A decade of ‘being a team’ for Eastern Regional High School’s athletic director
The word compete is defined as striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same. This is what the Eastern Vikings are all about.
“Our biggest challenge is that we play and compete in the most competitive division in the state of New Jersey,” Phil Smart, vice principal of athletics at Eastern High School, said.
The Olympic American conference is stocked full of perennial powerhouses in every sport on a yearly basis.
Being a student athlete at Eastern High School is the ultimate test of dependability day in and day out.
“Every game is a huge game here. In fact just last year, five of the top six teams for girls soccer in our conference were best in state. Every single day these kids know they will be playing a great team and have to bring everything they have on a consistent basis,” Smart said.
Though some may argue this is the price large schools pay, Smart would argue otherwise, and the numbers back him up.
This formula has proven to be a recipe for success over the past decade. The Vikings have captured 14 state titles in just 10 years, and every senior class produces an abundance of collegiate athletes who go on to succeed in college because they are given the tools necessary after competing at such a high level for four years.
Like most organizations, there has been some turnover over the past decade but it has been remarkably minimal as many of the successful coaches continue to hold their position.
“I’m blessed to work with a lot of future hall of fame coaches who are thankfully not in the hall of fame yet because they are still here,” Smart said.
Going into his 11th year as the athletic director, Smart has been the rock at the core of this steady program throughout the past decade, but he defers the credit to his staff that originally helped him find his way and have helped Eastern stay in the thick of things year in and year out.
Smart took over for Dr. James Tallerico who assisted him in getting acclimated to the big show when he first arrived along with numerous coaches and athletic trainer Casey Christy, who Smart described as the best in the state for her diligent work to ensure each athlete is safe and able to perform at the highest level.
Unfortunately, Smart recently lost his secretary to retirement, as she was his right-hand woman since the day he began.
“When I first started, I inherited a jewel of a secretary in Mrs. Charlotte Clark,” Smart said.
Smart took the job in 2005 because he wanted to take on the challenge.
“I left my previous position (at Haddonfield Memorial High School) because of the challenge of going to a group 4 school. I wanted to be a part of the excellence that is Eastern High School academically and athletically. I wanted to help mold the students,” Smart said.
Smart takes the academic aspect just as seriously as the athletic aspect, as he prides himself on the several SJ Scholar Athlete of the Year awards his students have won over his tenure.
Austyn Cuneo is the most recent, and Tommy Flacco, brother of Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco, won the year before.
“I think that’s one thing that’s been really amazing. Our coaching staffs administer these values and promote them to their teams, and the athletes have taken that to heart,” Smart said.
Smart was once a Viking himself, as he is a graduate of the Eastern class of 1985.
Alumni staying in touch and coming back to help has been a nice theme over the years.
In fact, former soccer and softball player Laura Stagliano is now the head coach of the softball team and former soccer player Megan Bry now assistant coaches the girls soccer team in the fall, the girls basketball team in the winter and the girls lacrosse team in the spring.
“One of the nice things about our school is I am not the only alumni that came back!” Smart said.
Smart has really taken the job and run with it since he took over, and he has described his experience thus far as wonderful as it has impacted him greatly in his growth as a person.
He employs the “team” concept and ensures every student plays a part in any success the school endures.
“Seeing kids have success who maybe have originally been struggling academically or kids who question themselves on the field be molded into athletes that can contribute to teams is truly something,” Smart said. “Just watching kids persevere who maybe aren’t the best athletes on the team but they have a role in the program’s overall success no matter how small or how big.”
