GREENWICH — Strolling down a hallway lined with trophies and plaques exterior the Greenwich Excessive Faculty gymnasium, Gus Lindine not often pauses to look again on championships gained.
As Lindine works by means of his last month because the athletic director at Greenwich he takes extra pleasure within the little accomplishments quite than the big ones.
Positive he likes to win, however it’s the beaming faces of the athletes enjoying their first varsity video games, profitable their first races and seeing coaches join with gamers that can what he recollects with the best fondness.
These are the moments that meant essentially the most to Lindine, who introduced his plans to retire as Greenwich Athletic Director Jan. 1. He has been on the job since 2005.
“It might be very easy to say a particular state championship or FCIAC Championship. Consider me, I really like these moments, however it’s simply as satisfying and thrilling to see a coach exit and get their first profession win or a area hockey participant get their first purpose or see a child rating their first landing,” Lindine stated. “These issues are equally gratifying. Or seeing a sort act of sportsmanship on the sector. Our children are doing these issues on a regular basis. As privileged as I’ve been to be part of a really profitable program by way of wins and losses, it has been simply as unimaginable to have children be actually good individuals.”
He did see a great deal of profitable as Greenwich remained one of many state’s premier public faculty athletic applications on his watch.
Underneath Lindine’s management, Greenwich was twice named Connecticut’s prime athletic program by main nationwide media retailers and thrice (2012, 2014, and 2018) the varsity was named the highest athletic program within the FCIAC.
He helped construct the sports activities applications at Greenwich, which now embrace greater than half of the scholar physique and has helped this system develop to 42 totally different sports activities, consisting of 99 groups.
That features sports activities like bowling, ladies ice hockey, ladies and boys rugby, ladies and boys water polo and ladies and boys fencing, together with each sport ruled by the CIAC.
Greenwich competed in 127 CIAC state championships, ending first or second in Lindine’s time on the faculty. That doesn’t embrace championship appearances and titles in non-CIAC sports activities.
Greenwich gained CIAC state titles in ladies swimming, (Class LL and State Open) and in ladies volleyball this fall.
Sitting in his workplace, surrounded by reminiscences within the type of photographs, stickers, helmets and balls, Lindine is beginning to determine what he’ll take with him and what’s going to keep when he retires on the finish of the month.
The aerial picture of the campus goes with him for certain.
From the time he began, a handful of coaches have been alongside for the entire journey.
“There have been lots of nice coaches once I received right here. I used to be excited about it immediately, what number of coaches are nonetheless right here? It’s coach Terry Lowe (swimming/water polo), Steve Lapham (Rugby/ladies volleyball), Jeff Santilli (golf), Wayne Gioffre was teaching bowling and Kurt Putnam (boys soccer) had been right here,” Lindine stated. “Nearly everybody else has modified. We’ve had some excellent, corridor of fame coaches on the FCIAC, but in addition the state and nationwide ranges. There’s lots of assist on this city for athletics. The expectations are very excessive, however our youngsters at all times appear to rise to the event and our coaches at all times appear to discover a method.”
The previous two years, as one would possibly anticipate, have been two of essentially the most difficult of his profession with COVID-19 throwing the world into chaos and forcing athletic administrators to tackle roles they by no means imagined.
“The final two years have opened individuals’s eyes to points being confronted by younger individuals. They’ve needed to overcome issues I’ve by no means seen in my lifetime. They’ve walked the halls for the final two years with masks on. We haven’t been in a position to see them smile or chuckle,” Lindine stated. “It’s been actually tough. That the youngsters have accomplished in addition to they’ve accomplished, my goodness, I’m fairly pleased with them. I believe for all athletic administrators, it has been a very robust time as a result of we need to present what we offer for teenagers and we’ve needed to make lots of changes to how we do this. We wished to have the ability to give children that chance to work together, have interaction and compete.”
In a profession which started in 1983 in Scotch Plains, N.J. as a particular training instructor and soccer coach then wound by means of varied stops, together with being the Athletic Director of Fairfield Excessive Faculty beginning in 1990, Lindine at all times made a degree to attend as many video games as he may.
“I believe it’s actually necessary to be at as many video games, whether or not they’re dwelling or away, as I will be at,” Lindine stated. “I would like all the youngsters and coaches to know I care. I like seeing the mothers and dads on the video games cheering for our youngsters. That has at all times been an important factor for me. It has stored me away from dwelling a bit of greater than I must be, however once I first began doing this, I knew that may be a part of it. My household has accepted and supported it.”
