For the past year and a half, I have been coaching the Sports Enhancement for Life program (SEP) at Springfield High School in Vermont. The SEP has the goal of unlocking the personal identity and development of each student through the use of the mental, emotional, and social skills each individual possesses within.
The SEP is completely grant funded. This means that the program functions at no cost to the public. Through the grants acquired, the SEP was also able to provide student-athletes with free meals. The Sports Enhancement program is a great success — both coaches and student-athletes reported enjoying the program and desire for it to continue.
The following is an excerpt (adapted to fill in needed information) from the Rutland Herald’s story on the SEP:
“’Twenty to 30 years ago, we would do things like turn the lights off and try to focus but we really didn’t know what we were doing,’ Springfield High School Athletic Director Rich Saypack said.
Joe Cerniglia has helped student athletes deal with myriad problems from anger issues to the loss of a parent.
‘For me, it is not about wins and losses. It is teaching life skills that transcend sports,’ he said.
‘I don’t know if it is all due to Joe. I think it is a lot of people pulling together, but right now we don’t have one athlete academically ineligible,’ Saypack said.”
Unfortunately, I have not been asked back to Springfield High School for the 2020-2021 school year; I have no idea why.
I would like to thank the students-athletes and coaches I worked with for their immense support and participation in the SEP. It is through your passion, willingness to be open and effort that this program became what it is. And thanks to you, other Vermont high schools have reached out to me expressing their interests in the program.
I do know my passion for coaching will continue as will the program — it just breaks my heart that it will no longer be with the students and coaches of my community.
Joe Cerniglia
Springfield, VT
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