EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Declan Smyth, Class Of 2018

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — The opportunity to compete in multiple sports is something that often attracts middle school students to Evergreen Park Community High School.

It’s something that Declan Smyth, an EPCHS alum from the Class of 2018, remains grateful for to this day.

“It’s not only that I had the opportunity to play 3 sports, but also not having to wait until I was a junior or senior to play on a varsity team,” said Smyth, who rose to the varsity level in golf and baseball as a sophomore and played on the varsity basketball team his freshman year.

“Getting all that experience on the varsity level as a young kid was pretty cool,” he said. “Not everyone gets to do that.”

A Most Holy Redeemer student until 8th grade, Smyth said choosing a high school was a tough choice since many of his friends were going to the private schools in the area. But ultimately, the success of Evergreen Park sports teams at the time, and the ability to play multiple sports at the varsity level, made EPCHS the best place for him.

In the fall at EPCHS, Smyth said it was “a lot of fun” to be on the golf team with Head Coach Scott Pasek, who this year is now marking 20 years at the helm of the program.

“Coach Pasek is a great guy to play for,” Smyth said. “He makes everything fun and competitive at the same time.”

Smyth was on a conference championship golf team his senior year. It was one of 10 conference titles Pasek has notched for the Mustangs in his 20 years as head coach.

When winter came, it was on to basketball season for Smyth. There, too, he found much success under then Head Coach Pat Flannigan.

“We won conference our junior year (2017), which had been the first time in quite some time,” Smyth said. “It was so cool to be able to cut down the nets.”

But Smyth’s bread and butter came in springtime when baseball season rolled around. He was on three Mustang regional championship teams, and a squad that made it to the sectional championship game his sophomore year.

“I was on a lot of good teams with a lot of my buddies,” he said. “Being able to play multiple sports, a lot of my golf teammates were also my baseball teammates.”

Having his dad, longtime Mustangs baseball Head Coach Mark Smyth, as head coach was “pretty cool,” he added.

“At first it was tough because you get looked at by others as ‘well, your dad is the coach and that’s why you are playing.’ It was a lot of pressure, but I was young and needed to mature. As I got older, I really appreciated being able to spend that time playing for him. It was a great experience. It was awesome.”

The older Smyth, and Flannigan, both remain at EPCHS as they share the Assistant Athletic Director role.

Smyth was heavily recruited for his prowess on the baseball field, and enrolled at North Central College in Naperville.

“It’s kind of tough being a freshman anywhere, and I got injured 10 games into the season,” he said. “After that, I didn’t think that was the right place for me.”

So after one year at North Central, Smyth transferred to a school just a few blocks away from home. He’d spend four full seasons at Saint Xavier University, with COVID granting him an additional year of eligibility.

“It was right down the street, I could live at home and not have to spend that much money,” Smyth said of his decision to go to SXU.

It proved to work out well, as he was part of a conference championship team his senior year and eventually reunited on the baseball field with his cousin, Jimmy Smyth, who also attended EPCHS.

“It was a lot of fun, and a good way to end your career,” he said.

Smyth had been in contact with a professional baseball league in Michigan this past winter, but ultimately decided it was time to hang up the cleats.

“My playing days are over,” he said. “It’s time to coach.”

Smyth is now an assistant basketball and baseball coach right here at EPCHS, where he also works as a paraprofessional. In basketball, he guides the freshman team and is a varsity assistant for the newly hired baseball coach, Andrew Massey.

On the court, Smyth describes his role as one of preparation.

“It’s like a building block,” he said. “I prepare them for sophomore year, and the sophomore coach prepares them for varsity. We want them to go out there, have fun, learn to play as a team and share the ball.”

The 2024 Mustangs baseball team could potentially top the school record of 24 wins set last year, Smyth said, with Grady Elwood returning as the senior ace on the mound and Jack Hughes coming back after two years of All-Conference accolades at third base.

“I’m really excited about this team come springtime,” Smyth said.

Eventually, Smyth said he'd like to become a physical education teacher and varsity head coach, and, sometime down the line, an athletic director. He’s currently finalizing his education license at Trinity Christian College and will be student teaching next fall.

Until then, he’s thrilled to be helping out at his alma mater.

“I’m thankful to be back here, surrounded by great staff, awesome kids, and it’s a 2 minute drive from home. You can’t beat that.”