New Jersey Central by Ultimate Athlete Magzine

Edito Letter From The Editor

Letter from the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Ultimate Athlete Magazine. High school athletics is such a powerful learning tool for teenagers. Responsibility, leadership, teamwork, time management, and perseverance are just some of the skills students can learn and hone throughout their high school athletic careers. Sports can teach these students lessons that cannot be learned any other way. Although there are many overused clichés in sports such as: Giving 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time, while picking yourself up when you get knocked down, never taking anything for granted, and having the ability to “bounce back” from a devastating play or a difficult loss, these are all true for high school athletes. Not only are these things that coaches believe about their teams, these are things that players believe about themselves. This is a testament to the power of sports. For the various teams we spoke to for this edition, some are coming off excellent years, others are rebuilding after losing seniors to graduation. Regardless of where a program might be at, whether it is coming off a state championship or barely being at .500, the coaches and players believe in what they are doing and that is commendable. They refuse to doubt themselves or their abilities. Your dedication to excellence and perfection need not be just praised. It should be commended. For many teams, winning a state championship is their ultimate, and only, goal. However, only a percentage of teams in the state have a legitimate chance of attaining that goal, but that doesn’t stop the ones that don’t from believing they do. Football in New Jersey has produced some top-notch talent. Students get offers from Division I schools every year, which proves to the rest of the country that our athletes need to be taken seriously; not just for their athletic ability on the field, but for their conduct and strength of character off it. I wish every team the best of luck this season. Dan Hubbard New Jersey Managing Editor

Ultimate Athlete Magazine

Paul Corace N.J. Comanzo new jersey managing editor Daniel Hubbard Publisher/CEO

Executive editor

Joe Luis Covarrubias Joe Weinreb director of development Scott “Scotto” Savitt senior producer Jessica Peters graphic editor david Stewart graphic editor Keri Sams graphic & web editor julie Bosko administrative assistant Carissa Ierulli distribution manager Richard Brooks senior sports editor SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Contributing Writers

william Green kevin baumer daniel hubbard jessica Quiroli kevin haslam dr. tom ferraro paul mastronardi joe pietaro sandy sarcona

Cover Photos by audrey kerchner Cover GRAPHiC WORK by Joe Weinreb Contributing photographers

audrey kerchner sal forgione

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ultimateathletemagazine.com Ultimate Athlete Magazine (ISSN 1931-5295) is published 12 times a year by Ultimate Athlete, Inc., 40 Woodbine Avenue, Northport, New York 11768. All contents copyright 2009 by Ultimate Athlete, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or part of the content without the prior written consent of Ultimate Athlete, Inc. is strictly prohibited. All logos and trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Although the writers and the publisher have exhaustively researched all sources to ensure the accuracy and the completeness of the information contained in this publication, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein. The opinions expressed in all materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Ultimate Athlete, Inc or Long Island’s Ultimate Athlete Magazine.

Fall Volume I

Southern NJ EDITION

Conten

nts FEATURES Features

12 Nutrition

Fuel the Road Trip

14 Chatham Cougars

16 Hillside

Comets

O C

18 New Providence Pioneers

22 North New Brunswick Raiders

24 South Plainfield Tigers

28 Perth Amboy Panthers

30 Rahway Indians

34 Parsippany Red Hawks

36 Scotch Plains Raiders

42 Pro Corner

Even Better the Second Time Around

48 Sports Psychology The Secret to Team Building

SHUTTER

SPEED

>>>

A Hillside player tries to break through the impenetrable Brunswick North defense, but hits a roadblock along the way.

Photo by sal forgione

>>>

Photo by audrey kerchner

Going airborne! A player from Scotch Plains goes full extension and grabs the ball during one of his teams many two a day practice sessions.

SPEED

SHUTTER

>>>

Photo by audrey kerchner

The Rahway Indians practice hard and play harder, and are no strangers to hard work. A lineman makes short work of a tackling dummy during practice.

