This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/26/2018 12:00 AMDylan Palluzzi was a decorated athlete for the baseball and basketball squads at Branford High School before graduating in 2012, and he didn’t stay away from the Hornets’ sports scene for too long. Dylan started volunteering as a coach the very next year and, this spring, he’s taking the reins as the new head coach for the Branford baseball program’s freshman team.
“It’s one of those things where you’re a volunteer for so many years, so you appreciate the opportunity to be one of the head guys now,” says Dylan, who works as a paraprofessional in special education at the high school. “I just love being around the sport and the kids. Everything I’ve done from volunteering up until now, I wasn’t nervous. I felt like I belonged there.”
As a student-athlete at Branford, Dylan was a two-year starting point guard for his uncle and former boys’ basketball Head Coach Jake Palluzzi. He also played on some great baseball teams that were coached by the late George Dummar, Jr. Unfortunately for Dylan, his baseball career was cut short when he suffered an elbow injury while playing center field as a senior.
“I remember the play against Notre Dame in our first or second game of the season. A ball was hit to the gap, and I made a diving catch and landed on my right elbow. Right after that play, I couldn’t feel my elbow,” Dylan says. “One of the scariest moments was when I had to tell Coach Dummar I wasn’t going to play anymore. Being the guy he was, he was very understanding and he knew what was best for me, so that made things much easier.”
Dylan, who still lives in Branford, has experience playing all ends of the baseball field, although the middle infield was always his specialty. Dylan considers himself a student of the game, and he wants to take what he learned from his experiences as a ballplayer to help the Hornets’ freshmen thrive on the diamond.
“Being mainly an infielder and having the coaches I had teach me, I picked up a lot of techniques and drills that I teach now. Being an infielder helps me closely relate to those types of guys,” says Dylan. “I only played for a brief moment in the outfield, but because of the coaching I had, I picked up a lot in a short amount of time and all of that stayed with me. Nobody is perfect, and I know it’ll take time, but I want to get a system going, so I can help these kids grow fundamentally and put them in the best position to succeed.”
Branford Head Coach Stephen Malafronte has seen Dylan grow as a mentor on the bench. Malafronte appreciates how Dylan is committed to bettering his skill set as a coach on a daily basis.
“Coach Palluzzi has been in the past and in the present, a valued member of the Branford baseball family,” Malafronte says. “From his volunteer years to his current position, Coach Palluzzi consistently exhibits great rapport with his players. He is always hungry to learn and continues to improve his baseball IQ.”
Dylan feels fortunate to be the freshman team’s new skipper. He likes that he’s in a position where he can help the Hornets’ up-and-comers get ready for their potential promotions to the big time in Branford.
“When you get to this level, you have to test people to see what they can do. My goal is to get these kids to work on their fundamentals and mechanics to prepare for the next level,” says Dylan. “I want to make sure it’s not about the wins and losses. There have been many times where players from the freshman level aren’t ready because they’re not taught the right things, so my focus is for them to work hard, pay attention, pick up on things, and fundamentally be the best they can be.”