LYNN — Monday officially marked the start of the spring sports season at Lynn English, and if there’s one thing athletic director Dick Newton likes about this time of year – it’s the participation from the students.
“You get a little more participation because of the nice weather, and the kids are feeling it [and] wanting to be outside,” Newton said.
Wins are a nice add-on, but Newton believes the experience is the most important thing for a student-athlete.
“The most important thing is to get a positive experience out of high school athletics. That is the goal,” Newton said.
In competition, English has three new coaches helming boys track, girls tennis, and boys volleyball.
Since volleyball is new this year for the Lynn schools, they’ll be having a varsity-only schedule. That said, Newton remains hopeful for a junior varsity team next year.
When asked about volleyball being introduced, Newton thought it was a “great idea.”
“We’re looking to get numbers [and] looking to introduce kids to the sport,” Newton said. “A lot of these kids have played in intramural and gym class, but the GBL (Greater Boston League) has had volleyball for a few years now. It’s a great idea to implement the sport into our schools.”
Newton also weighed in on the balance of teams in the GBL.
“I don’t think there are many sports in the spring that any one school in the GBL is overpowering,” Newton said. “I think it’s a pretty evenly-based schedule. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
On the baseball diamond, non-league teams the Bulldogs will face are Gloucester (twice), Saugus, and Masco. For softball, the Bulldogs will face both Melrose and Lynn Tech twice.
When talking about rival school Lynn Classical, Newton praised Classical for its strong girls tennis and softball teams. He also looks forward to competing against them this year.
“Classical is always strong in girls tennis and softball. They’re really good at softball,” Newton said.
Newton also mentioned how he’s a big baseball fan – English fans know that well – and that he’s looking forward to those all-important matchups against Classical.
“[I’m] looking forward to playing Classical in baseball. Mike Zukowski over at Classical does a great job in baseball. When we play them, he and Esteban [Paula] lock up and it’s always a good game. Our boys are always ready for the rivalry game.”
One thing Newton knows he has no control over is the weather, adding it’s “the biggest challenge for an AD.”
“Once the schedule and everything is done, the only thing you worry about is the rain where you’ll have to jockey things around,” Newton said.
Rain or shine, we know those Bulldogs will be ready to pounce this spring.