SPEED

SHUTTER

Compe Competition Nutrition

FUEL THE roAd TrIp

By Sandy Sarcona

Road trips are part of an athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Sometimes you take a short jaunt to another high school for a game and other times you are traveling to another state for a tournament. Any time you travel it is important to plan the healthiest way to add fuel to energize your body. Without a plan, a stop at a convenience store or a fast food restaurant is the easiest and fastest way to get food when you are hungry, but the high fat, calorie dense selections may slow down your running game. A trip to the grocery store is in order to stock up on quick energy items to keep in your back pack for short excursions to your games. The following high carbohydrate, low fat snacks can come in handy before a competition or for recovery after your event: pretzels, cereal in a box or bagged, fresh fruit (apple, orange, banana or grapes), cereal bars, bagels, or crackers. On a longer road trip or when you play all day in a tournament you should have a cooler to keep items cold: water, sports drink, cheese sticks, sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly or turkey). If you need to get a full meal and you are stuck in traffic on the NJ Turnpike, then a fast food restaurant is your only choice. You can still choose foods with adequate protein and carbohydrates, but lower on the fat content.

The biggest mistake an athlete can make when traveling is to play on an empty stomach. Your muscles cannot perform without an adequate store of carbohydrate and even your brain needs fuel to think and make decisions. So, plan your food strategy before each event to get the most competitive edge.

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Written By: Kevin Baumer Photos By: Sal Forgione

After improving Chatham High School’s record from 3-7 to 6-4 last year, head coach Don Morgenroth is determined to open up his attack. “Last year we threw the ball probably 20 percent of the time,” Morgenroth said. “We’re hoping to shoot more for 40, maybe 50 percent this year.” That means senior quarterback Nick Guida will be asked to create a lot more offensively this year. Last season Guida and Graham Wagner split time under center. But Wagner graduated last year and Guida is now the team’s full-time quarterback. “He’s a captain, he’s a leader, and he’s a phenomenal athlete,” Morgenroth said. “I expect him to do what he did last year: controlling the offense for us. We’re hoping to get a little more out of him this year in the passing game. We feel like we have a couple good receiving threats, so we spent some time in the

offseason trying to prepare him to throw the ball a little bit more.” Guida’s job will made easier by a trio of huge targets, all of whom are taller than 6 feet: senior captain Andrew Wood, senior Brandon Carione, and junior Colin Brown. Guida will run the offense primarily out of the shotgun where he’ll have time to find his big receivers down the field or run the option, Chatham’s favorite running play. “We like to spread the field out because we feel it puts the other team at a defensive disadvantage,” Morgenroth said. On the defensive side of the ball, Chatham improved from allowing 17 points per game in 2008 to just 8 last season. Morgenroth credits his players’ tenacious style for his team’s defensive success. “We have a very aggressive, goget-them style of defense,” Morgenroth said. “We’re going to man up with you and come get you. We were such a dominant defense last year with some great athletes. It is a lot easier

to play defense if you just have to tell the kids to line up and let them go get it.” Two-way players and captains Greg Delade and James Damato are the defensive leaders. Damato played tailback and middle linebacker last year while Delade played on the offensive line and at defensive end. Because nearly 100 kids tryout for Chatham’s football team, Morgenroth has the flexibility to play most of his players on only one side of the ball. That allows them to focus on one position while players at other schools have to learn how to play both ways. Morgenroth says he hopes to at least match last year’s success, but he’s a strong believer that it’s hard to form expectations until he sees the first game. He sees some challenging games on the schedule. “My personal opinion is that Madison is going to be the team to beat. I think they’re returning some very key players and they’re a very good squad,” Morgenroth said. “We’re always going to have battles with Lenape Valley, and Wallkill Valley should be a tough one too. We lost a great game to Caldwell last year so we’d like to get a little payback on them.”

Written By: Dan Hubbard Photos By: Sal Forgione

Being teachable. Being relevant. These are the things coach John Power wants his team to be this season. Power, who’s in his third-year of coaching at Hillside, constantly stresses the importance of hard work to his players. The team went 4-6 last season due to a number of injuries, but it is a new season and with it comes new opportunities for success. “We had a lot of younger kids play last season,” Power said. “I’m optimistic about how they will play this year.” Those younger players are being asked to perform at a higher level than ever before. Developing the talent to do so takes time. “It means spending time in the weight room, maturing physically and mentally and being able to handle playing varsity football,” Power said. “We want to get as many guys on the field who can compete physically.” The team and coaching staff spend a

