A Sailor Salute to Robyn Sullivan

Scituate High School athletics have enjoyed notable success over the last decade, including two football state championships and several deep playoff runs–most recently, the varsity boys basketball team. Many SHS sports fans see high school teams compete at a high level, but they never get to see what goes on behind the scenes. However, the hours of work dedicated to designing team t-shirts, setting up game themes, and fundraising for team events are all very familiar to the head booster of Scituate football and basketball, SHS parent Robyn Sullivan. Starting her journey with SHS sports in 2015 when her eldest son Aidan was a freshman, Sullivan has been tirelessly helping behind the scenes ever since.

“The Sullivans and the booster groups have created a culture of excitement and support surrounding athletics,” commented SHS Athletic Director Scott Paine. Sullivan has not only created enthusiasm for the teams and students–she has also enhanced a community culture that encourages townspeople to come together on the turf or the basketball court. Paine thanks Sullivan for “everything,” and although she made his job harder due to the hundreds of fans at school events, he said, “The harder she makes my job, the happier I am.”

Inspired by watching both of her sons, Aidan, who is currently a junior at Suffolk University in Boston, and Keegan, a graduating senior headed for Trinity College in Harford, CT, participate in the Scituate youth football program, SciCoh, Sullivan said she “saw the need for parental and booster involvement for the players to have what they need to succeed.” She recognized that public schools can only do so much for their sports teams, so by getting involved with the booster program, she could help SHS teams “have the best high school sports experiences possible.”

Since 2015, Sullivan has promoted a winning program that attracts students, fans, and families. She noted that one of her biggest goals as a volunteer was to get as many people as possible involved. Since there is always a group of Scituate students who choose to attend private high schools instead of SHS, Sullivan wanted to show younger Scituate athletes how great their experience could be at SHS so “they may be more inclined to stay in Scituate for high school and be part of a winning tradition.” By “turning games into events,” Sullivan wanted fans to walk away feeling “that was a really incredible atmosphere–I can’t wait to go back again.”

Whether it was handing out the practice jerseys for football, getting games t-shirts to the cheerleading squad, or organizing team dinners, Sullivan played a key role during football and basketball seasons. Although her youngest son is graduating and her involvement with SHS boosters is ending, Sullivan said the memories she has will last a lifetime: “There is nothing like playing for your hometown–especially during a playoff run,” she said.  

As a message to families with younger children, Sullivan shared her unique perspective: “To any younger parent that may read this, your student-athlete can succeed in Scituate, and you should be a part of it through the boosters. It is a lot of work while you are in it, but the high school years go by in the blink of an eye. If you do get involved, it will be one of the most rewarding experiences you could imagine.”