Sports
Gimme 5: Evergreen Park's O'Connor is Mr. Mustang
Once, John O'Connor was a student in the halls of Evergreen Park High School. Now, he has just finished one of the most successful seasons in recent memory as coach of the Mustangs' softball team.
Evergreen Park softball coach John O’Connor knows a thing or two about Evergreen Park Community High School.
O’Connor went to high school at Evergreen Park. Then, his daughter played softball at the school, and now he’s the head softball coach and freshman football coach, too.
“Just the community, being around the people,” O’Connor said of what makes Evergreen Park High School special. “Everybody here is very friendly. The kids are great. You can’t beat it. They’re upbeat and a lot of fun.”
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O’Connor has taught special education and physical education, as well as coached the softball team, for two years now. He was a tradesman of sheet metal for 24 years before going to Evergreen Park. However, it the early 2000s, O’Connor had a travel softball team, which inspired him to coach at Evergreen Park.
“I loved it," O'Connor said. "I loved dealing with the girls and helping them get to the next level. I’ll tell you what, it was so much fun when I had the travel team and then when they had the opening here, I just said to myself, ‘You know what, this is something I could do and this is something I could help Evergreen Park out with.’ ”