great deal of time preparing to play by not only conditioning on the field, but by watching film and finding ways to take advantage of their opponents’ weaknesses. “We try and put our kids in the best situation possible based on the information we gather through extensive film breakdown and we try to play the numbers,” John Conroy, the defensive coach, said. “We’re expecting to do well; these boys are very teachable.” Senior cornerback Isiah Little loves playing defense. He loves shutting down receivers. “It’s all about technique, you have to shut them down in their tracks,” Little said. Defense tends to be more reactionary than offense. Players stressed the importance of playing smart by paying attention to everything that happens on the field, especially what the quarterback does. Playing smart is a part of playing well. “You read the quarterback, you read his body motion and take it in to make the best play you can,” senior safety Kevin Oshiokopekhai

said. “But it’s not just about understanding what the quarterback will do, it’s understanding what a team likes to do.” Oshiokopekhai said there is nothing like reading a play so well that it leads to a turnover. “Getting an interception and returning it for a touchdown, knowing that you got a defensive stop, that’s amazing,” Oshiokopekhai said with a smile. Teamwork is paramount. “You’ve got to protect your quarterback,” said left guard Bryant Aguilar. “Always protect his blindside. He’s depending on you.” Power, who played college ball for the University of Georgia, said that the pressure to succeed is not a bad thing. It can be a great motivating force in people’s lives. “The pressure, it gets the kids ready for life, to pay the bills, and to raise a family. That’s real pressure,” Power said. “Obviously the main goal here is to make these kids contribute to the world in a great way. We talk about winning performances. We absolutely talk about giving a winning effort and being able to compete not just in football but also in life. These kids want to get into great colleges and that takes hard work, which is what football and life are all about. Nobody plays the game of life to lose.”

Written By: Kevin Baumer Photos By: Audrey Kerchner

When New Providence Pioneers coach Frank Bottone looks ahead to the 2010 season he can’t help being optimistic. Given his talented group on offense and his always-staunch defense, he has set the team’s goals very high. “We haven’t won a state title in a long time,” Bottone said. “We’ve been knocking at the door. We haven’t had one since 1989.” Bottone, in his 47th season at the helm, expects the Pioneers to put points on the board in bunches. Led by halfbacks Vinny Fuschetto and Dave Barletta, and wide receivers Richard Nelson and P.J. Vigilante, the Pioneers are stacked at the skill positions. “We’re very pleased with our skill kids, team speed and all,” Bottone said. “We’ve got kids who can run and catch the ball. That’ll pay off on defense too for us swarming to the ball. This is a good athletic team. We’re looking forward to putting some points on the board.”

He expects big things particularly from Fuschetto, a 5-foot-10-inch tall, 175-pound senior. “Fuschetto’s a game breaker,” Bottone said. “He can control a football game. He can break a long run, he gets the tough yardage inside and he’s tough on defense, he picks off passes. He’s a great receiver too. He’s an all around player; he runs back punts and kickoffs. He very seldom comes off the field.” Bottone doesn’t seem overly concerned about the back injury that senior quarterback Jack Cole has been fighting but isn’t sure whether Cole will be ready for the start of the season. “We hope; he said he would be,” Bottone said. “We’ll keep our fingers crossed.” Bottone admitted that he’d like to have a senior under center, but he is confident in the abilities of his backups. “At least if Cole comes back we’ll have some depth at quarterback,” Bottone said. “We can spot him and use the other two kids because they’ve been working hard. In the seven-on-seven drills we went with Matt Balog and Mike Marche-

sano and the kids did all right. But it’s nice to have a senior out there calling the signals. Jack could be a big plus for us.” Bottone plans to re-implement a shotgun formation in the offense, a wrinkle that has been absent the past few years. Cole’s size makes using the formation extremely tempting. “Jack is so big that he lofts it out there and our kids run under it,” Bottone said. New Providence has a tough schedule; they open against Jonathan Dayton, last year’s conference champion, and take on Summit, who went undefeated last year, on top of rivalry games against David Brearley and Governor Livingston. But Bottone said the Pioneers could win any of those games with their dynamic offense. “We have a good shot with all these teams,” he said. “I think we’re going to be able to score on all of them. I’d be very disappointed if we didn’t put points on the board.” Of course, the perennial question surrounding Bottone and the Pioneers is: Will this be the year? “I just take it year to year,” Bottone said. “This may be it. I haven’t decided yet, but I may shortly.”

