For decades, Al McClain has been recognized throughout greater Boston as a committed advocate for and dedicated mentor of youth from all walks of life. Whether as a coach and director with various Boston youth organizations or as a community relations consultant to the Boston Celtics, Al has helped hundreds of boys and girls to develop their potentials and become successful and fulfilled adults.
The respect he has earned is perhaps best expressed by a recent Hyde alum from Boston, one who did not know that he and Al shared Hyde in common:
Al “Ski” (What we [Bostonians] call him) is a great man. Very well known here in Boston. I see him all the time and did not know he attended Hyde… I remember he would come to our middle school to give us inner city kids motivational speeches in order to keep us away from drugs and gangs. He’s a legend here in Boston.”
Al is also a legend here at Hyde, known especially for his exploits on the basketball court where he led the Blue & Gold to our first New England prep championship, thanks to a 52-point “performance for the ages” against Suffield Academy in the finals. He was also known for his creative efforts with pastels in art class. Few Hyde students have packed as much into a single year as did Al as a post-graduate student.
Following Hyde, Al enrolled at the University of New Hampshire, where he graduated as the highest scorer in school history and was a 6th round NBA draft pick of the Houston Rockets. Since graduating from UNH, he has been honored with selection to the UNH Athletic Hall of Fame, and his high school #41 was retired by the school he attended before Hyde: Boston’s New Mission High School.
Since his college days, Al has lived and worked in Boston surrounded by friends and family, including two siblings who graduated from Hyde -- Almanda ’82 and Wes ’83 – and added to the legend of the McClain name on the basketball court and throughout our community.
