Joseph Picone has always been dedicated to coaching basketball, with his coaching career dating back to when his children, who are now grown, played in travel leagues. This year, he is serving as the girl’s varsity basketball coach.
Last season, Mr. Picone was a volunteer assistant coach for the team after some of his old players asked if he could coach them at the high school level. He then spoke with Director of Physical Education, Health & Athletics Suzanne Lendzian to see if there was a way for him to get involved.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Mr. Picone, when asked about how he feels having his old players request him to coach them at the varsity level. “It’s a great feeling to know that when they were younger, that I helped them and maybe made a difference on how they played the game. That they were happy with that and they look for me to come back and help coach here.”
Mr. Picone has plenty of previous experience coaching basketball, with 12 years coaching Christian Youth Organization (CYO) and three years coaching Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).
This season, Mr. Picone is focusing on having the team learn the fundamentals of the game, since they are playing at a higher level. Many of the players are underclassmen and new to the challenges of competing at the varsity level.