Written By: Bill Green Photos By: Sal Forgione

It’s 11:20 a.m. and practice was supposed to end at 11 a.m. The sound of pads cracking against plastic fills the air as senior running back Ross Kurtz leaps over a fellow teammate to score a touchdown during a five-on-five drill. Coaches and teammates go wild. A small crowd of spectators forms at the field’s edge. This is Raider camp. Lead by their fiery head coach Mark Zielinski, the North Brunswick Raiders enter the 2010 season ranked 128 in the Massey New Jersey State Rankings. But don’t expect to hear any talk about rankings at Raider camp though, only the sound of whistles, coaches, and the infectious intensity of football. “We take a great deal of pride in our defense,” head coach Mark Zielinkski said. “We have a lot of important guys returning to us this year on both sides of the ball, I expect they’ll make an impact for us.”

One of those players is the multi-tasking, multi-talented senior captain, Karim Sawyer. In addition to playing on both sides of the ball as a starting wide receiver and cornerback, Sawyer also handles the team’s kick returning duties on both kickoffs and punts. “I don’t really have a favorite position,” Sawyer said. “I just want to help our team win so I’ll play wherever coach needs me.” In 2009, Sawyer scored touchdowns from all sides of the ball. He returned a kickoff and punt for touchdowns, returned an interception for one, and hauled in multiple touchdown catches. “I just go out there and play my heart out whenever I’m on the field,” Sawyer said with a grin. If Sawyer is the Raiders’ playmaker, senior Ross Kurtz is the team’s workhorse. A fellow captain, Kurtz is the heart of the Raiders’ running attack. In 2009 Kurtz racked up more than 1,000 yards rushing, solidifying his spot as the team’s primary back and team leader.

“I really love the opportunity to get the ball in my hands and put the team and the community on my shoulders,” Kurtz said. “I love playing under pressure and watching my friends and family when I score touchdowns. That’s what it’s all about for me.” Kurtz also plays safety on defense, adding him to the list of multi-talented players on this year’s roster. One game to mark on the Raider’s schedule is their Thanksgiving Day showdown with archrival South Brunswick. “It doesn’t matter if we’re 10-1 or 1-10, we have to beat South Brunswick,” Sawyer said confidently. “No question that’s the one game you have to win.” This season will mark the 36th Thanksgiving Day meeting between the two teams. The Raiders have the bragging rights after the team beat South Brunswick last season, something that Zielinski takes a great deal of pride in doing. “It’s a part of our program’s tradition, and [it’s a] New Jersey football tradition,” Zielinkski said. “One that we look forward to passing down to these players every season.”

Written By: Bill Green Photos By: Audrey Kerchner

It’s a relaxed atmosphere the Friday before the end of camp on the playing fields of South Plainfield High School. With a team barbecue at a local park to look forward to later that day, the Tigers form a strait line at practice’s end to head coach Phlip McGuane for individual assignments, criticism, and praise. “It’s time to get back on track,” McGuane said heartily. “We’re coming off back-to-back loosing seasons and right now we’re just focusing on getting our chemistry right.” To coach McGuane chemistry is everything but to the key players on the team, it’s just friendship. After reaching the state finals in 2007, the Tigers have hit snags in their previous two seasons, finishing 3-7 in 2008 and 1-9 last season. “We’ve been getting a great effort from our players so far,” McGuane said. “Defensively we’re ahead right now but eventually we should be well-rounded in all three phases [of the game].” One of those defensive anchors for

the Tigers is senior starting nose guard Arnell Smith. Smith is perhaps the team’s most intimidating player as far as looks go but under the helmet lies a passion for football that spans most of his life. Dating back to his Pop-Warner days, Smith has always taken the time to keep in shape outside of practice, no doubt leading to his current starting position and leadership role. “I just get after the quarterback every play,” Smith said. “I can never get enough sacks.” Another defensive standout for the Tigers is Randy Scuvic. After being out for the entire 2009 season due to injury, Scuvic returns for his senior season to anchor the Tiger’s secondary as the teams starting free safety. “I’ve been playing since I was little,” Scuvic said. “I love getting on the field and feeling the loudness and intensity of the crowd during big games.” Linebacker Troy McNair is sure to be one of the team’s captains this year. It will be McNair’s third season as starting running back and second at linebacker.

“Troy is a big part of our team,” McGuane said. “He’s been great for us the past few years.” McNair loves a lot of things about football. “I love the contact,” McNair said with a grin. “I love having the ball in my hands and scoring touchdowns to help our team win.” One team the Tigers are looking to beat this season is rival North Plainfield. Play against North Plainfield was suspended in 1985 until seven years ago. Since that time the Tigers have yet to post a win against their Thanksgiving Day foes but coach McGuane isn’t looking that far ahead. For him the team’s season opener against Manchester is the only game on their schedule. “Manchester will be a true test for us,” McGuane said. “They don’t try and trick you they just come out and hit you. We’ll find out a lot about our football team that day.”

