By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
LANGDON, N.H. — Larry Sayers has had a profound impact on countless people during his 35 years as a teacher and as a coach at Fall Mountain Regional High School.
After giving so much to Fall Mountain, the school community is now rallying to give back to Sayers during his battle with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Fall Mountain students Trenten Hill, Kendal Cote, Clara Stewart, Avery Richardson, Faith Raney, Charlotte Mitcheal, and McKailah Russell have contributed to the effort by designing T-shirts. Over 400 shirts have already been sold, with more sales expected during Fall Mountain’s homecoming events. The girl’s and boy’s varsity soccer teams open the homecoming festivities on Tuesday, Oct. 15 when they host Stevens. Fall Mountain’s volleyball hosts Laconia on Oct. 16, the cross country team hosts a meet on Oct. 17, and the football team wraps up the week by hosting Newport on Friday, Oct. 18.
“The students felt it was important to create shirts that represented who Larry was as a coach and as a teacher,” Fall Mountain teacher and coach Heidi Westover said. The quote on the back is something Larry said, “Not every day is going to be perfect, good or bad, find your WIN and build on it.”
After earning All-American honors in 1980, 1981, and 1983 as a cross-country runner at Keene State, Sayers coached cross-country running, cross-country skiing, and track & field at Fall Mountain, and also taught wood shop, metals, and drafting. Sayers coached 23 state championship teams and 30-plus individual state champions.
“More importantly, he instilled a love of running, cross-country skiing and track and field in hundreds of FM students,” said Westover.
“Personally, Larry Sayers is the reason I was a Division 1 full scholarship athlete, who ran on two USA World Teams and went to two Olympic Trials,” Westover said. “He introduced me to my husband and we have three boys. I [ended up] teaching and coaching with Larry, all because 28 years ago he took the time to help make my dreams come true.”
A current Fall Mountain junior echoed Westover’s sentiments about Sayers’ impact on his athletes. “Even when one of his athletes is not participating in the sport he is coaching, he still checks in with them … It is this type of encouragement that has caused numerous students to join sports teams at Fall Mountain that may have normally not given it a thought and gave them the experience of high school athletics. He has a good relationship with his athletes, he gets stuff done, and he actually cares about them, not only as athletes but as students too.”
Sayers’ impact in the classroom was significant as well. Classes such as wood shop, metals, and drafting provided students with opportunities which differed from many of the other course offerings.
“I believe Larry is the reason my son graduated high school, if it wasn’t for him, and his classes, I don’t think he would have,” said a parent of a Fall Mountain alum.
Sayers’ efforts also went beyond the classroom and the athletics fields.
“When the floods happened in Alstead years ago, I found out Larry found the addresses of students that had lost their homes and mailed them grocery gift cards anonymously,” Westover said. “As a coach Larry would drive students’ home, pick them up, give them shoes, take them to road races, and make them part of his family.”
Given all that Sayers has done for the Fall Mountain community, it’s no surprise to see so many people step up to honor the revered teacher and coach.