Oakmont Regional honors Eric Dawley
Physical education teacher and athletic director earns top recognition
ASHBURNHAM » The Oakmont Association of Oakmont Regional High School recently announced that Eric Dawley is the recipient of the 33rd Oakmont Excellence in Education Award.
Dawley is a 16-year veteran of Oakmont and his passionate work both as a physical education teacher and as athletic director has earned him the respect and admiration of students, faculty and administration, according to the school.
During his tenure at Oakmont, Dawley has been very active in the school community and with the athletic program. He has been a coach in the Oakmont athletic program for 20 years. He has coached the girl’s junior varsity lacrosse team, the boys junior varsity football team and the freshmen, junior varsity and varsity basketball teams.
He was also the head coordinator of the Spartan One Basketball Camp for several years and he even volunteered as an assistant track coach in his first years in the district and spearheaded the revival of the individual Oakmont Sports Booster Club, which helped provide additional financial support for the athletic programs at Oakmont Regional High School.
Over the past several years, Dawley has been instrumental both at Oakmont Regional and within the Midland-Wachusett League in the establishment of a Unified Athletics program in track and basketball, according to the school.
The Unified Athletics program is a Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association sanctioned program that provides athletics for students with disabilities and in that program Dawley had the opportunity to make a mark on young men and women within the school and community.
In that role, Dawley was awarded the Remarkable Inspiration in Special Education Award for his efforts in making a difference in the lives of students with disabilities.
Special Olympics also recognized Dawley’s leadership efforts, as well as Oakmont Regional High School, as a National Unified Champion School, which recognizes schools for their efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities.
Business teacher and Student Accounts Coordinator Wendy LeBlanc described her work with Dawley.
“Eric has had a profound impact on the culture of our entire school. The Unified basketball games and track meets had the stands filled with students, peers, teachers, administrators and community members,” LeBlanc said. “Eric truly treated the Unified teams the same way he treats all of his other varsity pro
grams. Eric does this because he loves Oakmont and cares about all his students and wants them to have the best experience they can.”
This past year, Dawley was tasked with running a physical education and athletic program with multiple COVID-19 protocols to make both programs safe for students and coaches.
“Eric is passionate about our kids, our school and our communities,” said Leanne Roy, an Oakmont physical education teacher. “He has worked tirelessly to make sure our athletes experienced as much of the season as possible during these trying times. Last spring there was no competition season for athletes, Eric made sure to have a senior night for the seniors.”
Last April, Dawley was awarded the 2021 Presidential Award of Merit by the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association, which is given for length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to high school athletics at the local and state level.
“Eric is one of the most humble, down to earth, yet compassionate people that I know,” said R. Lincoln Stiles Jr., a history teacher at the high school. “He understands how to get kids involved and keep them engaged, whether in class, in a practice or as a spectator at a game. There is a saying we have that a true Spartan bleeds green, and Eric certainly does bleed green … that’s what makes Eric special as a teacher, a colleague and a friend.”
A 1994 Oakmont graduate, Dawley is the eighth Oakmont alum to be honored with this award.
Dawley earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst, a master’s degree in physical education from Canisus College and a second master’s degree from Endicott College in athletic administration, for which he is certified.
In his spare time, Dawley spends time on Cape Cod with his family and friends. He and his wife, Marybeth, live in Hubbardston with their children, Julia and Jack.