Mark Mayson: The Face of Lower Moreland Football

For the past 30 years, Mark Mayson has been helping students “grow.”  As the head coach of the Lower Moreland High School football team, he’s built quite an extended “family.”

"It has been my distinct pleasure to walk the sidelines with Mark for the past thirty years," said Tim Reilly, a teacher and assistant coach of the Lower Moreland Lions. “It’s really all about the kids; it’s all about the family. For thirty years, Mark has been teaching kids to take the lessons that they learn in football and apply them to real life. He is the face of Lower Moreland football. We are proud to call him coach.”

Standing on the field with several generations of football alumni, Mayson was presented with a symbolic tree and plaque by members of the Lower Moreland High School Football Parents Association after the Homecoming Game last Friday.  In the spring, a tree will be planted on the grounds of Lower Moreland High School to serve as a daily reminder of Mayson’s dedication to the many teams he has coached.

“The fact that a tree was chosen is symbolic in the sense that we look at a tree, we look at the branches and leaves, but what we don’t see is the roots. And, that’s what Mark Mayson does…he gives roots to people. It’s not just about football, Mark Mayson teaches about family, about life,” said Frank McKee, Lower Moreland High School Principal.

For those who know Mark Mayson, they know that he never seeks accolades. He encourages his team to “find a way, not an excuse,” for everything they do in life.  He doesn’t seek praise or think he does anything extraordinary, saying, “it’s just a blessing to be able to come to work every day. Lower Moreland is a great place.”

Mayson came to the Lower Moreland Township School District after working as a coach and teacher in the Cheltenham School District, where he also attended high school. He was referred to the district by the former Cheltenham superintendent, applied for and accepted the position as Health and Physical Education teacher, and has never looked back. He now serves as the Assistant Principal at the high school and the coach of the Lions football team. He is a graduate of West Chester University, where he wore No. 65 on the football team. He is married to Susan and they have three children, two daughters and a son.

“Every day you drive by the high school you will see Mr. Mayson’s car out front,” said Joe Kehoe, a senior and co-captain of this year’s Lower Moreland High School Football Team. “His determination and commitment to this school and this team is unmatched.”

With his wife Susan at his side, Mayson emotionally accepted the gifts from the parents’ group.

“It’s been a real blessing to have been able to be here for this amount of time,” Mayson said to the crowd gathered around him on the field. “The strength of the program has always been about the people in the program. We talk about a lot of things associated with football. But football is just a vehicle to a lot of other things that are more important than football.”