Each week through August, the Valley News will profile a local high school coach. It’s a chance to better know some of the people guiding the area’s student-athletes. Today, we meet fifth-year Stevens High boys soccer coach Jason Stone, a Cornish native and 1994 Stevens graduate who’s been a Hanover massage therapist for 16 years.
Rural Upbringing: “There’s not much in Cornish. I graduated eighth grade with 11 other people. I pretty much grew up on my grandparents’ farm, and our house was about four miles away and in the middle of nowhere. I spent a lot of time in the back yard with my sister.”
Centenarian: Stone’s paternal grandmother, Marion Stone, passed away last month at age 100. A former teacher, she was born in Cornish in 1915 and graduated from Stevens before attending Keene Normal School.
Dazed and Confused: “I was signed up for soccer in Claremont when I was about 6. I was shy and thrown in with a big group of kids, and I remember not knowing what to do. But I played with some guys who are my friends to this day.”
High Volume: “The last Stevens boys soccer team to make it as far as the state semifinals was the one from my senior year. We lost, 1-0. When I look back, I think a lot about our coach, Ray Bernard, an amazing motivator. You can’t yell at kids nowadays like he did with us, but we never felt he was wrong and it never bothered us.”
Secondary Education: “I went to Plymouth State, but when I tried out for the soccer team, I had a pretty bad ankle injury and couldn’t do the running. I didn’t go back the second day, and I still kick myself for it. I studied early childhood development at first, but after two years, I took a semester off and went to community college for massage therapy.”
Rubbed Him Right: “I had never had a massage before I went to school for it at my mom’s suggestion. I don’t know what made me try it, but once I studied anatomy and physiology and then got into the techniques classes, I was comfortable and kept going.”
Tough Work: “It’s not the kind of massage you get on a cruise ship or at a resort. It’s deep tissue work, and I’m usually going at a high pace and there’s a lot of friction and repetition, so I’m using my hands and arms and body weight. It’s a real workout, and I have a good, athletic clientele that wants to stay in shape and has the money to pay for it.”
Side Gig: Stone, 40, massages three days a week and also owns six single-family homes he maintains and rents out. He began acquiring such properties about five years ago. “I know how to do enough repairs to keep the costs down and all the houses are in Claremont, where you can buy them really cheap,” he said. “There are plenty of people looking to rent. I never have vacancies.”
Friend and Mentor: Stone’s high school coaching career began in 2002 with three years at the helm of the Cardinals’ junior varsity. A year as a Fall Mountain varsity assistant followed and then six seasons with the Lebanon junior varsity. “I learned so much there from (varsity coach) Rob Johnstone,” Stone said. “His practices are so organized and progress from small picture to big picture every day. He demands you pay attention, and the younger players may be a bit afraid of him, but he can joke around with the guys, too.”
Cellar Dwellers: “When I got the Stevens varsity, it was a mess. I’d go to games, and it was frustrating to watch. There were some athletes, but they’d work their butts off to get the ball and immediately give it away. There was no plan for going forward. I thought with more instruction and discipline we could do much better, but we lost 10 games the first season and that was tough.”
Heart Replacement: “The kids were used to losing; it didn’t faze them. When I played and we lost, we’d ride home on the bus in silence for an hour. But these guys were laughing and throwing crackers at each other 15 minutes after we’d gotten pounded.”
Confident Cardinals: “My upperclassmen expect to win now, and that’s great to see. I would be disappointed if we didn’t get back to the semifinals for the first time since I played. I have a bunch of guys who have played with each other forever, and they’ve had this season marked down for success for a long time.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.