BCAT News

Burlington High School girls hockey coach and associate principal Rick Sheehan was one of 15 New England educators selected for the 2024 Honor Roll, an annual charitable program for educators who have gone above and beyond in their communities. 

“Rick spends countless hours fundraising and using his own resources to provide equipment and support, from team dinners to safety gear,” the organizers wrote in their announcement of the awards. “He fosters a sense of community by organizing tutoring and rides for younger players and honors the memory of an alumni player through an annual charity game.”

Sheehan started out his career as a guidance counselor and junior varsity hockey coach in Lawrence, Mass., worked his way up to Dean of Students at Greater Lawrence Technical School, and is now in his 24th year as associate principal Burlington schools and is going into his sixth as head coach for the Lady Devils Ice Hockey team. The year before he started, the team had a dismal 0-20 record. He told the team they might not win every game, but they were going to work as a team and do their best. They ended that season with 10 wins and made it to the tournament. In the 2023-2024 season, the team ended with a remarkable 17-1-2 record. In the playoffs, they lost 2-0 to Marshfield in the Elite 8 round. 

In a video about the announcement in the Boston Globe and sponsored by the bowl, Sheehan said he was humbled by the recognition. “I don’t do anything special. I just do the right thing, I think, by my kids. I’m appreciative that they nominated me, pretty honored by it. I don’t need the recognition. I don’t do my job for the recognition. Watching my kids experience what they do is reward enough for me. But winning this is pretty special.” 

Sheehan had good things to say about the Burlington students and families, and said he values working in Burlington because of the congeniality of the staff. 

“I look forward to going to work every day,” he said. “I love walking into that building. I love walking in to the kids.” 

More than 1,200 educators were nominated this year. The two other honor roll finalists were Joshua Ifebhor, paraprofessional and basketball coach at Higginson-Lewis K-8 Schools in Boston, and Lauren Remington, Early Child Education Instructor at St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais, Maine. The grant is provided by the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, a college football tournament, in partnership with Sam Adams, Amica Insurance, Moderna, and Meet Boston. 

As one of the top three finalists, Sheehan will receive a $5,000 grant, and will receive complimentary tickets to the December 28 bowl game at Fenway Park. In the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl, the Boston College Eagles defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats; the 2024 teams will be announced on December 8.