Every year before the state meet, Emmett O’Brien, Diamond Middle School’s cross country and track and field coach, gathers his athletes for what he calls a motivational meeting. He tells them they’re just one step up on a ladder built by the people who have come before them, and responsible for putting another rung on for the classes that follow. This spring, after 24 years, he’s stepping off, leaving behind 42 cross country and track and field state championships.
His passion for the sport traces back to his own days as an athlete. “My track coach in high school was an amazing human being,” O’Brien said. “I thought if I could be even close to the person he was, I would be a success no matter what I did.”
A graduate of Springfield College where he majored in physical education, O’Brien had hoped to be a coach at some point, whether it was cross country, track and field, or something else. In the meantime, he was in the pizza business for 17 years, until he realized he was ready to return to teaching.
O’Brien began his teaching career in Lexington at Clarke Middle School, where he coached girls junior varsity soccer before taking over the track and field program in 2002. Two years later, he made the move to Diamond Middle School, where he would remain full-time and begin building his legacy of success, now bringing together around 250 participants each season for one of Lexington’s only no-cut sports.
O’Brien keeps the bar attainable for every athlete. “All we ask is that when you come to practice, you do your best to do the workout,” said O’Brien. “We make sure they understand the importance of their self-improvement and just get out there doing the best they can.”
Sophia Alexanian, an eighth grader on the cross country and track team, appreciates the importance of the team being tryout-free. “If it was a cut sport, but they really loved the sport and they weren’t that great at it, maybe they wouldn’t get to experience meeting new people and other people who had the same love as them.”
O’Brien’s impact didn’t begin on the track. As a physical education teacher at Diamond Middle School, he had the advantage of small moments of connection with his athletes that often planted bigger seeds.
“There have been a number of times where I have found some of our future runners in PE when we run the mile,” he said. “Talking to them afterwards, letting them know running is something they could excel at. This simple conversation can really make them feel wonderful.”
Those who have worked alongside him have seen this instinct up close. “He really understands young, talented athletes and how to pull out the best in them,” said Jessica Delgado, Performing Arts Teacher and Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Diamond Middle School. “He sees what they can’t see in themselves, and I think that is a gift that not all coaches have.”
“His impact was so profound. I felt like I could go to him for anything and everything,” said Aleia Gisolfi-McCready, a former high school athlete of O’Brien.
From 2008 to 2023, O’Brien also coached indoor track at Lexington High School, where many of his Diamond athletes continued to run. “The best part of those years was seeing many of the athletes continue to improve, and more importantly, enjoy the sport at the next level,” said O’Brien.
After more than two decades, O’Brien is confident in what he leaves behind. “I have no doubt both teams will continue to thrive,” said O’Brien. “The success of the team is not because of one person. The athletes know what it takes to be a top program, and they will continue to do just that.”