These last 18 months were hard for the Lindenhurst family as they lost their longtime head Coach for track and field and XC in George Smawley. This team has battled heartache, tears, and so much more to persevere through these hard times.  And with Covid still being around, it didn’t make things any easier. But on June 16th, the Lindenhurst Board of Education honored the memory of Coach Smawley. 

Coach Smawley was as a teacher, coach, and most of all a person who impacted so many lives in his time in the Lindenhurst community. The way that this team rebounded from the loss of the great late Coach Smawley wouldn’t have been possible without the help of long time assistant coach and now head coach of Lindenhurst Boys XC and track, Coach Dave Carlson. Coach Carlson was also celebrated that night for being a great teacher, coach and person.  He and his team carry on the legacy of Coach Smawley through every XC and track practice.

New to coaching, track assistant Coach Kevin Cullen has done a phenomenal job by instilling a great work ethic and mentality in the team.  He demonstrates how to get the best out of you at every practice and meet by having a great group of guys to help push and compete with you every day, not just to reach your ceiling but to break it and reach new heights as a athlete and as a person. This is certainly a great group of individuals who have been through a whirlwind of ups and downs these last 18 months.

One thing everyone can say is that this team is more than just a team, it’s a family.  The team perseveres with a winning mentality to improve yourself as an athlete and as a person to always be there for your brothers by your side no matter what because they would do the same for you. The memory and legacy of Coach Smawley will forever live on in the community of Lindenhurst, the people he’s impacted, and all of the athletes that he has coached over the years. There are no shortcuts in track and in life, so you always have to give it your all.