Scots Stadium Stories Rachel McCrea
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Joshua Baxter
GLENN KOVAS AQUATIC CENTER
positive, and when he was around, you felt better,” said Jim Kelly, swim coach and ASB advisor at Carlmont. Kovas’ commanding presence was aided by his longevity as a coach, as he was hired at Carlmont only a few years after it first opened. He also helped bring about the aquatic programs at Carlmont to prominence. “He would walk the halls and get kids to join the water polo or swim team because before his time, hardly anybody would do it. We’re talking about the 50s and even the 60s when swimming was more of an Olympic sport,” Kelly said. “Kovas developed the entire aquatics program and coached it forever. He was aquatics.” Even today, Kovas’ legacy lives on through the students and aquatic programs. “The swim team is known for their pre-meet and mid meet cheers, and I had them add his name into the pre-meet cheer, so they always start with ‘Kovas on three.’ They needed to understand his legend and what he did to be able to get
Glenn Kovas was both a swimming very stadium has a story. and water polo coach for Carlmont, and Whether it’s a football stadium, he taught classes for business math and baseball field, or aquatic center, economics. Kovas came to Carlmont there is always a reason behind the name in 1957, where he spent 42 years before plastered on the scoreboard or wherever retiring in 1999. seen fit. Yet, these stories are seldom In his youth, Kovas graduated from heard, seemingly lost in history. Sequoia High School and later went on The names of these stadiums honor to Menlo College, playing football at the memories of coaches or players who both. altered the course of Carlmont’s sports Throughout his time with Carlmont, history. Their stories live on through Kovas amassed great respect from the memories and voices of those who students and peers due to his tenure and experienced it, passing these tales down successes. He was named Coach of the from predecessor to successor. Year in 1992 by the California Coaches’ At Carlmont, students can watch Association. sporting events at one of its five major Kovas was also a player and president sporting arenas, each named after a of the senior softball team Redwood coach who had a significant impact on City Señors and loved reading, traveling, Carlmont history. Carlmont named the British and American history, musicals, aquatic arena after Glenn Kovas, the and country music. main gym after Terry Stogner, the footKovas passed away on Oct. 27, 2014, ball field after Bruce Usher, the baseball at 81 years old. field after Bill Hurst, and the softball “Kovas was a very positive guy. Evfield after Jim Liggett. erything that came out of his mouth was These are their stories. 30 HIGHLANDER SPORTS
