Coach Krafian on Being a Champion and Building Champions

This was part of a series of articles published in the September 5 Special Edition of the Armenian Weekly honoring the AYF Olympics.

I’ve attended every Olympics since 1976, except for one. I missed Racine in 2006 when Heather wasn’t well. So, I have forgotten a whole lot more than I can remember. Competing was mostly a blur, except for my final year in 1989, the year we were rained out at the track.  

1987 Hartford Olympics, Boston “Siamanto” Team

I was in the best shape of my life that year, thanks to Rich Chebookjian, who coached me every day that summer. The year prior, I left the pool and tried my hand at the pentathlon. Boston had a great pent tradition with Rich, Fred Hintlian and Leo Kashian. I won, but I hurt my knee a couple of weeks before Labor Day, so although we were happy with the win, we weren’t satisfied. In 1989, we worked out every day, rain or shine. “There is no use not training today,” Richard once told me while getting soaked during a rainy day workout. “It might rain at Olympics, and you need to be prepared.” Although we didn’t break any record or even compete, that was a special summer. I learned how to give back through his example. I can’t remember much about competing. Looking back nothing jumps out, winning or losing – I guess it didn’t matter, I had fun and I made lots of friends. I loved relays in the pool and on the track…both as an athlete and as a coach.

I had the good fortune of serving on the Governing Body for nine years. I served with Avo Alashaian, Dave Papazian, Michael Hagopian, Steve Hagopian and Mark Alashaian, but I also got to know my predecessors quite well—Shant Chebookjian and Aram “Sonny” Gavoor. I’ve been an AYF Olympics coach for 30 years now. There have been so many wonderful kids who have come through our program. It’s impossible to call out individuals or rank various special moments. Frankly, I’ve had too many great ones to fit into one article. I guess it’s fair to distinguish our first Greater Boston “Nejdeh” win in 2016 as a milestone for me and the chapter.

The Krafian family at the 2016 AYF Olympics

I am proud of all of our kids, those who are biologically mine and those I adopt for a few days at the end of every summer. I do want to single out, however, Tamar Kanarian. Tamar has been by my side for every junior and senior Olympics since I can remember. She is special. She cares so much about our kids. She is as competitive as she is compassionate. She is always available to help, whether it be at practice, softball or at the games. Sharing our many successes with Tamar on the field or at the dance is probably my most cherished memory of the more than 40 AYF Olympic Games I’ve attended.  

Tamar Kanarian cheering on Anoush Krafian at the 2005 AYF Olympics in Washington, DC
Ara Krafian

Ara Krafian

Ara Krafian is the CEO and President of Symmes, Maine & McKee Associates in Cambridge, MA. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University, his MBA from Bentley University and completed his certification at Harvard Business School in the Executive Education Program. Ara is an alum of the AYF Watertown “Gaidzag” & Boston “Siamanto” Chapters. As an AYF Senior, he served on the Nat’l Junior Seminar Committee, co-chaired the 1989 Boston AYF Olympic Committee and served on the AYF Governing Body for 9 years. Ara has coached the Greater Boston “Nejdeh” AYF Chapter (formerly the Boston “Siamanto” Chapter) for the past 30 years.
Ara Krafian

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1 Comment

  1. Ara….. you are a great asset to our greater nation. Your humility combined with dedication is an incredible role modeling experience for these kids. People like you is a main reason why our community sustained itself. Your remarkable dedication to the NAASR building is another unique contribution. The design of the building is brilliant. Thank you for all you do. God bless you.

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