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08/25/2016 12:00 AMFrank Forgione always had a calming influence on Branford Senior Legion baseball as an assistant coach, which is why the team’s athletes affectionately gave him the nickname “Uncle Frank.”
Frank joined Post 83 in 2012 and helped skipper Rich Balzano in a variety of ways, whether it was coaching first base, helping the infielders with their mechanics, or giving Balzano some advice on lineup decisions. However, Frank may have made his biggest impact with the way he used his even-keeled demeanor to help Branford’s players stay composed in crunch-time. Together, they’ve won plenty of ballgames and experienced a ton of success that includes four Zone 2 crowns, a state championship, plus one Northeast Regional title.
“Let’s just say that on Post 83 there was a good cop and a bad cop and I was not the good cop,” Balzano jokes. “Frank was capable of calmly communicating what the players needed to do and how they needed to get something done, while the other coaches were a little more animated. Frank was a calm, collected mentor and the kids took to his approach very well. He had a settling effect with his ability to communicate and give them directions in a way that didn’t make them feel uncomfortable. That’s a rare quality that not a lot of coaches have and he did it well.”
Frank, 59, grew up in Branford and played football, ice hockey, and baseball for Hopkins, after which he continued his baseball career at Amherst College in Massachusetts, where Frank played third base and also captained the club in his senior year. Frank later earned his Juris Doctorate degree by completing law school at UConn and also received a master’s in social work. He’s worked as the probate judge in North Branford for 26 years and has additionally held that capacity in Branford since the districts were combined six years ago. On top of that, Frank has spent the past 12 years as a judge for the children’s probate court in New Haven.
Frank began his coaching career in 2003, when one of his friends from college who worked at Choate suggested that he try to join its baseball program. Frank was a JV assistant for six years and then spent three seasons as the JV head coach and a varsity assistant at North Branford. Frank’s daughter Kate was the baseball team’s manager and his nephew Mike Forgione competed on the squad. Meanwhile, Mike was a member of Branford’s American Legion program, as was Frank’s other nephew Tyler. Knowing that Frank had a vast baseball background, as well as an excellent reputation in the community, Balzano asked him to join Post 83’s coaching staff four years ago and Frank was eager to jump aboard.
“I was absolutely honored to be asked to join such a program,” Frank says. “I knew Rich. He’s a great guy, a tremendous coach, and his record speaks for itself, and to be able to join that program on the coaching staff to me was tremendous. It was an obvious decision to make and I don’t think I hesitated for a second.”
Frank says that he’s simply done what comes naturally as a coach and feels that his master’s in social work helped him learn how to interact with people in a way that’s encouraging and helpful. Of course, Frank has always focused on helping Branford’s athletes perform their best on the field, but he’s also enjoyed giving them advice on how to maximize their potential outside of the diamond. Frank says he gets great satisfaction whenever he sees someone he’s coached a few years down the road.
“When you love sports and see how sports have molded and helped young people throughout their lives, you hope to have a positive impact and teach them to not only become better athletes, but better human beings. As adults, we have a lot of life experience and the ballplayers are interested in what we do, so we talk to them about life, employment opportunities, how to go about getting into college, and how to conduct themselves and be productive citizens,” says Frank, who lived in North Branford for 25 years and currently resides in Branford. “When I run into young men off the baseball field, it’s great to hear what they’ve done with their lives and know that you’ve played a small role in their development. I’m happy for them that they’re doing great things and are doing the things they want to do and believe they can do.”
On the field, nothing made Frank happier than when Post 83 went undefeated in Zone 2 on its way to winning state and Northeast Regional championships in 2013. The latter title earned Branford a trip to compete among the nation’s elite eight teams in the American Legion World Series.
“I was extremely grateful to be a part of a special group of young men with great heart and desire. To be there with them every step of the way was an amazing feeling,” Frank says. “To be able to stand on the base line with 7,500 people in the stands [at the World Series] and they play the national anthem and you have your hand over your chest and look at the flag, you say, ‘Thank you, lord God for this moment.’ It’s so difficult to get there and there are so many roadblocks along the way and so I was overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Frank and Balzano both retired from their coaching positions with Post 83 following the recent campaign. Looking back at the five seasons they spent together, Balzano knows he made a great decision in asking Frank to work alongside him. Frank, in turn, appreciates the plethora of positive memories that he experienced as member of the Branford American Legion program.
“Every day was exciting and every game was a new adventure. The expectations were always high, we were all shooting for the stars, and the whole ride was thrilling,” Frank says. “To have an opportunity to put that uniform on and walk on the field every day, I felt like I was 18 again.”