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Honoring Legendary Southwick Math Teacher and Coach, Mr. Atkinson

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Richard Atkinson University of Massachusetts 1960 Mr. Atkinson joined the junior high school at Southwick to teach mathematics in 1963 (he replaced Mrs. Stadnicki, who requested a leave of absence). Wasting no time, he immediately got appointed track and cross-country coach. Atkinson and his team hosted Holyoke on September 27, 1963. By December, Mr. Atkinson took charge of the basketball team. The team played and won its season opener at East Granby on January 3, 1964. Mr. Atkinson also coached 14 Southwick High School advanced math students, who participated in the first Western Massachusetts Mathematics League competition on October 25, 1966. Mr. Atkinson was vice president of the Western Massachusetts Track Association (1968). That same year he also took over the duties of putting out the Western Massachusetts track newsletter. Mr. Atkinson and other area coaches volunteered their time in the winter to host youth track indoors at UMass in 1971. The Western Mass Indoor Schoolboy Tra