Written By: Kevin Haslam Photos By: Sal Forgione

After a rocky 2009 season, which saw the Perth Amboy Panthers (4-6) fall victim to some close, tough losses, the team is looking to bounce back and be stronger than ever for the 2010 season. With losses to Colts Neck, North Brunswick, New Brunswick, Monroe, Edison, and J.P. Stevens last season, the Panthers’ determination could not defeat their frustration, head coach Mike Giordano said. This is Giordano’s fourth year coaching the Panthers. “The frustrating thing is that out of those six games, we lost five of them by a total of 30 points,” Giordano said. “We also had two touchdowns called

back that would’ve won ballgames for us. So, there were some heartbreaking losses.” The team did walk away with key victories at the end of the season against South Plainfield, Bayonne, and long-time rival Carteret on Thanksgiving to build momentum for this season. Key losses on and off the field have left the team with a new identity. With the loss of assistant coach Mike Parkhurst to budget cuts, Giordano was forced to move a freshman coach to the varsity level. Mike Tita will fill the hole that Parkhurst left.

“Matt Cumber, quarterback, outside linebacker, and punter [is our biggest loss]. He accounted for half of our offense,” Giordano said. Cumber set a school record last season against Bayonne with an 82-yard punt. “All around, losing those skills at quarterback might hurt us a little this year.” There is a battle for the quarterback position this season between juniors Fonzi Saucedo and Rashaad Adams. The coaches said Saucedo has the skills of a good drop-back, pocket passer while Adams is more successful in run-pass-option situations. Senior linebacker and fullback David Nieves, who is also a team captain, is not too concerned about the quarterback situation. “I don’t really care who starts. I just want a leader right now. They are both great athletes,” Nieves said. While the Panthers return to play South Plainfield, North Brunswick, New Brunswick, Marlboro, and Carteret again, they will also see some new teams on the schedule this year, including Colonia and Freehold Township. Giordano said Freehold Township is the most interesting game on the schedule and could be the team’s biggest challenge. Perth Amboy opens the season against Freehold at home Sept. 11. Despite all of this, Giordano believes this team is better than any Perth Amboy team he has ever seen, and that they have

enough talent to have a winning season, which the team has not had since the early 2000s. “I believe we have enough talent that we could challenge for the division title, which is something we’ve never won here. We also haven’t had a playoff berth,” Giordano said. “Those are our goals right now, and they are realistic and legitimate.” Overall, the team has a positive outlook for this season and believes it has the makeup to accomplish its goals. Senior captain Tyler Maisonet, a wide receiver and cornerback, is confident in the team’s chemistry. “Being back together, we know each other’s style of play, so it’s easy to tell what one another is going to do,” Maisonet said. “We just have that connection on the field.”

Written By: Kevin Haslam Photos By: Audrey Kerchner

Entering his seventh year of coaching at Rahway High School, coach Gary Mobley is confident in his 2010 team, which he considers to be a much different team than its 2009 counterpart. That team went 7-3 and just missed the playoffs. Although some of the leaders are returning this season, 17 seniors are missing from last year’s team. “Austin Pierre, who was a defensive tackle was a key loss,” Mobley said. “Giovanni Smith, our quarterback and tailback, rushed for 1,300 yards. That’s a big key loss. We had two great middle line-

backers, Chris Ellis and Anthony Arce both graduated, as well.” A 14-6 loss to Sommerville kept Rahway from going to the playoffs. However, a high note for this year may be the fact that both the Rahway Board of Education and local community have shown immense support for the team. Mobley hired two assistant coaches, Bill Bigone and Kenny Wiggins, something that not many other schools in the state were able to do. Several leaders from last year’s team

have returned and some promising newcomers have emerged as well. “Just to name a few, Urayon Garcia is a three-year starter for us at center. Osa Igbinosun is an offensive and defensive tackle,” said Mobley. “Keith Bumpas, a tight end and defensive end, is a leader and Tyler Bihlbauer is a newcomer who I really see shining,” Looking ahead to this year, Mobley foresees tough games across the board, but nothing that the Indians cannot overcome with the talent that they possess. “We feel like every game is a big game and we are going to give it our best. We did very well over the past few years,” Mobley said. “We have some great rivalry games, like Hillside, Governor Livingston, and Johnson. But the marquee and sexy picks are Summit and Westfield because of their playoff runs last year.” The team’s youth has shown throughout practices. Mobley said that the team’s youth and inexperience has contributed to a lack of focus.

