Rocher, Fillback honored with track
Published on May 16th, 2007
STONEHAM, MA - In 2001 Stoneham High School bid adieu to two legendary track coaches. Wayne Fillback and Alain Rocher led generations of Stoneham athletes through those difficult, yet formative teenage years. On Tuesday morning the sun rose over the Stoneham High School running track. With dozens of those former Stoneham athletes, representing over three decades of the men and women who once called Wayne Fillback and Alain Rocher "coach", the sun set on the newly dedicated "Wayne Fillback-Alain Rocher Track & Field Facility."
Alain Rocher spoke of his feelings on this special occasion: "I feel sort of embarrassed by the whole situation, but at the same time it's quite an honor. I would like to thank my wife for putting up with 37 years of commitment to sports... late dinners and missed weekends. Most importantly I want to thank the thousands of athletes I've had the pleasure to coach in different sports here in Stoneham, not just the superstars, but so many others who really touched me. Thank you for that honor."
Wayne Fillback had his turn at the microphone: "I'm truly humbled by this. It was totally unexpected. This was a great experience for me."
The coach continued, "I do want to say how much I appreciate the opportunity to work with so many young men and women who were so terrific and also their parents who guided them and provided us with high quality people."
Stoneham High School Principal Dr. Thomas Ryan welcomed the crowd of admiring alumni, family and friends. Stoneham Athletic Director Michael Lahiff, acting as Master of Ceremonies, said of Fillback and Rocher: "These men were great coaches. They were also great teachers, but most importantly they were great men."
Lahiff read from a letter written by a former student, United States Marine Corps Colonel John Fitzgerald. The colonel wrote, "My ability to successfully lead Marines is rooted in the experiences that I had while running for Stoneham."
Guests at the ceremony included School Committee members Maureen Soley and Marie Christie, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Connelly, Assistant Superintendent, Anne Patriquin, Assistant Principals Donna Cargill and Edward Russo, former Assistant Principal Jim Campagna, Ron and Chris Fiore, and the families of the honorees including wives Barbara Rocher and Mary Ellen Fillback.
Dr. Connelly praised some of the people who made the event possible including Ron and Chris Fiore and their family. The Fiore family helped initiate the process of dedicating the track to the long time coaches. The Superintendent went on to praise Alan and Joyce Melkonian and their family for ongoing financial and moral support for "everything that happens here at Stoneham High School." The Melkonian family donated the plaque and monument that now welcomes everyone to the facility bearing the coaches' names.
Just before the ceremony began, the Stoneham and Reading girls' track teams squared off and wrote yet another chapter in the long and storied history between the neighboring towns. In recognition of the many years Coaches Fillback and Rocher dedicated to the great rivalry, Michael Lahiff invited the current Reading and Stoneham track coaches to speak at the dedication.
Reading girls' track coach Ken Feit praised the coaches, whom he stressed were "gentlemen," for what they did not only for Stoneham track, but also for Reading track through the dignity, pride, and aggressiveness that they instilled in the athletes who competed over the years.
Stoneham girls' track coaches Kevin Norton and Jerry Bailey addressed the crowd. Norton asked everyone to consider the thousands of Stoneham athletes who received time, guidance, and motivation from the coaches. Norton continued by saying that "these two coaches have been a benefit to this community." Bailey praised the current athletes and named a whole generation of Stoneham coaches who were once student-athletes under the guidance of Fillback and Rocher. Stoneham boys' track coach Phil Riley told the gathering that the coaches not only earned respect from their athletes, but also formed a personal bond with them.
After the ceremony Fillback continued to demonstrate his humility, "I'm gratified that people think I helped them along the way. I guess that's the most important thing."
For over thirty years Spartan students and athletes knew the names Wayne Fillback and Alain Rocher. With the dedication of this new plaque future Spartans, too, will come to know those legendary names.
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