Whether at a track meet at Revere High School (RHS), an Empower Sports game, or even looking at the scorekeeper of an RHS basketball game, audience members can always find one Revere student having a great time. Jack Gage has surrounded his life with sports and brings a positive attitude to all of the activities he participates in.
Sophomore Jack Gage kept the score at the Varsity basketball games and is currently competing in shot put and discus for the RHS track team. Every Tuesday after school he also practices and plays with Empower Sports, a non-profit organization that holds sporting events for intensive needs students. Gage also travels to Richfield Elementary School (RES) some school days and helps with PE classes, STEM classes and monitoring lunch and recess.
Gage has participated in track since his freshman year at RHS. He stated his favorite event when competing.
“My favorite part is discus . . . because it’s fun to move my arms,” Gage said.
Gage explained that a standard practice for him usually consists of him running sprints. His head track coach, Billy D’Amico, talked about the energy that Gage brings to practice and how he uplifts his teammates.
“Jack is a jokester, . . . he’s always got a smile on his face so it’s always great to see [him],” D’Amico said.
D’Amico has known Gage through many previous sports activities but explained that his first real experience was with Gage’s eighth-grade basketball team.
“I coached eighth grade basketball for his class and he was my team manager. . . . [I] got him in two games and he scored six points so that was really awesome,” D’Amico said.
D’Amico explained that since he has known Gage so long, it is great to see him grow in the sports he plays. He said that he is excited to see what Gage will accomplish this season.
“He’s throwing pretty well and I’m excited to see his improvement from last year,” D’Amico said.
Another Revere staff member who has known Gage since middle school is RES principal Anthony Stretar. Stretar used to be the assistant principal at Revere Middle School and is now able to have Gage come to RES and help him with students.
“I was the middle school assistant principal before coming down here so seeing the high school students is always awesome because they’re turning into adults,” Stretar said.
Stretar explained what Gage does when he goes over to RES.
“He started coming over last year to assist Mr. Vantrease, PE [teacher], as a student assistant. And then he was shadowing some of our lunch and recess monitors this year and now he’s also helping in STEM classes as an assistant,” Stretar said.
Stretar explained that RES has multiple high school students who help out with his younger students. He explained why this is an excellent opportunity for RHS students.
“I think whenever high school students come over . . . it provides them with an opportunity to develop public speaking skills, to develop leadership skills, because they get to interact with young students and help them and guide them,” Stretar said.
Stretar believes it is also a positive experience for his students at RES. The high school students are able to set an example for them.
“It is also great for our students because they look up to high school students. It’s a cool mentor, mentee situation,” Stretar said
Stretar also explained why he thinks this helps Gage specifically.
“It’s a cool opportunity for [Gage] to just see different types of work and get those different types of experiences to kind of decide what career path he wants to take,” he said.
Overall, Stretar explained that he is grateful for the opportunity Gage has to come over and work with him at RES. He is able to get help with his current students and is also able to see his former student in the workplace.
“I love to see old former students coming down here and I love the fact that they get that opportunity to get exposed to different career paths,” Stretar said.
Although Gage plays many different sports and is also able to help teach PE at RES, he said that his favorite sport is basketball. He explained why he likes it the most.
“My favorite part [is] probably being on defense,” Gage said.
Gage has jumped into his sophomore track season already. Even with the season, he still plans on taking part in Empower Sports and helping with the elementary school students who look up to him. D’Amico is excited to see his improvement this year, and Gage is excited for what the season will bring.
