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Page 4, The Berkeley Times, May 28, 2022
Coach:
Continued From Page 1 There were Ocean County Tournament crowns in 1981, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1992. There were New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association South Jersey Group III titles in 1986 and 1988. There was a Shore Conference Tournament championship in 1994. There was a berth in the SCT championship game in 1993. There were berths in the 1986 and 1994 South Jersey Group III final. There was a berth in the 1981 South Jersey Group IV championship game. There was the Pemberton Invitational title in 1988. There were 11 Coach of the Year honors from the Ocean County Observer (1982, 1986, 1988. 1992 and 1994), the Newark Star Ledger (1986) and WOBM (1981, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1994). There were 254 career wins. There were a mere 95 losses. There was one tie. To put it mildly, Selby’s career (1981-1994) was chock full of championships and honors for him and his players. Selby was honored Saturday, May 14, when the Golden Eagles’ diamond was dedicated as the Norm Selby Field. The event was named the Norm Selby Softball Field Dedication Ceremony. “We must have done something right,” he said prior to the ceremony. “People must believe we are worthy of remembering. I hope they remember the young women who proudly wore the Garnet and Gold and did their best rather than me. I stood in the coaching area. They played the game.”
Winning several battles with tears, Selby spoke in front of approximately 100 people, including about 40 of his former players. He received a proclamation from Berkeley Township Mayor Carmen Amato Jr. The document proclaimed the day Norm Selby Day in the township. “I would like to thank the (Central Regional) board of education, the mayor and the council for this honor,” Selby said. “I would also like to thank my own family for its support. It was not easy for my wife, Karen, as we had four kids under the age of six when I began coaching. They went to our games in the back of a little Ford Pinto station wagon, probably illegal these days. ‘G’ (then-veteran assistant coach Gloria Garibaldi) and other people came to our home after our games. “Approximately 113 young ladies wore the Central uniform with pride and class. They were the best. They all turned out to be fantastic people. I am very, very proud of them. I hope the ladies wearing the Central Regional uniform will bring pride, joy and respect to Central Regional High School.” Prior to Selby’s speech, Central Regional School District Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides spoke to the crowd. “We were very lucky to have had Mr. Selby as a teacher,” he said. “He was one of the best teachers to retire from Central Regional. I am very proud to dedicate this field as Norm Selby Field.” Central athletics director John Scran, the school’s former baseball coach, told the crowd, “A special welcome to his family, friends and other supporters. A special thanks to Marlboro (a 3-2 winner over Cen-
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tral in an SCT first-round game after the ceremony) for showing sportsmanship. Coach Selby was much more than just a coach. He was a role model who taught young ladies life’s lessons by using the game of softball.” Selby received a softball bat honoring the dedication from Scran on behalf of the Central Regional Board of Education. Another speaker was former player Agnes Whitfield, a Central health and physical education teacher. “Without this man, all of those championships don’t happen,” she said. “He had an amazing career. It was an honor and a pleasure to play for this town and coach Selby. He was a role model, a father figure and a proud softball dad. When people ask us who we played for, we proudly say, ‘Mr. Norm Selby.’ “ After the ceremony, Whitfield presented Selby with a box containing pictures of each team he coached. Several ex-players spoke to the media prior to the ceremony. One, Karen Smith-Moreland, wore her 1984 Ocean County Tournament championship jacket. “Coach Selby was very successful,” she said. “He taught us hard work, self-respect. He taught us a love of the game. We developed self-esteem. He taught us a desire to win ... you had to earn it. He taught us life skills that we use today.” Teri Sisa, who played on the Golden Eagles from 1980-1982, said Selby was quick with one-liners. “He said, ‘When you slide into second base, take her out,’ “ Sisa said. “He also said, ‘Get the piano off your back,’ when we ran the bases.” A catcher during the 1983-84 seasons was Ellen Mahoney. “He turned me into a different person,” she said. “He made me realize what hard work could do for you. I was bad news until I played for him. He turned me around. He taught me what teamwork and hard work were. He used to check our report cards. He kept me on the straight and narrow as I got my grades up.” Retired Lacey Township High School athletics director Karen Hughes, a 1981 Central graduate, played for Selby during her senior season. “I met him when I was in the junior varsity program,” said Hughes, a former Central basketball standout who completed four New York City Marathons and 100 miniature triathlons. “We were a family. He had to understand the game and parlay his knowledge to his athletes. He did that. We had dynamic athletes who more importantly played softball. Our success was because of a lot of work by coach Selby. Sometimes, it was sheer luck. Luck is not a bad thing. I will take luck.” Garibaldi played a large role in the Golden Eagles’ success. “Words could never explain what ‘G’ meant to our program,” Selby said. “She and I thought alike. Don’t treat the young ladies as girls. They are athletes. Treat them as such and expect an athletic performance from them. Having a woman of ‘G’s caliber gave us an advantage. We would never have had the success we did without her.” Working under Selby at the junior varsity and freshman levels were Phyllis Angellella-Aires, Sisia, Angela Slack-Selby and Joe
Winkelreid. Harry Schilling coached the Middle School team. Central had its share of great moments in the field. Take one that took place in the 1992 OCT championship game against Toms River East. “It’s one specific play that stands out in my mind,” Selby said. “A defensive play that we practiced for years finally came to fruition.” It began with a runner on second base. The pitcher was Tara Menschner, who fielded a ground ball. “She checked the runner at second and wheeled the ball to Amber Dafeldecker at first base to get the batter out,” Selby said. “Amber then threw the ball across the diamond to Erika Applegate at third, cutting down the runner - double play!” Success preceded Selby, who was an unofficial assistant coach prior to becoming the junior varsity mentor for four seasons under then-coach Marshall Davenport. “Our (overall) record was 45-14,” Selby said. “When Marshall retired, Jerry Golembeski (then Central’s athletics director) offered me the job. Loving the sport and knowing that I would be working with many of the same girls on the varsity team who I had on our junior varsity team made the decision easy.” Selby became a member of the Central Regional High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. He’s also in the New Jersey Athletic Hall of Fame. “Both are important,” he said, “but Central means a little more to me since it was voted on by people who truly knew me and the work of the young ladies of Central Regional High School.” Selby also coached freshman boys basketball (1969-1970), junior varsity boys basketball (1971-1973), football as an assistant from 1983-1992 and girls tennis as an assistant from 1991-1992. He coached and taught at Central - his lone school - for 33 years. He taught U.S. History I to juniors from 1968-2001. Selby and his wife raised several children. The couple hosted a gathering of nearly 50 at their Berkeley home. Scrapbooks from each of the team’s seasons were features of the party. Karen Selby designed the scrapbooks and did some of the cooking. “Well,” he said, “like all coaches you are affected by what goes on at home. When I started coaching, Karen was left from March 1-June to handle everything. We played and practiced six days per week and of course during Easter vacation. My wife never complained. She made it to just about every game and was our biggest supporter although at critical moments of games she would hit the woods - leave the field - because pressure got to her. “Knowing the homestead was taken care of by my wife freed me to coach. Thanks Karen!!” A Florida resident for seven years, Selby enjoys traveling, especially cruising, gardening and wood working. He and his wife are the grandparents of one United States Marine, one college student, two Central seniors who will graduate June 17 and one Central Regional Middle School student. “As far as my legacy, I want it to be merely that we tried to teach the game,” Selby said, “and that we played it fairly and tried to be honest and truthful to our young women.”
