by Rick Pezzullo
In recent years in the Tarrytown School District, Athletic Director Chuck Scarpulla believes the district has focused on developing individual teams instead of improving the athletics program overall.
Sleepy Hollow Middle School softball players cheer for their teammates. photo by Joe Golden
In an attempt to change that mindset, an Athletics Advisory Committee has been established to find ways to encourage more student participation, increase competitiveness and place Tarrytown among the elite sports school districts in the area and the state.
“Our goals focus on recruiting and retaining a large, demographically representative mix of student participants in our athletics programs, offering high quality athletics experiences to our students, and maximizing our potential to field competitive teams,” said Tarrytown Superintendent of Schools Dr. Howard Smith.
Scarpulla is chairman of the committee, which includes three district coaches, a Sports Boosters Club representative, a member of AYSO, TNT and Wolf Pack and a trio of parents, among others.
“What makes Sleepy Hollow a special place is the community is concerned about every kid, not just one kid,” Scarpulla said. “To compete, we have to try to work as a group—the community and the school.”
One of the parent representatives is Karen Doyle, co-president of the high school/middle school PTA and a former girls travel basketball coach. A mother of two high school athletes at Sleepy Hollow, Doyle maintained better coordination of the feeder programs that serve younger athletes in the area would help lay the groundwork for more successful results at the high school level.
“We need to show the elementary kids that these (high school) coaches are interested in what they’re doing,” Doyle said. “Forming this committee is such a positive step.”
Scarpulla agreed with Doyle’s sentiments, saying “building a program right from the bottom up” was essential.
“If there’s something out there that we can improve, that will be terrific, as long as I feel it’s for the betterment of our school,” he said. “It will be something we can put our teeth in. It’s going to be very positive and I’m excited about it.”
One hot button issue the committee is not likely to entertain due to the difficult economic times is artificial turf fields on two multi-purpose playing fields at Sleepy Hollow High School and Washington Irving School.
A $3.6 million proposition for the turf fields was defeated by voters in May 2007. Since then, the district has met with village officials in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown to discuss other alternatives in maintaining subpar and overused fields.
“Unfortunately the use the fields get in Sleepy Hollow is three times more than they get anywhere else,” Scarpulla said. “Last year we met with a Fields Committee. They tried to develop a 10-year plan but we couldn’t go ahead with it because of the financial straits. Right now people are worried about putting food on the table, not a turf field.”
The Athletics Advisory Committee is expected to meet about every other month during the school year. Its next meeting is scheduled for June 3.
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