Jason Swiger Memorial Scholarship

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Jason Swiger Memorial Scholarship

The Jason Swiger Memorial Scholarship page has been set up to share information for the cause.

The goal is to support one United Local senior and one Salem senior football player each year for students pursuing either college or trade school.

09/03/2026

To the Class of 2027,

Welcome to your SENIOR YEAR!
As you step into this important milestone, our greatest hope is that you truly enjoy this year and take it all in. The months ahead will move quickly, so pause often and appreciate the moments—from loud Friday night games to quiet days in the classroom. As you navigate this final year, remember to make wise decisions that honor your future. Make yourselves proud, and make your loved ones proud.

For our family, this time of year brings a lot of emotions. We think about how much Mr. Swiger—Coach Swigs loved being part of your lives. Being a teacher and a coach wasn’t just a job to him, it was simply something he cared deeply about. He loved watching his students and athletes learn, grow, overcome obstacles, and discover what they were capable of.

We know he would tell you to work hard, stay true to who you are, and believe in yourselves. He would remind you that success isn’t always about being the best or winning every time. Sometimes, it’s about getting back up when things don’t go your way, believing in yourself, and continuing to move forward. He set an extraordinary example for everyone who knew him of what it means to be strong and persevere through any circumstance.

As you begin this last chapter of high school, we hope you take the time to appreciate the people around you. Appreciate your family and friends. Thank the teachers and coaches who have made a difference in your life. Make memories. Take the pictures. Enjoy the moments.

Later this school year, our family will have the honor of selecting the very first recipients of the Jason Swiger Memorial Scholarship-one SENIOR student from United Local and one SENIOR football player from Salem. While we look forward to learning more about each senior who applies, we want you to know that these scholarships represent far more than an award. They are a way to carry forward the profound legacy of Mr. Swiger—Coach Swigs~and to ensure that his dedication, encouragement, and belief in young people continue to inspire and impact students and athletes for many years to come.

We hope that wherever life takes you after graduation, you carry with you the lessons, encouragement, and love that have helped shape you along the way.

And if Mr. Swiger—Coach Swigs could leave you with one final piece of advice, we believe it would be this:

Believe in yourself. Work hard. Be kind. Never give up. And always remember the people who believed in you along the way.

Make this year count.
Make memories that last a lifetime.

With love,

The Swiger Family
In loving memory of Mr. Swiger—Coach Swigs
💙💛🖤❤️

08/21/2026

With Week 1 of football season upon us, my heart and mind turn to our Salem Quaker Football Family, and to the unforgettable years Jason spent shaping the young men on the offensive line. Coach Swigs didn't just teach skill….with the biggest heart~he taught grit, accountability, and life. May his passion for the game and the profound impact he had on his players forever remain a part of Quaker football. As a new season begins without him, we hold his memory close….may his lessons live on in every block and every huddle. Wishing the coaching staff and the entire team a healthy and amazing season ahead.🏈🖤❤️

-Also sending our best wishes to all the area football teams and coaches out there for a safe and successful season.🏈

08/17/2026

Over the weekend, myself and our boys attended the Stockman wedding. Not only did Jason have the privilege of coaching Caleb and his twin brother, Carson, on the offensive line at Salem~ they also played alongside our boys. Being there on behalf of Jason meant so much to our family, he had a forever bond with these young men….a bond that reached far beyond the sidelines. Coach Swigs would have been proud, no doubt he was smiling down. Such a beautiful wedding, so happy we got to be part of their special day. Congratulations to Caleb and Lauren!♥️

08/09/2026

United Local was Jason’s first varsity football coaching job, and it always held a special place in his heart. Not only as a coach but as a teacher. He had the privilege of coaching under two great head coaches, DJ Ogilvie and Jeff Sharkey, both of whom he had tremendous respect for. Along with several other fine men who coached alongside him. His time at United began in 1999—the summer we got married. It was a chapter of our lives filled with memories, friendships, and experiences that stayed with us through the years. It was at this time I knew that football would be a big part of who we were as a family. Not only did he form amazing bonds with his players, but also with their families and this community. Bonds to last a lifetime. When you are married to a coach, you too must be all in, and also get to be a part of forming some amazing bonds.

While circumstances beyond his control eventually led him to step away from coaching football at United, he never stopped carrying a special love for the players and families he had grown so fond of. They remained a part of him. When playing against United….whether while coaching at South Range or Salem, at the end, when the teams would go through shaking hands-Jason would walk through the opposite side of everyone else so he could give each United player a special tap on their helmets, one by one. Honoring them in his own way. Even though they became his opponents, he still cared deeply for them. He was proud of them, and wanted them to know that they mattered to him.

