Islip softball honors Dennis McSweeney, names home field after former coach
The temporary sign for the field dedication to former coach Dennis McSweeney on Sunday in Islip. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Dennis McSweeney dedicated his life to Islip softball. It’s fitting that Islip’s home field at Wing Elementary School is now named after him.
Before a scrimmage with Copiague on Sunday morning, Islip held a ceremony honoring McSweeney and unveiling a banner hanging under the scoreboard in right field that reads “Dennis McSweeney Field.”
McSweeney, who was born and raised in Islip, began coaching at Islip in many capacities in 1992 and took over as the head softball coach in 2008. He was the President of the Suffolk Softball Coaches Association and served as an assistant football coach at Babylon. He died from a blood infection in September at age 55.
McSweeney’s former players, assistant coaches and friends took turns delivering speeches and telling stories. His niece, Lauren, who graduated from Islip last spring after an illustrious softball career, also gave a speech alongside her aunt, Debbie.
“It’s just an honor,” Lauren McSweeney said. “This whole program, even this field meant so much to him. For it to be named after him, I really do think he would appreciate it. It means a lot seeing his name on the sign.”
Lauren’s younger sister, Caitlin, threw out the ceremonial first pitch in front of a crowd of more than 200.
“It just shows how much he meant to everyone and how much of an impact he had on people’s lives,” Lauren McSweeney said. “It is hard being here because every time I’m here, I just think of him. But it’s really nice to see all my friends, old teammates and assistant coaches.”
Islip’s players wore shirts that read “Play For Mac” on the front with a list of his common sayings on the back. When Chris Accardi became Islip’s softball coach this season, he immediately knew he wanted to hold a tribute game.
“I remember asking him one time if he had children,” Accardi said. “He said, ‘No, my girls are my children.’ I always thought that was really nice.”
Copiague coach Vanessa Juengerkes played for McSweeney for four years and graduated from Islip in 2014.
“It’s very well-deserved. I think even if he was alive and still coaching, he would’ve deserved to have the field named after him,” Juengerkes said. “I try to emulate him when I coach. Even when I’m not thinking about it, I’ll be doing things with my girls the way he did with us.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
