SWAMPSCOTT — After six seasons as head coach of the Swampscott boys baseball team, Jason Calichman is stepping down. Calichman made his decision to resign official earlier this week.
Calichman coached Swampscott to five state tournament appearances during his six years at the helm. This past season, the Big Blue reached the Division 3 North semifinal, the furthest the program has been since 2009. Swampscott fell in the semifinal round to top-seed Austin Prep.
“Between my job and my family, I have three young boys and it wasn’t sustainable to give everything 110 percent,” Calichman, the principal at Swampscott Middle School, said. “I care too much about the program to not give it 110 percent and that kind of dawned on me. But I’m the biggest fan of the baseball program. Especially this year’s team, they represented the town so well and they never quit. They played so hard.”
A former Big Blue baseball player himself, Calichman graduated from Swampscott High in 1995. He played college baseball at the University of New Hampshire, where he graduated in 2000. Calichman took over the Swampscott program in 2013, succeeding current Masconomet coach TJ Baril.
“Kevin (Rogers), Brendan (Nolan) and I started together six years ago,” Calichman said. “We all played for Coach (Frank) DeFelice. We all have that old-school DeFelice approach. We wanted kids to work hard and come ready to play every day. This year’s team did that and we didn’t quite make it. That’s what made it so hard.
“Even in that loss to Austin Prep, you saw a team that didn’t quit for seven innings,” Calichman, who’ll coach the South team in Sunday’s Agganis baseball all-star game, added. “They hustled and played for one another.”
With a program that’s accustomed to reaching the state tournament and making a postseason run, Calichman feels he leaves the team in good standing.
“I’m really proud of the way the kids compete and hustle,” Calichman said. “I’d like to think that whoever comes in can do so and build off that. I love this team. I love our kids and I think whoever comes in will be a lucky person to get this job.
“I think this team will be great next year,” Calichman added. “I think Ryan Graciale is the best hitter in the league. Putting him in the No. 3 spot gives you something to build on automatically. They’re going to be a dangerous team next year.”
Swampscott’s coaching staff this past season included Calichman, Kevin Rogers, Brendan Nolan, Joe Caponigro and Robert Serino. All five played their high school baseball at Swampscott.
“I’m going to miss all of the people,” Calichman said. “Having five guys that went to Swampscott High and played baseball at Swampscott, that care deeply about the town and the program, that’s not common. I’m going to miss coming down to the park every day.”
Calichman noted that he’ll also miss watching his players grown on and off the field.
“Seeing a player like Luke Marshall develop and grow over three years was amazing,” Calichman said. “He’s going to pitch at Stonehill next year and seeing him improve, that’s what it’s all about.”
Although he’s stepping away from his coaching role, Calichman hopes to stay connected to the program in the future.
“It was truly an honor to come back and play in the town I played for,” Calichman said. “I can’t say enough about the kids. I’m going to miss them. I hope some of the lessons they learned on the diamond will help them in life. It was an honor. I’m officially their biggest fan now and I wish them nothing but the best.”