Our boys were both around four and five months old when they first started going to football games. We never missed a game. They would sit on my lap or on the bench next to me and be so intrigued with what was happening on that football field. My family could never get over the way they sat there watching. I’ll never forget the time, it was the last game of regular season…the big United~Lisbon rivalry game, week 10. It was going to be chilly. Tyson was around 4 years old, Caden was around 1 1/2 years old. I had just got done getting them layered up, and I was in the other room getting myself ready. Caden had climbed up on a small bench in our kitchen, falling and gashing his head. We headed over to the emergency room, got him stitched up….and made it to the game by halftime. Jason had no idea til after the game. Nothing was keeping us from being there.

I could go on and on in sharing some of the best memories that came along with his time coaching for United. Grateful for these times and the families we met along the way. 🏈💙💛

08/07/2026

Since it's Fair time in Columbiana County, I thought we would take it back to when Jason first came to Salem to coach. Coach Johnson had him cover this Tough Man Competition at the fair with some of the players, competing against other area teams, while he was tied up with another commitment.

It’s always enjoyable looking back at these older pictures and recognizing so many of the fine young men who were out there. Jason was always stepping up wherever he was needed. Our own boys never missed a beat with him—they loved being right there by his side. And me too, of course...🏈🖤❤️

07/30/2026

Sharing pictures from Jason's days coaching at South Range, his alma mater.
Not only did he have the privilege of playing under Coach Dan Yeagley, but he was also honored to stand beside him years later as a coach. Jason had immeasurable respect and admiration for Coach Yeagley and considered him a lifelong mentor and dear friend.

No matter where life took him, South Range always held a special place in his heart. It helped shape him—not only as an athlete, but also as a coach. Some of life's greatest blessings are the people we cross paths with, the places that shape us, and the memories that stay with us always.

Over the last couple of years, when Salem and South Range played on Friday nights….Jason always looked forward to seeing the coaches afterward. He had the utmost respect for this football program, and a lasting bond with many of the coaches.

Our boys were just 2 and 5 years old when Jason started coaching at South Range. We never missed a game. They would play deep into playoffs…..our boys would be bundled up in their snowsuits, waddling along beside me all while Jason would be standing on the sidelines in shorts, displaying mental toughness to his players. Definitely a football family through and through.🏈💛♥️

07/20/2026

The Starfish Story

Our oldest son, Tyson, read this at Jason's memorial service. During his own student teaching, Jason had given him a pamphlet with this story that had once been given to him. Ty felt it perfectly reflected who his dad was as a father, coach, and teacher.

The goal of this scholarship page is to share Jason's story—to help others understand who he was as a person, and why the Jason Swiger Memorial Scholarship means so much to our family.

Many of you who follow this page had the privilege of knowing Jason personally. You witnessed the kind of man he was, the legacy he left behind, and the profound impact he made on so many lives. Others may not have known him personally but have followed his story and been touched by it.

A time will come when there will be scholarship applicants, recipients, and donors who never had the privilege of knowing Jason. It is my hope that, through this page, they will come to know the remarkable man he was and understand the legacy this scholarship was created to honor.

While it makes me emotional to think there will be students and athletes who won’t get to experience having Jason as a teacher or coach…..I want them to not only read about his life, but to see what mattered most to him—how he lived and how he loved.
💙💛🖤❤️

07/17/2026

Sharing one of my favorite photos captured years ago of our youngest son, Caden, along with Mitch Davidson at a youth football camp hosted by the Salem High School staff and players. Both in the same quarterback stance at the quarterback station.

Our boys spent so much time around this program with their dad. Tyson was going into 7th grade and Caden into 4th when Jason began coaching at Salem. Being younger…Caden spent countless hours at practices and around the school with Jason. Both of our boys looked up to many amazing young men on the Quaker Football Team. Many memories made together.🏈🖤❤️

07/16/2026

Wanting to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the United Local staff who contributed to the monetary donation made to the scholarship fund. About a month ago, Ros Hardgrove, a fellow teacher and friend, reached out to let me know that a collection had been taken at the end of the school year and that she would be dropping it off at The Salem Community Foundation. The generosity was very much appreciated.

The amount of love shown to Jason and our family by the United staff and community went above and beyond anything we could have expected. The thoughtfulness shown—and all the ways they were there for him and our family—were truly unparalleled.

I also wanted to reflect back to May 19th when I received a text from Brittany Maniscalco at The Salem Community Foundation, letting me know that a donation had come in with a letter attached for me. I headed over, sat in her office, and began reading the letter. It was a page-and-a-half handwritten note from a United mom. She wanted to share how Jason had helped her daughter through a particular situation, acknowledging how willing he was to go above and beyond to help his students succeed and how "nonchalant" he was when she thanked him during parent-teacher conferences. I sat there reading the letter through tears—actually bawling—and was so touched that she took the time to share and donate to our cause. A testament to the kind of community he dedicated himself to and cared for so deeply.

I've attached the Staff Spotlight that was shared during the school year:

Remembering Jason Swiger 💙💛

07/04/2026

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY….HAPPY 250 YEARS, AMERICA!♥️🤍💙🇺🇸

May everyone have a safe and enjoyable holiday…..

Address

Salem, OH

Website

http://salemcommunityfoundation.org/

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