Lindine has additionally been on the FCIAC board in a single capability or one other since his days in Fairfield, seeing the convention develop right into a state powerhouse.
“I’ve been part of the FCIAC board for the reason that early 90s. I at all times thought it was necessary to be concerned in our convention. The FCIAC is the best convention in Connecticut. I’m biased, however I do really feel that method,” Lindine stated. “To assist stick with it a degree of excellence that guys like John Kuczo and Ralph King began is actually one thing that was necessary to me. We added faculties to our convention, we have now misplaced a couple of faculties, we have now added sports activities to our convention. It has grown since I began. It has been fascinating watching the convention change over time.”
In June of 2015, Lindine was inducted into the FCIAC Corridor of Fame.
That dedication, not simply to Greenwich but in addition to the FCIAC, meant many nights away from his household in Easton as his personal daughters grew up.
With retirement looming, Lindine is wanting ahead to extra time along with his 4 grandchildren, although he has already issued a warning.
“It’s nice, however I did remind my ladies that simply because I’m retiring, it’s not going to be daddy daycare,” Lindine joked. “I’ve 4 grandchildren and my daughters and their households have moved again to city and it is going to be nice to spend extra time with household. Undecided my spouse will need me round each day and evening, however I’m wanting ahead to that point.”
Whereas Greenwich is dwelling to an array of athletes, there are additionally many college students who take part in sports activities exterior of the varsity, many at excessive ranges.
Lindine was at all times certain to incorporate these college students yearly within the Nationwide Signing Day occasions and within the celebration for college athletes every June.
“Anybody who dedicates themselves and spends as a lot time and power on sports activities like these children do, actually must be acknowledged,” Lindine stated. “These children put lots of work into what they do and simply because we don’t supply the game they take part in, they’re nonetheless members of our highschool and our group. No query they need to be acknowledged.”
That sense of group drives a lot of what Lindine does at a faculty which is extra various than many outsiders know, with one of many largest scholar our bodies within the state.
“The range of Greenwich is what makes it distinctive and makes it particular. Our children embrace that and it actually helps us obtain the quantity of success we have now had,” Lindine stated. “I do know individuals say as a result of we’re so large we must be profitable, however I’ve seen lots of groups overachieve and seen so many children overachieve and win championships. That claims rather a lot about our group right here that we produce children that may succeed, not simply in sports activities, however in life past athletics.”
Greenwich holds a particular place in Lindine’s coronary heart having grown up the grandson of legendary city sports activities determine and Greenwich Outdated Timer, Jimmy Chiappetta.
Although he grew up in Mamaroneck, N.Y., Lindine spent many days watching Greenwich soccer video games along with his grandfather and was taught at a younger age to like the group.
“My mother’s household is a very large Greenwich household. I grew up going to Tod’s Level. My grandfather used to take me to video games on the outdated Greenwich Excessive Faculty. It’s fairly cool,” Lindine stated. “ My grandfather was a Greenwich Outdated Timer, Jimmy Chiappetta. From that basis, this faculty has been very particular to me. I’m very grateful that I used to be given a possibility to return right here.”
Greenwich’s athletic services have seen a serious improve in Lindine’s time, with almost each area on the campus now having synthetic turf to accommodate a number of groups. Cardinal Stadium not too long ago underwent a serious renovation to the house bleachers and press field.
The stadium now has a state-of-the-art press field, crew rooms, coaching rooms, bogs and a concession stand.
A tough hat with a Cardinal brand sits in his workplace on a desk subsequent to a Greenwich soccer helmet as a memento from the development.
“With the addition of the stadium, by means of the assist of so many individuals, we have now made Cardinal Stadium second-to-none,” Lindine stated. “We’ve upgraded lots of issues right here. We had a few bumps within the highway with remediation and people issues. I believe I’m leaving it in a reasonably good place proper now. The following particular person will definitely do much more to enhance it.”
Lindine doesn’t like speaking about himself, preferring to heap reward on his coaches, gamers and employees, however there may be little denying the lasting affect his 16 years on the helm have meant to the varsity and the city.
“You’ll be able to’t at all times do issues that everybody loves. There could also be occasions persons are sad, however I at all times tried to do what was greatest and what I assumed was the suitable factor. That’s the best way I went by means of my profession,” Lindine stated. “At all times attempt to depart it higher than I discovered it. It’s been nice and I couldn’t have requested for something extra.”
[email protected]; @EricsonSports
