SOUTH DEERFIELD — The renovated track at Frontier Regional officially has a name. It should come as no surprise who it was dedicated to on Monday.
The new venue will be called The Coach Bob Smith and Coach Walt Flynn Track, with the longtime coaches being honored prior to Monday’s meet against Mahar.
“It’s a real honor,” Smith said. “I never expected anything like this. I do this because I like being with the kids and I love coaching track. My whole family was here; both my sons, my granddaughter, my wife, which is so nice. A whole bunch of my former athletes were here including someone who was on my very first team coaching here. I’m overwhelmed.”
The ceremony took place on the track — which was renovated this past fall — with former Redhawk track athlete and now assistant coach Megan Dredge presenting Smith his plaque. Another former Frontier track athlete, and now assistant coach, Andrew Futter presented Flynn with his plaque.
The plaques read “in recognition of your commitment, dedication, hard work and countless hours of service to the students of Frontier Regional School as teacher, coach and mentor, we honor you by dedicating the track in your name.”
“That was surreal when they said welcome to the Bob Smith and Walt Flynn track,” Flynn said.
Smith began teaching at Frontier in 1978 and spent 38 years there before retiring in 2016. He began coaching cross country and outdoor track in 1979 and continues coaching both sports to this day.
In his 43 years coaching outdoor track, Smith has amassed a career record of 262-16, winning 29 league titles and finishing as a runner-up 11 times. He’s won nine Western Mass. titles while finishing as the runner-up 13 times while coaching 30 individual Western Mass. champions, six individual state champions and two New England champions.
For his work, Smith was inducted into the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014.
“I’ve been here longer than dirt,” Smith said. “This place has been like home. This track has been here since the late 90’s, before that it was a gravel track in the middle of the field. This new track is gorgeous and I’m proud to be part of this. Frontier boys track and girls track have great traditions and I hope they continue.”
Flynn started his coaching career in Old Saybrook, Conn. before coming to Frontier in 1990. He remained there as a teacher until 2018. He started coaching boys track when he arrived in 1990 and started coaching boys cross country in 1995. Like Smith, he’s still coaching both teams.
“I was just so happy to be here coaching,” Flynn said. “I coached for 10 years in Connecticut and I moved up here. I went three years without being able to coach and I really missed it. There was an ad in the paper that Frontier was looking for a boys track coach. I got hired as a teacher and I’ve been here ever since. This has really been my home.”
Flynn has won three boys track league titles, seven boys cross country league titles, has coached 23 individual Western Mass. champions and two individual state champions.
“Bob and I have been brothers for 32 years,” Flynn said. “It’s been great having that friendship. We’ve had so many wonderful kids over the years, kids who come back and visit and keep in touch. We’ve had so many amazing assistant coaches over the years. My assistant coach the last couple years, I taught English, then coached him in cross country and track and now he’s coaching with me. It’s perfect the way it’s come around.”
For Frontier athletic director Carl Cyr, having Smith and Flynn in place made transitioning to the job a few years ago all the more smooth.
“I was the new guy on the block and they welcomed me in,” Cyr said. “Being totally overwhelmed as a new athletic director, they made my job so much easier. I knew cross country and track was handled because they’re so professional and they know what they’re doing. They’re great with the kids. I can’t imagine a better dedication for this track because they’ve put so much work in.”
Longtime Frontier superintendent Darius Modestow was also on hand for the ceremony, thanking Smith and Flynn for their dedication to the school.
“You have people who have jobs and people who have careers, they’ve made this school and its community their lives,” Modestow said.