~ The Advocate Asks ~ Young Saugus Sachems Track Camp athletes talk about how the summer experience benefited them

Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we accepted an invitation from Coach Chris Tarantino, who oversees the Saugus Sachems Track Camp, to come down to the MacNeill Memorial Track & Field to interview some of the kids who competed in this year’s summer track camp, several of the supportive parents and volunteer coaches. Tarantino, a 1990 Saugus High School graduate who distinguished himself as a star while on the Sachem track team, has been running a track camp for more than 20 years. A group of 43 participants in the Saugus Sachems Track Camp – boys and girls ranging in age from five to 17 – finished third overall among 17 teams competing in last Saturday’s (July 16) Third Annual CLCF Summer Showdown in Cranston, R.I. The Saugus kids took home 17 first place awards. Tarantino called Wednesday night’s final meeting of the summer track team “one last hurrah,” an opportunity for the kids to hang out as teammates for one final time, share their success and competition experience, take some photos with the third-place meet trophy and enjoy one more day of camaraderie. Here are some highlights from the interviews with the kids, parents and coach.

  Q: How did participating in the summer track camp improve your life? What benefited you the most? What was your favorite part?

Naomi Tarantino, 11, who will be going into the sixth grade: “I made some new friends and I had a lot of fun.”

Liam Marcu, 8, who will be going into the fourth grade, got a second and first place: “A lot of good times and fun with my friends.”

Brandon Szloch, 7, going into the second grade: “I got three third places and got to make some new friends.”

Thomas LeBlanc, 9, going into the fourth grade: “It wasn’t easy. But it made me faster and I liked it.”

Bryce Grant, 7, going into the second grade: “It was fun and I’m glad I participated.

Braiden Grant, 8, going into the third grade: “I won a second, fourth and fifth and I made new friends. I learned how to do things, like how to throw a javelin.

Samuel Gomes, 8, going into the third grade: “It made me really get into long jumping and running, and I won a second place medal. The best thing for me was hanging out with my friends and doing track.”

Nicholas Gomes, 9, will be going into the fourth grade: “I got to learn more about what track is and because of that, I’m going to do it again next year.”

Max Libier, 9, going into the fourth grade: “It helped me run better and to meet new friends.”

Matthew Benoit, 8, going into the fourth grade: “It helped me to learn how to throw a javelin and to run faster.”

Mary Zona, 10, going into the fifth grade: “I won two first place awards. It made me more athletic and I guess I met a lot of new friends.”

Annalisa Ferrara, 9, going into the fourth grade: “I got a first place in hurdles. It made me run faster and I made a lot of friends.”

Matthew Bell, 11, going into the sixth grade: “It made me better at long jumping and running.”

Beau Grant, 10, going into the fourth grade: “I worked hard and made friends.”
  Leo Hobbs, 6, going into first grade: “I won some medals and made some friends.”

Carlo Bonito, 5, going into kindergarten: “I liked Coach T.”

Elizabeth Silipigni, 9, going into fourth grade: “The most important for me was getting to know my teammates and the coaches. And I enjoyed the experience and the sport.”

Hazel DeFeo, 11, going into sixth grade: “It was fun. We got to compete. I won three medals. I learned new things that I liked and I made new friends.”

Amelia Clark, 9, going into fourth grade: “I got to learn new track stuff and had fun playing games.”

Olivia Clark, 11, going into sixth grade: “I got to practice in the different events that I like. It was fun and I got to do events that I really enjoy.”

What did the parents say about track camp benefits?

Lisa LeBlanc, mother of Thomas LeBlanc: “It’s a great program for kids. Coach T. organizes team dinners and nights for the kids. We’ve met many families through the program, with some interested in having remained close friends.”

Andrea Bell, mother of Matthew and Jonathan Bell: “Both of my kids have been doing this for six years. It’s really boosted their self-confidence, given them fun through the summer. It’s so nice for them to look back and see how they’ve done over the years. For the parents and the kids involved, it’s become one big track family. We help each other, walk together, text each other and become friends. And we look forward to seeing the same families year after year.”

Christine Benoit, mother of Matthew Benoit: “It so nice having kids of all ages on the team. What’s really special is how the older kids will encourage the younger kids to do well. And the younger kids really enjoy it. It’s a great program. Coach T. and his staff are excellent with the kids.”

What did the coaches say?

Nick Monaco, 2015 Saugus High School graduate, a former student athlete under Coach Tarantino’s mentoring: “Coach T. was my coach in Middle School. The track camp was a good way to make sure I was engaged over the summer. And I enjoy volunteering to help with it now because I like being able to give back.

Coach Bill Babcock, a 1970 Saugus High School graduate, who was a teacher at Saugus High, from 1975 to 2000. He was Tarantino’s coach in High School. He now volunteers to help the summer track program: “It’s a great thing and Chris has done a tremendous job. This summer track camp is an introduction into the sport. For a lot of these kids, there’s nothing around to expose them into the sport of track and field.”

Steve Seminerio, 1973 Saugus High School graduate. Now he volunteers for the summer track camp: “I’m really impressed with the dedication of Coach T.