The second annual Coaches’ Appreciation Dinner was somewhat misnamed, since it was closer in reality to a reception. But it accomplished its purpose, allowing the Athletic Department to show its appreciation for the hard work and effort put in by Choate coaches during the school year.
The marquee events of the reception, held on November 20, included a speech by Ned Gallagher, Director of Athletics, expressing the Athletic Department’s gratitude to the coaches for a job well done. Also notable was the presentation of the coaching awards. Gallagher presented the “Young Gun” and the “Old Timer” awards. The former was awarded to Mike Velez and the latter to Tom Yankus. Previous winners of the awards were Kristin Schaefer and Jim Davidson respectively.
Yankus, a truly legendary coach, has been at the helm of Varsity Baseball for more than 50 years. He has also coached Girls Thirds Volleyball, and has helped the sports program in various capacities for many years. Yankus says he “appreciates being given the award,” and has proudly hung the plaque that comes with the award on his wall.
Velez, winner of the “Young Gun” award, is the assistant coach of Boys Water Polo, Hockey, and Lacrosse. Velez says he was “surprised” to receive the award and “honored” to be put in the same category with Schaefer, Yankus and Davidson, coaches he reveres very much. Velez’s favorite part about coaching is the opportunity to pass knowledge onto students. He aims to teach beyond the sport by imparting both skills and values to his athletes. But he also appreciates the accomplishments of his athletes and is often pleasantly surprised to learn from his athletes as well as teaching them.
Gallagher first got the suggestion for such a reception from Tom Hill, who used to work at Choate and now works for One Source. Gallagher thought the idea was a “nice chance to recognize our colleagues, who put in a lot of time in a way that people at the school don’t see.” As signs of the coaches’ dedication, Gallagher cited traveling to matches at far away schools like Northfield Mount Hermon and Phillips Academy. He described the event as a “sincere expression of our gratitude.”
Despite the title of the event, the Athletic Department tried to keep the reception as informal as possible. One of the highlights of the reception was a raffle sponsored by supporters of Choate sports. According to Gary Dormandy, Assistant Director of the Athletic Department, “Many local vendors donated gifts.” These donors included Michael’s Trattoria, Half Moon Café, and the local bowling alley. Each coach was given a ticket and the opportunity to win a quality prize. The number of prizes was high enough that every coach was able to win at least one prize.
The event received positive feedback from all involved. “Given that the coaches are often doing their own thing, it was fun to get everyone together,” remarks Dormandy. Velez and Yankus echoed Dormandy’s sentiments, describing it up simply as “great” and “enjoyable.”
With everyone walking home a winner in some way, the Athletic Department showed its gratitude to Choate’s hardworking coaches. Whether riding the buses to faraway schools, or coaching long and intense practices, the coaches of Choate athletics commit a lot of their time for little more than the satisfaction of developing and teaching Choate athletes.
