McKeesport Area High School’s legendary football coach George Smith is known for his
successes on the field, having led the Tigers through 31 seasons with a 226-112-5 record,
including WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA wins in 1994 and 2005.
Smith’s impact on the McKeesport community extends far beyond his football wins. Over
more than three decades, his leadership has encouraged McKeesport Area boys to grow –
not only as passionate players, but as engaged citizens.
Many young men who have given back to the city of McKeesport say their sense of
community began with Coach Smith’s teachings. They learned discipline, sportsmanship,
and teamwork. But most importantly, they learned how to be hopeful as they set goals and
worked hard to achieve them.
Football is about teaching players that, if they succeed on the field, they can succeed anywhere. Smith said his main coaching goal always has
been making better young men out of kids – teaching them to be “better in their community, in school, on the field, and even in their homes.”
Smith said he and his coaches never were afraid to talk to players about what’s happening in school, at home or on the streets. Operating
from an “old-school” perspective, Smith said, adults have to be willing to talk with children and teens about their experiences. To help a child
overcome any of life’s obstacles, you have to know what the obstacles are.
The key to a successful program is the image it displays in the community, Smith said. From the style of play to being gentlemen on the
field, players have a code of conduct. They’re taking part in a program that the community can get behind, and McKeesport Area fans let their
pride show.
With a dedicated community following, today’s players see the “Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger” support system every time they step on the
field. They know their coach and their community are behind them 100 percent.
Love
Masoud Sayles has adopted a “love thy neighbor” approach to life in McKeesport.
A near lifelong resident of the city and a 2004 McKeesport Area High School
graduate, Sayles has a humble, easygoing approach to everyday living.
Sayles is the newest member of the Crew Missions, a faith-based volunteer
organization that helps homeowners in the Mon Valley and South Hills with
small projects around their home. From landscaping to painting or making
household repairs, the Crew Missions volunteers visit area residents once a year
to get them on track with housework.
Sayles is the McKeesport area ambassador for the Crew Missions. His role is
to find McKeesport homeowners who are in need of the Crew Missions’ blessing
because of a disability, illness, extreme financial hardship or other circumstance.
Sayles doesn’t think of himself as standout citizen or a leader – just a guy
with a lot of heart and some vision. He is a Penn State University graduate
with a degree in geobiology and a limitless interest in the outdoors. He loves
gardening, working outdoors, and volunteering for programs that aid in food
security and community building.
As an unofficial member of GTECH Strategies’ ReClaim McKeesport initiative,
Sayles offered a helping hand in nearly every project in that program. He
dedicated countless volunteer hours to make his neighborhood (the old Library
District, which is being redefined as the city’s Cultural and Educational Sector)
and others across town better places to live.
Sayles also volunteered in a TreeVitalize spring planting in the Cultural and Educational Sector and was a team
leader in the City’s partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Make A Difference Day in 2015. He hopes to see
more folks in the McKeesport community becoming active with outdoor volunteer projects in years to come.
Living the Message...
The McKeesport Message Committee, a subgroup of McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko’s
Select Committee on Crime and Violence, invites the public to nominate community members
who exemplify the words, “Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love.”
McKeesporters of all ages – from youth volunteers to senior citizens – display
characteristics of Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love on a daily basis in our community. Whether
through organizing community activities or offering a helping hand to those in need, everyday
people are doing their part to make our city a better place. If we look within our schools, our
neighborhoods, our churches and our service organizations, we will find acts of kindness for
which we all ca