For the CRHS Eagles Voice, I talked to our varsity basketball coaches about their opinions on their upcoming season. I interviewed boys varsity coach, Coach Clemente, and girls varsity coach, Coach Torsiello. 

Coach Torsiello:

What team will you be coaching this year?

I will be coaching the varsity girls’ basketball team.

What is your experience with coaching?

This will be my first year coaching the girls at the varsity level after coaching boys junior varsity basketball for seven years.

What made you want to become a coach?

I wanted to share my passion for basketball and be a role model for young student-athletes. I feel all athletics can be valuable tools to teach important life lessons about accountability, respect, hard work, humility, and perseverance.

Are you optimistic about your team’s season this year?

I am. We, as coaches, were lucky to inherit a strong program with excellent student-athletes.

What are some struggles you or your team may face this season?

Being a varsity head coach is very different from being an assistant coach. There are more administrative responsibilities to be addressed, and the overall direction of the program on and off the court is yours.

What is one goal you have for this season?

To create a culture of hard work and responsibility within the program, from the top down.

Will COVID or COVID restrictions be affecting your team this season?

Masks will be worn by all team members and coaches on the bench, which is not different from last year, but clearly different from prior to the pandemic.

What are some expectations you have for players on your team?

To show up each day ready to put the team first, to work hard, and to have a strong belief in themselves and their teammates to succeed as a group.

What are your core values as a coach, your morals when it comes to coaching?

I believe that doing what is best for the student-athletes, whether it be as athletes, students, or people should be the overriding guide in any situation.

What is a tactic you plan to use when it comes to managing playing time for players?

Student-athletes are given the opportunity to prove they deserve more playing time in practice every day. So to that, I don’t think we as coaches determine playing time as much as the student-athletes do. That said, in-game situations always dictate substitutions.

Overall, Coach Torsiello seems to be optimistic about this upcoming season and a confident, passionate coach. 

Coach Clemente

What team will you be coaching this year?

The varsity boys’ basketball team. 

What is your experience with coaching?

This will be my 7th year as the varsity head basketball coach at CR. Before that I coached basketball at Toms River North for 5 years, and I was the top assistant coach at Moravian College for 3 seasons. 

What made you want to become a coach?

Coaching basketball is something I grew up with, as my father was the head basketball coach at CR for 33 years. When I completed my playing career in college I wanted to be able for my passion for the game to rub off on others. Seeing athletes grow and mature both on & off the court is something that is very rewarding as well. 

Are you optimistic about your team’s season this year?

I am always very optimistic about our teams coming into the season. We return 5 players from a team that won the division last year, so expectations are high.

What are some struggles you or your team may face this season?

With any sport there will be adversity that you run into at some point in the season. I like to have my teams as mentally and physically prepared to handle any situation that may occur in a positive and constructive manner. 

What is one goal you have for this season?

Our main goal for this season is to really come together as a team and to put ourselves in a position to compete for championships.

Will COVID or COVID restrictions be affecting your team this season?

We will adhere to any NJSIAA & school restrictions that are placed on indoor sports. Our main focus is to keep each player in our program as safe as possible, but also to really enjoy the sport that we are competing in. 

What are some expectations you have for players on your team?

We expect our players to be students-athletes, making sure they act the right way and excel in the classroom. I expect all of the players in our program to work hard every day and put the team first.

What are your core values as a coach, your morals when it comes to coaching?

I use something called the Golden Eagle way with my program. There are 12 steps that we talk about on a daily basis. They include; Being Committed (to your academics, to having class, to doing the right thing, to the program, to hard work, to becoming a smart player, to our TEAM attitude concept, and to having a winning attitude), also Believing In (our system of play, in yourself, in your teammates, & in your coaches). 

What is a tactic you plan to use when it comes to managing playing time for players?

I am a firm believer that the players that want it the most and play the hardest will be the ones that are on the court. Basketball is a great teacher about life and the more someone earns something, the more it will prepare them to succeed in life outside of basketball.

Coach Clemente seems to have a great attitude for the season.