Suffolk County Athletic Trainers Association (SCATA) is proud to present our first fundraiser on March 26th, 2017 at Cathedral Pines County Park (116 Yaphank Middle Island Road) in Middle Island NY, 11953.
Each Athletic Trainer in Suffolk County has a special and unique relationship with his/her community. We are asking that you come out and support your Athletic Trainer today and participate in the 1st Annual SCATA “Fund” Run/Walk to promote SCATA’s scholarship fund.
Much like the saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it takes special people to make Section XI such a great place for our student-athletes.
The dedication of our coaches, commitment by the athletic administrators, passion of the fans, support of the families and efforts of our student-athletes are all a part of this formula. While it nearly impossible to single out individuals who have led these efforts there are some that leave lasting impressions.
Section XI recently lost one of those individuals. Charles McGuckin’s passing this week, while sad, leaves both lasting memories and an appreciation of what Charlie meant to Section XI.
Charlie served as the Director of Athletics for the Half Hollow Hills School District from 1976 to 1988. Following his work at HHH, Charlie moved on to Section XI and continued to serve the student-athletes of Suffolk County as its Assistant Director from 1988 to 1992.
Cathy Gallagher, the Executive Director for Section XI from 1982 to 2003, said, “Charlie was a special man! He was a colleague whom I knew as an Athletic Director, Football Chairman, Section XI Board Member, Section XI President and then as the Section XI Assistant Director. Most importantly, he was my friend. He was a compassionate human being devoted to his family, friends and football! We can be proud that he served Section XI so well!”
Longtime Section XI Legal Counsel Kevin Seaman describes Charlie as, “having had all the character, presence, poise and genuineness,” needed to be not only a great person, but a great leader.
Personally, Charlie was a great mentor, role model, colleague and friend. His efforts to make our Section the best possible were always his priority and the students were always the focus.
Charlie we will miss you! We thank you for your dedication and commitment and please know that your positive impact and contributions will continue to be felt by the past, present and future student-athletes of Suffolk County.
Tom Combs has been selected as the new Executive Director of Section XI. He was selected by the Section XI Executive Board and his tenure will begin on July 1, 2017.
Combs will replace Don Webster, who is retiring from the post he has held since 2014.
“I am extremely excited and honored to be the next Executive Director of Section XI,” said Combs, who has served as the Director of Athletics, Physical Education, Health and Health Services of the Patchogue-Medford School District since 2003. “I follow some great individuals who came before me, and I can only hope that I live up to their expectations. Together with our staff, we will continue to make Section XI one of the best high school athletic associations, not only in New York, but in the country.”
Combs, who will retire from his role with Patchogue-Medford at the end of the 2016-2017 school year and step into his new position, has worked collaboratively with Section XI on a number of committees over the years, including the Tournament, Seed, Athletic and Finance committees. He has also previously served as the President of the Suffolk County Athletic Directors Association.
Combs began his career as a physical education teacher and coach in the Gallipolis City School District in Gallipolis, Ohio in 1980. After three years, he moved back home to Long Island and taught and coached in Patchogue-Medford from 1983-1990 before teaching and coaching in the Harborfields Central School District from 1990-2003.
A graduate of Ashland College with a Bachelor’s of Science in physical education and health, Combs attended Stony Brook University for a Master’s of Science in health education, and his professional diploma in school district administration.
A successful football coach for a number of years, Combs is a member of the Harborfields High School Hall of Fame, the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Smithtown School District Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a football coach at Harborfields, Combs won two Rutgers Trophy’s in 1995 and 1996, as well as two Long Island crowns and five county titles.
“Tom brings great leadership to his new role as the Executive Director of Section XI,” said Webster. “His experience, commitment and dedication to the student-athletes, coaches, athletic administrators and fans of Suffolk County will continue to move us forward in our mission of providing positive, enjoyable athletic experiences for all. I wish Tom much success and look forward to working with him over the next few months to assist him in any way possible.”
Combs will be just the sixth person to serve as Executive Director of Section XI since 1966.
Section XI Executive Director Lineage
• W. Homer Ball, 1966-1973
• Joseph J. Barlin, 1973-1982
• Catherine D. Gallagher, 1982 – 2003
• Edward A. Cinelli, 2003 -2014
• Donald F. Webster, 2014 – 2017
• Thomas J. Combs, tenure beings July 1, 2017
Learn more about at SectionXI.org, Facebook.com/SectionXI, on Twitter @SectXISuffolk or Instagram @SectXISuffolk.
