their user fees, Saugus
is going in the opposite direction. The user
fee has been reduced by $100.00 and families
can receive a rebate check or they can use the
credit towards their next sport. Most sports
at Saugus High School are now $250.00 and $150.00
at the Belmonte Middle School. Saugus offers
more sports than most local schools in the area
and now a student can try something new without
the financial burden. When user fees increase,
athletic involvement decreases. Saugus witnessed
this years' ago and now neighboring communities
are seeing it first hand. I have personally
spoken to many students who now plan on playing
an additional sport this year. As an Athletic
Department we highly encourage all our student-athletes
to participate in three sports, and I truly
believe this reduction in the user fee will
help in reaching our goal.
There is always something happening within the
Athletic Department at Saugus High School and
Belmonte Middle School. During the fall season
we had over 250 high school athletes and 100
middle school athletes playing six different
sports. With games often being rescheduled,
people wanting to know results of specific games,
people wanting necessary paperwork for their
son/daughter to play a sport, and people wanting
to know about future events, we now have a place
for them to be informed. If there is anything
you would like to know regarding Saugus High
School Athletics, please continue to visit our
website: www.saugus.k12.ma.us/District/athletics.htm.
Our website will continue to have updated game
schedules, all the necessary forms for a child
to play a sport, game results, team rosters,
'Student-Athletes of the Month' recipients,
future events, and much, much more.
Although we are in early November, it is not
too early to bring up the winter season. The
Athletic Department will be hosting the 'Winter
Sports Registration-Informational Night' on
November 12th at 6:00 p.m. at Saugus High School.
Any child who plans on playing a winter sport
at Saugus High School or at the Belmonte Middle
School must attend with a parent/guardian. All
parents are encouraged to visit the website
and print out the forms to register their child
for a sport on this night.
This winter Saugus High School and the Belmonte
Middle School will offer six sports, which will
be comprised of nineteen teams. We will offer
wrestling for the second year, girls' ice hockey,
swim, and middle school hockey for the first
time. These sports often are not provided by
schools, but we strive to give all our students
the possibility to play a sport they will love.
Other sports, such as basketball, cheerleading,
track and hockey are expecting a large number
of players and success this winter.
Though I am eager about the upcoming winter
season I am not looking past the fall season.
The State Tournament will begin shortly and
I expect the teams to have a lot of success.
I can't stress enough how hardworking and dedicated
my coaches are at Saugus High School and at
the Belmonte Middle School. I encourage everybody
to attend some games this fall to see for yourself.
Don't forget that rival Peabody is back in town
this Thanksgiving….Go Sachems!
