Carly Swearingen, Anna Toldi, Carl Swearingen
Coach Carl
He was the quiet parent at the soccer fi eld. Then the quiet assistant coach. During his tenure as a hockey coach his voice became gradually more audible and ultimately boomed as the girls’ lacrosse coach, modeling for them the importance of advocacy and determination. They would follow him despite their odds of winning or losing. He taught them that respect came not from how many times you won but how many times you lost and got back up. Carl Swearingen, beloved coach, passed away suddenly in the afternoon of December 5, 2014. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Carl dedicated his life to volunteerism and had a deep commitment to inspiring our youth to give their very best regardless of their natural ability. He coached youth hockey, recreational soccer and lacrosse for the kids of Collierville. He was a coach for his sons in both ice and roller hockey in the Midsouth and started a competitive travel roller hockey team in January of 2001. 46
TourCollierville.com
January / February 2015
When the Mall of Memphis closed, the only local public ice rink closed as well. This left a void for the city’s growing population of youth hockey players. Carl founded S&K Youth Sports and worked diligently as an advocate for the Shelby Sportsplex, a facility that would house two NHL surfaces, an indoor soccer and lacrosse fi eld and serve as a community center. The Nashville Predators along with many local businesses rallied behind his eff orts. Even though the project was unable to gain suffi cient traction, his dedication to youth sports in Collierville was undaunted. In 2009, Carl’s wife and the love of his life, Cathy Endicott Swearingen, passed away just one month after the celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary. Carl became a single father to three – Stephen, Ryan and Carly. While nothing could prepare him for this, one might suggest that it ignited in him an even more intense nature to nurture another kind of family – an athletic family - with dozens of kids who needed the kind of leadership he had developed through his adversities.
photography compliments of Dave Nicar
Floppy hat bouncing, sweat rolled to the very tip of his nose, glasses speckled with freshly cut grass, peculiar tan line. His trademark stance, fi rm words, crystal clear expectations. He is raising young athletes and requires they bring their best to the fi eld he has just painstakingly groomed. Sportsmanship lessons trump pity parties. Head faced forward, dogged determination. Staring at a goal so great many said “impossible.” “Nevermind them,” he says. “We have work to do.”