Clarence “Foots” Walker was a major attraction on the east end of Long Island. At a time when high school basketball served as major entertainment for school-aged youth, and an outlet for a community to pour their passion, Walker was a sight to see.
Most who had the pleasure of watching him play knew he would major it at the highest level. By 1974 he was in the league and spent 10 years playing in the NBA, six of which were in Cleveland and the last four in New Jersey.
Walker, a star at Southampton High School, is the first player in Cleveland history to record a triple-double. Nowadays you can see something like that almost every night with the likes of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love.
He averaged 6.7 points and 4.7 assists per game throughout his career.
To run a successful athletic department, it takes a team of people who are committed to providing the best experience for our students. The athletic departments in many schools and communities are the most visible as evidenced by the fact our teams can be found daily in Newsday or weekly in local papers, on MSG Varsity or News 12, as well as social media and online with the results and standings on the Section XI website.
Because of the high visibility of high school athletics, very often school and community pride are often tied to the success of the athletic teams.
As a former coach I truly believe that great players make great coaches and that we should lead by example. As an athletic director I believe a great supporting staff makes a great athletic department and that collectively we must all lead by example in everything we do and model behavior for our student-athletes. I want my staff to understand we are all part of a team and a common goal, which is to provide the best experience for our student-athletes.
One of the most important aspects of our job if not the most is to hire the best staff possible. I am fortunate in that I am surrounded by many outstanding coaches, administrative assistant, athletic trainer, nurse, school physician, transportation staff and grounds and custodial crew who all play a role everyday in success of the athletic department. Collectively we strive to create the best athletic experience first and foremost for our student-athletes, their parents and the Southampton community. When hiring coaches, it is imperative that the coach understands my philosophy as well as the district philosophy at each level of the interscholastic athletic program. This philosophy provides the guiding document that coaches adhere to when running their programs.
One of many roles as athletic director is to mentor and provide guidance for new coaches and help them to develop to be the best he/she can be and make sure our student-athletes have a positive experience. Aside from being knowledgeable about the sport, one of the critical characteristics I look for is for the coach to be athlete centered and an ability to connect with kids. I want coaches who are reflective in their jobs and are looking for ways to become better professionally and to keep the finding ways to make their program better.
For me without a doubt, my team MVP is my administrative assistant who handles all the day to day operations. It is impossible to list everything she does every day and to put into words just how valuable she is to me. She is a true team player and does whatever it takes to get the job done. Having a go to person you can count on to get things done and who always has your back is invaluable to an Athletic Director.
In addition to the coaches, the athletic trainer, school nurse and school physician are an integral part of the athletic program. They all play a vital role in getting our athletes safely back on field while managing the daily communication with parents, doctors, and the coaches. I along with my coaches value what our medical team does every day and how they put the health and safety our student-athletes first which is way more important than the outcome of any game.
Our games and contests could not be played each day without our grounds crew and custodians making sure the fields and facilities are ready for play and all set up. Our daily communication ensures we are all on the same page with the home games and we all know who is playing on what field. Our transportation department and bus drivers do a fantastic job everyday making sure our teams get to where they need to be on time.
In addition having a supportive principal and assistant principal, along with superintendent and board of education, who all value the athletic department and the experiences we provide for our student-athletes makes for a success athletic team.
During my 16 years at Southampton I feel we have cultivated a great staff who collectively all contribute every day to making sure our student-athletes have a positive experience in their participation in the athletic program at Southampton. It is impossible to do this job successfully without being surrounded by a great team and I am thankful to have such a fantastic group of people that I get to work with everyday who put our kids first.
Darren Phillips is the Director of Athletics of the Southampton Union Free School District.
Mets pitcher and Suffolk County native Steve Matz held a pitching clinic at his alma mater last week.
The “Meet the Matz” clinic was a big hit for local kids and youth coaches.
Ward Melville alum and new Mets prospect Anthony Kay was also on hand, as well as Ward Melville coaches, Lou Petrucci and Ron Muscarella.
Section XI football chair Tim Horan says the, “Tommy Tough Standards have had the greatest single positive impact on player safety in the past 25 plus years!”
And when you combine the Tommy Tough Standards with the newly implemented ‘Player Contact Limitation’ guidelines, the officials/coaches sideline management, the introduction of new helmet technology, the greater awareness and diagnosis of head injuries/concussions, and the improvement in return to play protocols, risks are significantly reduced for football players.
Through the vision of the Cutinella family and the stakeholders of Suffolk County football, Section XI designed and implemented the Tommy Tough Football Standards this past year, in an effort to minimize risks for players. This has resulted in the most profound positive culture shift in a sport in decades and significantly reduced risks for all Section XI football players. This culture change would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of Section XI and the Section XI athletic directors, coaches, officials, parents and spectators.