“We have to stop committing what we consider silly mistakes,” Mobley said. “Once we have some more repetition under our belts as far as what we’re doing, it will become second nature so that we don’t make those mistakes.” Overall, Mobley’s expectations are very high for his team. “I’ve seen some really promising flashes of talent from guys all around, most importantly, flashes of being an all-out team,” Mobley said. “Great team play and great hustle [attribute to that].”

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Written By: Kevin Baumer Photos By: Audrey Kerchner

For new head coach Mike Adams and the Parsippany Red Hawks, there’s no where to go but up. The team is coming off a tough 0-10 season where they scored only 32 points and gave up 402. They haven’t won a game since Nov. 3, 2006 (a 21-13 win over Dover), a string of 31 consecutive losses. It’s a daunting task for Adams, who was an assistant with Parsippany last year, and his almost entirely new coaching staff, but he realizes change won’t come overnight. “The team has had a few struggling years so we’re just trying to get the numbers back up,” Adams said. “We’re looking to be back in competitive spirit, and we’re looking to be in a lot of games this year.

We’re trying to bring that whole mentality back. We have a different attitude. We’re making a lot of strides in order to go in the right direction.” Adams has seen some encouraging signs already from his new program. In previous years, Parsippany hasn’t been able to field three teams, a freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity squad, but this year enough kids have come out to fill each roster. Adams knows that a change of philosophy is imperative so he is switching from a spread offense to a double-wing and from a base 4-3 defense to a 4-4. So far, he’s been very pleased with how his players have adapted to the new systems.

“The kids are really starting to click and they’re understanding the basic principles of the offense and defense,” Adams said. “I think our style of offense and defense really works with the kids we have now. They just understand it a little bit better. It fits them and the type of players they are. It’s a little bit of an adjustment but they’re adapting pretty well.” Adams will count on several of his seniors to help lead the team back to respectability. Patrick Fales, a fullback and linebacker, Hantz Jean Francois a guard and linebacker, Patrick Merrill a quarterback and cornerback, and Joey Magnusson, a tight end and outside linebacker will be some of his most important players. “Fales is very tough and has a hard-nosed mentality,” Adams said. “Francois is a strength of our offensive because he’s been there before and has experience. Merrill has some experience running a different type of offense at quarterback but he’s a hard-

nosed player. He is more of a running style at quarterback, plus he’s a very solid cornerback on defense.” Adams is aware of his team’s limitations and is not expecting Parsippany to dominate right away. “We’re not going to be the biggest team,” he said. “Our speed and our toughness for all four quarters are going to be what determines us in games. “My expectations are not to focus all on the wins and losses. The wins will come, but we’re looking to control the ball, control the clock, be solid on defense, and really be in games and play out all four quarters. Those wins will come as long as we follow those guidelines.”

Written By: Kevin Baumer Photos By: Audrey Kerchner

The Scotch PlainsFanwood High School Raiders are hoping for a bounce-back season following last year’s disap-

pointing 2-8 record. Coach Steve Ciccotelli, who is in his 20th season with the Raiders, doesn’t attribute last year’s struggles to lack of talent or effort. Rather, a brutal schedule due to conference realignment was at fault. “It was just a tough year,” Ciccotelli said. “Our kids hung in there all year, evident by the end of the year when we played well down the stretch, but we can’t win everything. It wasn’t a lack of effort. Sometimes you play teams that are just better than you.” The Raiders’ schedule looks much more manageable this year, but the team will be without quarterback Gary Binkiewicz when they take

the field this season, their third on a beautiful FieldTurf surface. Binkiewicz graduated in June. The position is up for grabs, with juniors Brett Kovacs and Steven Alleman and senior Connor Thompson all in the mix for the starting job. They’ll be aided by talented senior wideouts Sean Coloney, Kyle Berwick and Moussa Channaoui. The Raiders can also count on tailback Quintin Blackwell to shoulder much of the load. He took over the starting job partway through last season and still rushed for more than 1,000 yards. It is safe to expect Blackwell to be the focal point of the team’s offensive attack, but Ciccotelli needs one of his quarterbacks to step up so that he can maintain flexibility on offense. “We go in with a game plan that we’re going to take what we can do against a team,” Ciccotelli said. “When you look at offensive

