LYNNFIELD – The year was 1972 when Craig Stone’s phone rang regarding a job opening in Lynnfield. It may have been a short conversation, but the list of people he’s affected since then certainly isn’t.
The legendary wrestling and tennis coach served as an honorary guest during Friday night’s Lynnfield gala raising money for new tennis courts. There were more than 240 people in attendance – one coming all the way from California – and Stone said it was “unbelievable.”
“I was pretty much in the dark until a few weeks ago,” Stone said. “The magnitude of the event, the planning, and the amount of people… I was very touched.”
Things were “very nostalgic” for Stone, who enjoyed recreating stories and, frankly, laughing the night away.
“It’s not like they were 240 strangers,” Stone said.
He’s so right – Stone was a mentor, friend, and even a father-figure to many in attendance.
Nick Secatore, Lynnfield’s police chief who wrestled for Stone in 1997 before becoming his assistant coach, couldn’t have spoken more highly of Stone.
“Craig has always been ahead of the game in coaching, relationships, partnerships, and teaching people,” Secatore said. “More than that, just showing them the right way to behave – how you win, how you lose, and how you improve.”
What a relationship it’s been since Stone was Secatore’s gym teacher in second grade.
“We have a similar relationship,” Secatore said. “He’s still my coach, but he’s a friend [and] he’s a mentor.”
Mike Bodek wrestled for Lynnfield a few years later – well, that wasn’t always the plan.
“I had a buddy who told me, ‘you don’t want to play basketball, you want to come wrestle for this guy,’” Bodek said.
The end result was Bodek becoming one of the best wrestlers in Lynnfield history and, more importantly, starting a new relationship.
“It was awesome,” Bodek, who added how important Stone was in coping with his mother’s cancer, said. “He had a great effect on me in high school and it’s carried up to today.”
Then, there’s Stone as a competitor.
“You have to work hard,” Bodek said. “You want to be a better person and you want to win.”
Jill Migliero McEwan, a doubles player on Lynnfield’s 1997 state championship team, couldn’t agree more.
“He’s the perfect combination,” McEwan said. “He pushes you, but he’s kind and considerate.”
She added how telling it was to see people from 20 or 30 years ago come back to support Stone.
“I’ve known him since I was a kid, and it was so great to see him,” McEwan, whose kids have since taken lessons with Stone, said. “He’s just a great human being.”
Two attendees (and probably more) still refer to him as Mr. Stone. When it comes to holding Stone in high respects, Secatore spoke about the trust he, and many other players, had in him.
“Mr. Stone was always there. He never missed anything,” Secatore said. “He was the most dependable person in many of these kids’ lives… it is unbelievable and he does it with grace.”
Nicholas Saggese, one of three Saggese brothers to wrestle for Stone, said his respect for his former coach “has no expiration date.”
“What kids need today is what Mr. Stone gave us: old school discipline and respect,” Saggese said. “Today, I only know Craig Stone as Mr. Stone.”
It’s hard to find such an impactful coach – it’s even harder to do so in two sports. But whether it was on the mat or court, look no further than Stone.
“No one from the wrestling side expected it to be a joint-event or anything,” Secatore said. “It was a really nice event to see people from both sides… we all have the same relationship with him.”
And, hey, it wouldn’t have been a night with Stone without some laughs.
“He was really, really funny,” McEwan said.
Friday aside, it’s been an eventful year for Stone, who picked up his 1,200th win between the two sports back in February. And if there’s one thing that’s for certain, it’s that Stone will continue to affect people in a positive way.
“Everything that Coach Stone got is well-deserved,” Bodek said.
