Krause: Lynn All-Star party shows positive community involvement in sports

We read and hear all about the achievements of our high school athletes over the course of a season, and we are justifiably proud of all they accomplish.But what we don’t often hear about is the community involvement that fuels these programs to make them what they are. From September through the end of the school year, there are several community efforts made to help either defray the costs of running a high school program or help recognize these boys and girls for their dedication, sacrifice and excellence.One such event takes place Thursday at Breed Middle School when TV-15 hosts its annual Sports Weekly All-Star party. Play-by-play man John Hoffman will be at the microphone, but he’ll be the first to admit that he couldn’t pull this annual event off without the help of Taso Nikolakopoulos and John’s Roast Beef and Kevin Harrington of Harrington Trophies.Both Nikolakopoulos and Harrington are former Lynn athletes who have remained active in the local sports scene. But more important, both do so with a minimum of fanfare. They prefer to stay in the background and let their efforts speak for themselves.Nikolakopoulos provides the generous buffet that follows the televised awards show; and Harrington donates the trophies. In fact, if you visit Harrington’s shop on the corner of Chestnut and Maple Streets, he will do everything he can to accommodate you.Make no mistake, those efforts make a difference, and both Nikolakopoulos and Harrington should be applauded. As should Hoffman. He devotes much of his time to broadcasting games and showcasing the young talent that abounds in this city.In addition, there will be four coaches of the year winners, to be announced at the dinner.The event begins at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.Lost in the maelstrom of the Boston Marathon events was North Reading baseball coach Frank Carey’s 700th career victory, which occurred April 16 in a win over Newburyport.It’s been quite a couple of years for Carey. He’s been inducted into the National High School Coaches’ Hall of Fame, his Hornets won a state title last year, and, now, this.Carey is a Lynn native, and a contemporary of the late Tony Conigliaro at St. Mary’s. And you’ll find few people who come close to him when it comes to the number of ways he has furthered the cause of local youth baseball.Hats off to my Salem News counterpart, Phil Stacey, for receiving the Massachusetts State Football Coaches Association’s media award at the group’s dinner this past Sunday.Finally, a coach is a coach, whether it’s sports or some other endeavor. A good coach pushes you to be better, and keeps you accountable when you take shortcuts.Nancy Lemoine might not have been up on all her sports, but she was every bit a coach as anyone else at Saugus High. In her case, she coached drama. And just like the best coaches, she pushed her students to be better in everything they tried. She didn’t let you off easily. But at the same time she was a careful and compassionate nurturer of talent. Being involved in any Nancy Lemoine undertaking was in equal parts a lot of hard work ? and a whole lot of fun.Nancy died last month after a fiercely brave battle against cancer. There would have been no other way for her.At her funeral last Saturday at a packed Cliftondale Congregational Church, I heard story after story of how Nancy influenced lives positively. I had the pleasure of knowing her, and I can tell you that she taught me a few things about how important it is to stay with it ? even in the things you do well.She frowned upon laziness, especially if she felt you were too talented to take the easy way out. But at the same time, she had all the patience in the world for those who diligently persevered, and would work with them tirelessly.And in that sense, she takes her place among the best coaches I’ve ever seen. Here’s hoping she’s found her corner of the sky.Steve Krause can be reached at [email protected].