Through the educational and awareness program embedded in the Tommy Tough Standards, all stakeholders are providing vital support in providing a comprehensive program that minimizes risks for all players. Athletic directors are coordinating professional development opportunities for their football coaches; football coaches are learning and teaching current techniques designed to minimize risks for players; officials are empowered to make safety related calls; players, spectators and parents are being educated and embracing their role in minimizing risks. In addition, officials are educating 100% of the players prior to each contest about their shared responsibility to minimize risks for themselves and their opponent; coaches are educating parents at preseason meetings; communities are making public address ‘player safety announcements’ during games; and players are learning the definition of player fouls such as targeting, defenseless player hits and illegal helmet contact, rather than leaving it up to chance. With the newly introduced Tommy Tough Football Standards, when a player is called for targeting, illegal helmet contact and/or a defenseless player hit, they must be removed from the game for a minimum of 1 play, in addition to the penalty yardage.
USA Football, endorsed by the NYSPHSAA, provides a comprehensive workshop designed to teach football coaches current ‘best practices’ and has been an important partner of Section XI in the effort to minimize risks for players. They continue to update their curriculum annually and provide professional development opportunities which train coaches to be a ‘Player Safety Coach.’ In 2016, thanks to a grant from the NY Jets, the large majority of Section XI and Section VIII football programs have had coaches receive this training and distinction. Both counties look forward to attending future USA Football trainings.
The Tommy Tough Standards are in memory of Thomas Cutinella, who was a son, a brother, a nephew, a friend and a student athlete in the Shoreham Wading River community, who tragically died on October 2, 2014 from playing football. Tommy was a bright light in the SWR community. He was intelligent, athletic and a leader in his community, who wanted to attend West Point and serve his country. The Tommy Tough Standards are one important way Thomas Cutinella continues to serve us all. It’s a tribute to the way he lived his life and now it’s a tribute to Tommy on how he continues to serve us all.
There have been countless former Suffolk County student-athletes who have gone on to serve our country since the turn of the 20th century.
Section XI will be honoring veterans from the area with occasional posts. Look out for them on SectionXI.org, and our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
First up is Algy Augunas, who played baseball at Bay Shore High School and graduated in 1939. He died tragically during World War II and his story received considerable press at the time.
Algy became the radio operator on the B-29, “Mission to Albuquerque.
As radio operator, Algy was awarded Medals of Commendation for his stead fast guidance while escorting damaged or crippled planes home to Saipan, or if they had to ditch after bombing missions over Japan relaying rescue information.
Algy was born and raised in Bay Shore, New York, on Long Island. He graduated from high school in 1939, where he excelled in his passion-baseball. A hot-hitting shortstop, he was admired as a leader and play maker by his teammates and coaches, and may have been one of the best ball players to ever graduate from Bay Shore High School.
After high school, Algy continued his playing career at High Point College in North Carolina and the University of South Carolina. He also attended Babe Ruth’s Baseball School in Florida, before signing a professional contract with the Gloversville, New York Club.
Algy went to work for the Republic Aviation Corp., where he continued to play baseball on a traveling team.The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor put his baseball career on hold indefinitely.
Like millions of other young men, he wanted to get into the fight. He enlisted in the Army on 1 February 1943, and he went off to war volunteering for the Air Corp.
Algy accomplished everything asked of him in the Army, and qualified as a radio operator.
In the summer of 1944, he joined a B-29 crew that was to be led by A/C Major Robert Fitzgerald. Upon final completion of their training, Algy and the crew left for the Pacific via Sacramento, Hawaii, and Kwajalein, and arrived on Saipan in early November, 1944. This crew would prove to be outstanding. Their airplane garnered the nickname of the “St. Bernard”, due to the number of damaged or crippled B-29’s escorted home to Saipan after their bombing missions.
Algy’s story is one of interesting consequences, that are now remembered by historic proportions. His memory and honor will never be forgotten.
Northport native Allie Long is quickly becoming one of the best soccer players in America and has her sights set on being one of the top in the world.
A member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Long scored her first two international goals in 2016.
She has been a member of the Portland Thorn’s FC of the National Women’s Soccer League since 2013. She has planed on a handful of other professional teams both domestically and internationally as well.
In college she helped the University of North Carolina win a National Championship.
At Northport she was a two-time Suffolk County Player of the Year.
CLICK HERE to read more about Long in a recent Newsday profile!
