Steve Athas
Reminder Publishing photo by Staasi Heropoulos
SPRINGFIELD — Stephen Athas, 75, is no middle-of-the-road guy, that’s why they named a street after him in Springfield.
“I try to stay humble, but I’m very, very appreciative and honored they would think that much of me to do that,” he told Reminder Publishing.
More than 350 people turned out for a ceremony dedicating the newly minted Stephen Athas Way recently. It had been known generically as the road leading up to Greenleaf Community Center off Parker Street.
It didn’t take an act of Congress to pave the way for this to happen, but the City Council did have to approve the change. Even before that, there were hurdles because it is rare these days to name a road after someone.
Councilor Sean Curran drove the effort, and it took a year to get it done.
“It’s not easy. You have to go before the traffic commission. You have to have people testify on behalf of what you want to do. Then you have to go to the City Council,” said Curran. The governing body approved the measure unanimously over the summer.
Athas’ dedication to the city and its youth is measured not in days but in decades. Retired now, he has been with the Springfield Parks Department for 52 years, sometimes as a paid employee, often as a volunteer.
He has held multiple titles with the department, from head recreation leader and sports specialist to director of summer camps and night gym supervisor.
He has been the center’s director for the last 10 years, continuing his work setting up programs, camps and activities for young people.
Athas also had a 35-year career with the city’s system of public schools. He was assistant principal at Duggan Middle School and taught at Armory Street School.
“I was a sixth-grade teacher at Armory Street for 19 years. I had 32 kids in a room, and you’d teach them everything. They’d be with you all day long,” he said.
For his entire adult life, Athas has been on the boards of soccer, basketball and baseball leagues. He has been affiliated with the John L. Sullivan Baseball Sandlot League for 30 years and has been its vice president for nearly a decade. Now in his retirement, Athas is as busy as he has ever been.
“From spring to fall, I take care of Picknelly Field. I mow it twice a week, and groom it throughout the week. I’m there every night for the games and on weekends. I want to make sure everyone is having fun,” he said.
More than 70 teams from across Western Massachusetts play in the youth baseball league. Tim Garstka, father of two boys that played baseball, coached his sons and their teammates on the East Longmeadow Spartans.
Garstka, along with coaches Mike Baxter and Matt Smith, brought the team to play in a championship series at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Garstka said for many years, he has relied on Athas for advice and support — so he wasn’t surprised that, without saying a word or sending a text, Athas drove to Cooperstown so he could watch the Spartans play ball.
“I coached first base, and I looked over and there was Steve Athas. I gave him a big bro hug and said, ‘Hey, Coach, What are you doing here?’ And he said, ‘I know how hard you worked and I couldn’t miss the first pitch,’” recalled Garstka. “He drove five and a half hours to come and watch our game.”
The Spartans coach said it also comes as no surprise that hundreds of people would be on hand to see a street named for Athas.
“The number of kids and people Steve has affected are in the hundreds of thousands. The guy isn’t looking for the headline. He’s all about doing the right thing. You feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof after a five-minute conversation with Steve,” said Garstka.
The grandson of Greek immigrants, Athas was born and raised on Bay Street in Springfield.
He played with kids in the neighborhood, but even back then, he began immersing himself in the fiber of the city.
“We were poor, but we didn’t know we were poor. I always had wonderful youth coaches and a great camaraderie with all of my teammates and friends,” he shared.
Athas said through his younger years, mentors inspired and encouraged him. He said they led by example, ultimately motivating him to become a teacher and coach.
“As I got older, I realized that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to work with youth — to be a mentor and give back like my mentors gave to me,” he said.
The Athas family has now been in America for three generations. They have made Springfield their world, and so has their son, who is the father of two adult daughters.
“I love Springfield. I’ve been a Springfield inner-city kid all my life. This is where I want to stay and where I want to be,” Athas said.
Greenleaf Community Center’s formal address remains the same, but the long road winding its way to the building has been changed forever.
“For years to come,” said Curran, “people are going to go by Stephen Athas Way and always remember a gentleman who’s dedicated his life to the Springfield youth and moving the city forward.”
