A Change in the Line-up for Scarsdale Athletics: Four Coaches to be Replaced this Year

When the bell rings at 2:55 on a typical day at Scarsdale High School, athletes take to the locker room. If there is an away game, they will hustle to the bus, juggling a backpack heavy with books, a sports bag, and hands full of equipment as they jump on the school bus with shoes half on. From the first pep talk as the players settle on the bus to the bus' return from a sectional game an hour away, players spend up to five hours under the responsibility and leadership of their coach. Raiders demand high standards for the adult role models who spend hours with athletes every day of the season of a beloved game in the most formative years of their lives.

Perhaps some of the coaches were not meeting these expectations. For the Raiders boys' lacrosse, boys' hockey, softball, baseball teams, overall records, individual honors, successes in sectionals masked underlying tensions with questionable coaching. This month, the district announced that four varsity coaches were not reinstated for the 2016-2017 year.

Ray Pappalardi has just finished his first year at SHS as Athletic Director. Pappalardi was welcomed to the district in the fall, and immediately established a presence, frequenting home matches of all sports. To a student-athlete, his appearance at matches late into the afternoon hours and eagerness to speak with athletes directly demonstrated a refreshing dose of respect for students that many athletes did not see until their senior year. Pappalardi worked throughout the year to do his research on Scarsdale's coaching corps, establishing an annual evaluation process.

While school officials can only give vague explanations for the coaching changes that will affect student-athletes personally in their high school athletic careers, some athletes were willing to share some of their experiences with their coaches from their most recent seasons.

Jim Mancuso coached varsity hockey for 25 years and led the Raiders to sectional championships and semifinals in NYSPHSAA in 2014 and 2015, two exciting seasons not only for players but for the entire school. Many students made the trip to Utica to watch "Ders Puck" compete in the late stages of the tournament. Some parents complained that Mancuso personally targeted their sons, calling them slow for example. Other parents were upset that their son was cut from the team even though he made the team in the past. Captain Stephen Nicholas '16 was upset by Mancuso's removal and defended his coaching techniques. He believes Mancuso was a strong leader whose intentions were always in the best interests of the players, and pointed out not only their strengths but also weaknesses, which some kids were not prepared to hear. Nicholas says Mancuso should not have been fired at all; he was doing his best to be honest with players and may have expected varsity hockey player to react more maturely to criticism.

Boys' lacrosse coach Brendan Curran resigned on August 3 for "personal reasons." One of his players, who asked not to be named, was willing to share his thoughts on this season's coaching. Some parents did not like Curran's coaching style, which has been described as manipulative, inflexible, and arrogant. Curran created friction with parents during the Jewish holidays when the players were expected to be home to eat with their families, but were kept late after practice to run. Parents were enraged that their children were late to an important holiday dinner even though they advised Curran about the conflict weeks in advance. The player noted that Curran chose favorites and did not treat all players with equal respect.

Dave Scagnelli, known by students and athletes as Scags, coached high school sports for 25 years. He will not return to his positions as Varsity B soccer coach, J.V. girls' basketball coach, and Varsity softball coach in 2016-2017. One softball player, who asked not to be named, gave reasons for Scags' dismissal. During winter workouts, he invited girls from other towns that were part of his off-season tournament team, which was a legal concern since insurance paperwork was not completed for them to play in the Scarsdale gyms. Pappalardi warned Scagnelli, but he continued in direct violation of the AD. Though tension with the administration was already high Scags had the team bus stop to pick up his son from the side of the street on the way back from an away game.

A soccer player, who asked not to be named, added that Scags prioritized softball over his Varsity B soccer team, which made many of the girls feel insignificant and contemplate quitting the sport altogether. During a grueling week of morning and afternoon tryout sessions, many girls were moved from the intense Varsity A tryouts to the B team, where they immediately saw a difference in their training session. For girls that play in old, oversized boys' jerseys instead of women's cut uniforms, Scags, according to some, exacerbated feelings of inferiority in these hardworking student-athletes. By taking phone calls during practice, ending practice early, and cancelling Saturday practices for his softball commitments, he signaled to players that they were not his first priority.

David "Doc" Scholl was the varsity baseball coach for 24 years until the district decided not to reinstate him this month. In a letter Scholl wrote to parents and players, he stated the main reason was that he did not "practice what he preached" and that he prioritized wins over the development of young individuals. Some parents complained that if Scholl really cared about his players, he would start them on "Senior Day." Scholl claims he "looked up the definition of what Senior Day means" before he established a senior day for the program five years ago. According to Scholl, the definition he found, from a source he did not name, is "a celebration before, at halftime, or after the game." Scholl asserts his right to build a lineup of winning players that will get the job done, whether it is senior game or the section final.

Another reason Scholl gave for his removal was that he has been accused of mishandling a situation where a player violated the athletic Code of Conduct. Scholl's response to allegations that he did not handle a Code of Conduct situation properly was absolutely unclear: "My question to the district was, how can I run a program if no one is going to reinforce the code that was established by the district." The athletic Code of Conduct is widely respected as a necessary foundation for the athletic integrity, pride, and tradition that makes Scarsdale Athletics great.

One graduating baseball player said he was surprised, confused, and disappointed to hear Scholl had been fired. He believes the cited reasons, such as insufficient use of video analysis, were insufficient for removal. Scholl defended his tactics, citing a Journal News article written about himself and his use of video analysis. For further evidence he points to his work with an app called "The Hudl-Technique" where he analyzes videos of players from across the country. He says he likes to do things his own way, and points to one of his former players who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates for proof.

Each of these cases seems to raise the question of whether coaches ought to value player development over results and to what extent they expected to strike a balance between the two. There is a fine line between coaching a winning team and being a supportive and instructive leader, and coaches face a tough challenge in deciding the way they want to present themselves to players and parents and the reputation they cultivate in Scarsdale. Should a coach tell a player he is too slow for the level of play, that he is a weak link in their defense, at the cost of a teenager's confidence? Does he have a duty to give honest feedback that may be initially hurtful, but will foster development and improvement? How far should he go to push the player to the next level, not only for the good of the Varsity team, but in the name of improving the player's chances of a college athletic offer and enhancing their skills for play on a competitive club team in the off season? Parents, coaches, players, and administration often disagree on the extent of a coach's involvement and every player may react differently to the classic debate over the benefits of "constructive criticism." In my opinion, regardless of the challenges these coaches face in establishing their identities as coaching professionals, student-athletes who rush out of the classroom to get ready for a game, deserve a coach who respects their time and commitment above all else.

Carly Glickenhaus is a 2016 graduate of Scarsdale High School. She played Varsity Soccer and will attend Georgetown in the fall.