GRANTHAM — Early on in his Lebanon High golf coaching career, Chris Pollard wondered if he was really like the kids he was teaching when he was their age. Now he’s going to wonder what it’s going to be like not being around them.
Pollard recently stepped down as the Raiders’ coach after a 12-year run that included one state championship, two runner-up finishes and a cycle that saw the program’s numbers decrease and gradually increase. Pollard, 48, did an accounting of his life and realized between working at Eastman Golf Links, studying for his PGA Class A license, raising two girls and coaching, he had precious little down time.
Something had to go. High school coaching proved to be it.
“It’s been in my mind for a number of years: How long do I really want to do this? Do I want to keep going?” Pollard said on Thursday. “To be honest, I’m not sick of it. I’m not bored with it. I love what I do. Coaching has been a part of my life for a long time. It was a tough decision. I just needed to cut one thing out of my life.”
Pollard, a former Raider golfer himself, coached Lebanon to an NHIAA Division II championship in 2008 with an eight-stroke decision over Bedford. The Bulldogs returned the favor two years later, beating the Raiders by five shots. Lebanon also took silver in 2016, following Bow by 11 strokes in the D-III final at Waukewan Golf Club in Center Harbor.
The Raiders rarely failed to make states, even as the program’s participation numbers declined during Pollard’s tenure. He called the situation reflective of the sport’s recent institutional ups and downs, but Pollard credited Jon Stearns’ work with the Lebanon Middle School program as key toward increasing turnout for the high school team in recent years.
In an email, Stearns said he’s ranged between seven and 13 golfers over the three seasons he’s guided the LMS team.
“I’ve gone through it all,” Pollard said. “I started out with anywhere between 20 and 30 kids back in the 2008-09 era, then a few years later I was looking at nine players. That says a lot about the golf industry.
“But with the help of Jon … it’s grown since then. I’ve had roughly 15-20 players trying out.”
Pollard’s life is packed with full-time work as an Eastman assistant professional, his continued study toward PGA teaching certification and home life with two daughters, Danielle, 19, and Olivia, 14. The PGA process requires considerable study time.
He won’t be getting completely away from teaching golf, however. Eastman and several other Upper Valley courses are active in the summertime PGA Junior League, so Pollard wouldn’t be surprised to find one of his former Raider players on the receiving end of a lesson in the future.
“I remember the ride home on the bus after winning the state championship that first year, just the bus rides themselves,” Pollard said with a laugh. “I’d sit there and listen to the kids and was like, ‘Was I like that in high school?’ … Which, of course, the answer is no.
“That’s why I started to relate with the kids. Early in my career, it was figuring out what I could say, what I could do and how did I act. It brings you back and makes you feel young.”
King of coaches: Lebanon High football coach Chris Childs didn’t come away with NHIAA hardware on the field, but one of his best seasons on the sidelines netted Division III coach of the year honors from his peers recently.
A running back and linebacker during his high school days, Childs produced an 8-1 squad last fall and reached the NHIAA D-III state title game for the second time in his 13 years at the helm. Lebanon earned the top seed in the D-III tourney and posted convicing wins over Laconia and Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton before dropping a 28-21 decision to Trinity in the final at UNH’s Wildcat Stadium on Nov. 24.
Seven of Childs’ players landed on the all-state first team. Quarterback Jon Willeman, running back Wade Rainey, tight end Caleb Smith and lineman Mason Adams landed on offense. Linebackers C.J. Childs (the coach’s son) and Philip Mellish joined defensive end Cole Ames on the defense.
Stevens back Keaghan McAllister and Newport punter Marius Edwards made the first-team offense. Cardinals linebacker Quentin Bicknett and Tigers linebacker Joshua Sharron made first-team defense.
Second-team honorees included Lebanon OL Noah Tyler, Stevens OL Tucker Derosier, Lebanon DB Jack Stone, Stevens DT Phil Mason, Lebanon DT Nathaniel Beaulieu, Stevens DE Hunter Paradis and Newport DE Chase Hamilton.
Honorable mentions went to Newport’s Cameron Hall and Reuben Relente as well as Stevens’ Matt Jones, Alex Taylor and Owen Taylor.
Former Newport running back John Thibault of Trinity High was Division III’s player of the year.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.