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04/09/2014 12:00 AMAfter fitting in perfectly during his first year as a physical education teacher at Valley Regional, Mike Misseri figures to slide in nicely on the diamond this spring with the Warriors.
Following teaching health and physical education at various stops around the state, Mike came on as an instructor for the same two subjects this year at Valley. While he has experience coaching slow-pitch softball in Rocky Hill, Mike now gets to display his knowledge of the game on the high school circuit as the new assistant coach for Warriors' softball.
"The school was looking for a new assistant coach to help the team progress and they asked me about my experience in softball," says Mike. "We discussed that and my knowledge of the mechanics of pitching so they saw that, plus seeing me in the classroom with my teaching skills, and they liked me. We have a strong team and I'm glad to be a part of this."
Mike feels that preaching the correct mindset is crucial to coaching and is additionally a proponent of having his student-athletes build upon a solid base of essential techniques.
"I believe that both attitude and effort are the core of all team sports. You have to have the right attitude and give 100 percent effort," Mike says. "I'm also big on starting with teaching them the basics as a foundation that builds up the house and makes the team stronger. The girls are allowed to work off their basic skills, go from there, and progress."
As both an educator and coach, Mike feels that the moments when the kids prevail in either school or sports are tremendous, especially when they swiftly apply lessons learned in the field.
"Being a teacher, to see the students succeed is one of the greatest things about being a teacher," says Mike. "Also, the moments when they do something you teach them during a game without thinking and with muscle memory is a great feeling. Even in the first five or six practices, it's great to see how they get the catching and running mechanics."
The two-layer relationship Mike has with the girls in and out of the baselines, along with his dugout experience, were enough for Valley Athletic Director Jeff Swan to make the final call.
"Mike has done coaching in the past and he is very knowledgeable of the game," says Swan. "I love hiring teachers as coaches because they are well-liked by the kids. The girls like him and there is solidarity between him, the girls, and [Head Coach] Ken Wilson."
That strong rapport Swan speaks of is already evident in preseason preparations as the skippers and seniors have been coming together to make everyone feel right at home.
"The meetings and practices have gone very well. This is a good, tight-knit group of girls. The seniors have also been doing a great job of holding together a safe, nice environment while keeping everything open and fun," Mike says. "Ken and I also have similar ideals so we are able to get down to the fundamentals with them."
Coach Wilson reports that he appreciates what Mike brings to the table in terms of his expertise and grasp of intangibles.
"Mike is a very welcome addition to the softball program this year. I am very happy to have him aboard, as are the players. Although Mike has limited experience as a high school softball coach, what he lacks in experience he will make up in learning, energy, and enthusiasm," says Wilson. "Much like me, he practices positive reinforcement to the players and is a second set of hands and eyes on the field. Valley has been building the softball program up over the last two years and it is very nice to finally have an assistant coach to assist in the rebuilding process. He is very well-liked by the players and is enjoying the role of being an assistant coach. We are both looking forward to working together this season and bringing Valley softball to a new level."
Mike aims to help the Warriors hone their talents, yet he is also geared toward aiding Valley's quest to claim a postseason bid-something the squad missed out on by just one victory last spring.
"In the short term, I want to work on helping the players build their skills on both sides of the ball, but long term, I want to see us win more games to make the Shoreline and state tournaments and let people know that we have a program here," says Mike, who thanks his father Salvatore, Rocky Hill football Head Coach David Coyne, and former Terriers' wrestling coach Ken DeStefanis, along with Dave Anderson. "I'm optimistic. We have girls with a lot of great skills. Time will tell, but they work really hard with everything."