football, the defense can’t cover everything usually. Ideally, you’d like to establish the run, but if you can’t run you’d better be able to throw. We have to be able to have that balance.” Similarly on defense, Ciccotelli insists that his squad can’t be one- dimensional. He’ll deploy multiple eight-man fronts mixed with some seven-man fronts on passing downs. “We have to stop the run first,” Ciccotelli said. “If you can’t stop the run it’s going to be a long day, so that’s the first thing we’re going to try to do. If a team runs the ball and you can’t stop them they don’t have to throw it, but some teams just spread you out and throw it so we have to have the ability to do both.” As is often the case with veteran coaches, many wonder how much longer Ciccotelli intends to stick around. “Right now I’m still enthusiastic. I still love doing it. I’m going to enjoy the year and see what happens. Next year if I wake up and say this isn’t fun anymore then I’m not doing it,” Ciccotelli said. “But I was excited about starting practice; I’m excited about doing it. When that leaves me, then I have to question whether I should do it anymore.”

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By Joe Pietaro Photos by Luis Cova Last April was like a month-long Christmas morning for New York baseball fans. After the long wait for new ballparks for the Yankees and Mets, two retro-styled millionaire playgrounds arose from what were temporary construction sites in the Bronx and Queens, respectively. Through 81 home dates each, both clubs (and their fans) grew accustomed to their new surroundings. There were praises aplenty and even a few complaints, but for the most part, both were overwhelmingly successful. Perhaps the most glorious attribute that both stadiums paid to the game was the ‘Back To The Future’ look they share. This incarnation of The Stadium is more similar to the original 1923 ‘House That Ruth Built’ than the mid1970s renovated version. The Gate 4 entrance evokes memories of yesteryear with the Indiana limestone exterior and the façade is back in full form surrounding the roof from the interior. Because Fred Wilpon grew up in Brooklyn a die-hard Dodgers fan, the Mets owner had his new stadium pick up where the wrecking ball left off in 1961 at Ebbetts Field. The famous rotunda was back and it’s interior was dedicated to Jackie Robinson, one of the standouts from ‘Dem Bums.’ That was the story of last summer, and one that extended into the fall and another World Series championships for the Bombers. Of all

people, New Yorkers may be the most difficult to please. So what would be done for an encore? Perhaps the biggest complaint about Citi Field was that it was more of a tribute to the Brooklyn Dodgers than the Mets. The organization listened and made some modifications and additions during the offseason. Added were more Mets colors, banners and photos all throughout the stadium. The Mets Hall of Fame opened in April and is like a mini Cooperstown, Mets style.

CORNE Paying homage to the home team was never a problem at any incarceration of Yankee Stadium. This latest version is perhaps the most worthy in that aspect. The fact that ownership never had any intention of selling the naming rights to the highest corporate bidder proves that in itself. Although the majority has lauded the new digs, there are some purists that will always long for the original. “Give me Shea Stadium any day,” said Bellmore resident Todd Kutil, 50, who was taking in a Mets game with his three

teenage sons, Brett, Patrick and Timmy. “That was the first ballpark I ever went to as a kid and it was fine by me.” His boys have no problem with Citi Field, especially as they waited in line at its famous ‘Shake Shack.’ “This is a great place to watch a game,” 17-year-old Brett commented. “Shea was okay, but having a brand new stadium is much better. And adding more Mets memorabilia here was the right idea.”

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As far as changes this year at Yankee Stadium, they didn’t need to do much except add World Series champion banner number 27. Bomber fans already loved the place the way it was and that has transcended into the second time around. “This is the best place in baseball to go to a game,” said Brooklyn’s Joe Perricone, who has never been anything but a Yankees fan in his 41 years on earth. “We all love the original Yankee Stadium, but they have brought along a lot of the history across the street with them.” When asked about some of the highlights of the new Stadium, Perricone didn’t hesitate. “Monument Park and the façade,” he said. For fans like Perricone and the Kutils – or at least the younger generation for the latter – the calendar has read December 25th all summer long two consecutive years and counting.

