1981 Swampscott HS boys track & field team inducted into Swampscott Hall of Fame
SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — This is an excerpt from a speech delivered this fall by Dan Grimes (SHS ’81) during the ceremony to induct the 1981 Boys Winter Track Team into the Swampscott Hall of Fame. The ’81 team is the only indoor track team from Swampscott to ever win a State Championship.
How many of you have children, nieces, nephews or have friends with children? You probably have told them the story that “in my day, we walked to school, uphill, both ways, without shoes, oh, and in a snowstorm.” Of course, no-one ever walks up hill both ways in a snowstorm to school. Whatever the picture you painted, you always stressed that if you put the time in, and work hard at what you enjoy, you will succeed, you will achieve your goal, you will have won! That’s why we are all here today at the Swampscott Hall of Fame induction dinner, to celebrate our accomplishments, whether it is as an individual athlete or as a team.
The 1981 boys Winter Track Team did not have a field house, we did not have an indoor track to work out on. There was no shotput cage, no hurdling lanes, no high jump pit, no 200 meter laned track to practice on. Our long-distance runners ran outside in the cold weather and in the snow. The hurdlers and the sprinters used the basement hallways that had linoleum flooring, not high-grade rubber lanes. The fire doors were held open to create a running lane for the sprinters and hurdlers. The shot put and high jumpers used the wooden basketball court for practice, not an ideal space for their event. We ran on the two-level outdoor parking lot for speed work and intervals during the cold winter months. Saturdays were typically dedicated to early morning long runs for the distance guys. A run from Swampscott to Manchester by the Sea. A 13-mile run, where at the end we would catch the train back to Swampscott. It was timed just right as to not miss the train ride home.
Our coaches instilled in us early on that we did not need a fancy facility to compete and win in track and field. There were no excuses. All of our hard work qualified 11 individuals and one relay team for the Class D State Meet. In 1981 there were only 10 events in indoor Track and Field and we had someone from our team in 9 of these events. Our Team scored in 5 events, more than any other team at the state meet. The Boys 1981 Winter Track team set or tied 5 school records. This team also won the 1981 indoor Northeastern Conference Meet, which had us competing against Marblehead, Beverly, Lynn Classical and Lynn English, Saugus, Salem, and Danvers. We won 4 out of 10 events that day, scored in 9 out of 10 events, and outscored all the other teams.
41 years later, I believe we all still have that in us. The drive to succeed, the love for competition, and the determination to win. The joy of competing has never left us. It remains fun. You are never too old to feel the way we felt back in the days. Don’t let age be the reason you do not do something great or the reason you can’t complete. Today, competing in masters track and field has reminded me that at our age you can still set goals, work hard, have fun while doing what you love. And sometimes you even win.
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