On Thursday, November 7, a group of seniors from Scituate High School joined SHS Athletic Director Scott Paine and Athletic Trainer Chris Alves as they traveled to Gillette Stadium for the 30th Annual MIAA Sportsmanship Summit.
At the event, athletic director Paine was announced as the winner of the MIAA’s William N. Gaine Jr. Sportsmanship Award for 2024. Paine was recognized for his efforts to improve Scituate High School’s athletics and numerous athletic programs across the state.
Paine was selected over countless other deserving people: “Members from the nine district athletic committees in Massachusetts vote for nine nominees, one per district. The MIAA votes on those nine people, and that person is selected for the award. I was fortunate enough to be that person this year,” Paine stated.
“I think that Mr. Paine was very deserving of the award. He treats all student-athletes fairly and does a great job of making them feel comfortable. His work around not just our school but other schools should be recognized,” said SHS principal Marc Loranger.
Sportsmanship is an extremely broad term but represents a key element of SHS athletics.
“Good sportsmanship helps to unite us all into one single team or group and helps us build connections with each other, even with other teams,” said SHS sophomore Diego Salazar.
“We never want to be known as the school that is known for dirty plays, cheap hits, and doing things after the whistle. It’s a reflection of everybody. Of the players, coaches, me, the principal, and the town as a whole. We do not want to be known as the school that is known for bad sportsmanship,” Paine said.
“Scituate’s student body is outstanding at games. Do they always behave perfectly? No. But they will always stop when asked to. I have never had to ask a student to stop behaving poorly more than once,” stated Loranger.
According to Paine, Scituate teams have won numerous league sportsmanship awards since he entered as athletic director four years ago. It looks as if the future of Scituate athletics and good sportsmanship is in good hands with Paine, especially as the winner of the MIAA’s sportsmanship award this year.
With a humble demeanor, he stated, “This award isn’t about me. It’s about the school, the district, and everybody involved within the athletic programs that create a great experience for our student-athletes.”