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SPORT Sports Psychology

“The Secret to Team Building”

Establishing the essence of a team falls on the shoulders of the coach. It takes great skill and character to achieve team cohesion. Players often tend to grandstand, get jealous, demand attention or get lazy. And these problems don’t go away until they are addressed. Lack of team cohesion can easily destroy a season. So exactly how does one build a team into a fully functioning smooth running unit? This article addresses this issue.

“Team building is an art that all couches need to learn.”

W Coaching Staff:

We can learn much by studying the great coaches. Vince Lombardi was known for his toughness. Woody Hayes of Ohio State focused on preparation. Doc Counsilman, the famed Indiana University Swim coach, was known for his compassion and deep commitment to his swimmers. And UCLA’s John Wooden was a master teacher who was also strict and built character in his players. They were trained in politeness so well that they would leave the locker room spotless after every practice. He did this to teach them respect for their fellow man. The coach sets the tone and he or she alone is the one who will build a strong team. All great coaches are exceptional people with great passion, love of sport and integrity. But that is not all one needs to build a team.

“A coaches core values must be communicated to his team clearly and often.”

Problems and Threats to Team Cohesion: Despite the coaches’ best efforts to establish discipline, enthusiasm and core values things often go wrong. This produces frustration and anxiety in the coaching staff. Here are a few of the ways things go south.

Interpersonal issues like jealousy envy and cliques Lack of effort and laziness personal problems cause distraction Splitting of loyalties between coaching staff

Injury, Slumps

A player’s

TS Psy “Team rituals like dinners of pre-game talks bond the team together.”

T W

The Team Legacy, Tradition and History: Another factor in team building relates to its legacy. Players must be allowed to see the team’s history and its achievements. Go into the Yankee locker room and you will see trophies, banners and photos of past champions. The tradition of a team can serve to inspire, direct and motivate a team. A coach can encourage hustle during practice but visual reminders of what the team has done and what you expect is a subtle and effective way to keep the message in front of them at all times. It is yet another way to build team cohesion.

T Team Rituals:

There are many ways that a team can bond. We call this the team rituals and it includes team dinners, scavenger hunts, pre-game talks, team prayers, halftime talks and post game talks. Al Pacino captured the essence of an inspirational pre-game speech in the film Any Given Sunday. Al Pacino as Coach “Tony D’Amato gave an impassioned speech minutes before game time and rousing them to battle for ‘every inch.’ When a coach can speak from the heart like this it will bond the team. . The team captain is another important role. Every team has a captain who guides and inspires the team. They lead by example and the captain is usually the player that is admired the most by others but who does not produce jealousy. And if the team captain fails to be a selfless leader, the team will suffer. Other team rituals include pre-game dinners, and other bonding experiences on and off the field. While each team uses team rituals the unique way in which they do is critical in order to maintain a positive team dynamic. Research in the military shows that bonding is best in small groups of 3 – 6 men each and this strategy is now being used in college football. Teams are sent away to boot camp to instill trust and group bonding.

What to Do to Build a Team: When you look to answers it is easy to see that a key ingredient that cures this issue is open communication. Coach Coughlin of the NY Giants turned his tenure around when he put into effect ‘The President’s Counsel’ where his top players had a chance to air grievances with him. Communication takes time but it’s worth it in the end. Every great coach does two things well. They spell out their rules and expectations clearly and say what needed to be said. And they also are able to listen to what players have to say. Great coaches talk openly and with respect and they listen carefully to their players.

Team building is a great art. It is one of the unchartered and under researched areas in sport but one that is key to winning. The intensity of team sports is unmatched. You can have peak moments nearly every game. But the problems inherent in team life are huge as well. Clear rules, solid values, team rituals and open communication are the pillars of great coaching. Best of luck with the season and enjoy it all. Bio; Dr Tom Ferraro is a noted Sport Psychologist based on Long Island who works with has worked with teams and individual athletes for twenty years. Carly Schwartz is a sport psychology intern attending William Smith College. They can be reached at (516) 248-7189 or at drtferraro@aol.com

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SPORT Sports Psychology

“The Secret to Team Building”

“Team building is an art that all couches need to learn.”

W Coaching Staff:

“A coaches core values must be communicated to his team clearly and often.”

Interpersonal issues like jealousy envy and cliques Lack of effort and laziness personal problems cause distraction Splitting of loyalties between coaching staff

Injury, Slumps

A player’s

TS Psy “Team rituals like dinners of pre-game talks bond the team together.”

T W

T Team Rituals: