John Wooden, legendary coach of the championship UCLA basketball team in the 1960s and 1970s, considered himself more than just someone who taught his players X's and O's. In his own words, Wooden saw his role in working with young people as a "sacred trust helping to mold character, instill productive principles and values, and provide a positive example to those under my supervision."

The Carle Place Athletic Booster Club (CPABC) recently acknowledged the important role played by middle school and high school coaches in the Carle Place School District at a Coaches Appreciation Dinner. Parents, school administrators and school board members were on hand to celebrate the tireless efforts of the district's coaches. Thirty coaches representing the district's various sports programs attended the dinner which was held at Brindisi's restaurant in Jericho

Suellen Blum, president of CPABC, extended her appreciation, on behalf of the school community, thanking "all the coaches, assistant coaches, custodians, and groundskeepers who make the athletic program so successful." Special thanks were also offered to Janet Conlon, the school nurse, and Debbie Iraci, administrative assistant to the athletic director, for their contributions.

The evening was highlighted by veteran teacher and varsity football coach Ralph Capozzi, who shared his views on the kind of attitude that makes for a good coach. Coach Cappozi said, "a good coach gets more out of his athletes by genuinely caring for them and for asking for nothing in return but their best effort. A good coach shows both compassion and toughness, holding his athletes, as representatives of the team, accountable for all their actions both on and off the court. A good coach is passionate about the sport he or she is coaching but not to the extent that winning is everything. A good coach teaches his athletes how to win gracefully and that sportsmanship is more important than wins or losses. A good coach teaches his athletes about the value of hard work and being prepared, about effort, about giving, and about the importance of the team over any one individual on the team."

The CPABC is a membership organization dedicated to supporting the coaches, student-athletes, and sports programs of the Carle Place School District through the provision of financial as well as non-financial help. CPABC's next scheduled event will be a spring dance on Saturday, April 27 at Our Lady of Hope Church in Carle Place.