With the start of the new school year comes the start of new sport seasons, and with the start of new sports seasons comes the addition of new coaches. This year, Fieldston’s new coaches are eager to work with their athletes to take their respective teams to the state championships.
Boys varsity soccer has introduced a new coach, Gene Sepe. One of Sepe’s main goals for the season is for the team to make the playoffs. “Will it be a challenge, yes but it is very doable,” Sepe said. Because Sepe is new, he said, he does not know the league very well, but maintains that the sky is the limit for the team as long as they stay focused and disciplined. He said the team has a few major questions, which will impact the remainder of the season: “Are we physical enough? Can our freshman step up and give major minutes. Can we stay healthy as a team? Will all 12 seniors lead the younger players? Will they meet the expectations that I set and they set on themselves? Only time will tell.”
Sepe has a lot of experience under his belt that will help him bring the team to victory. But an additional and equally important goal of Sepe’s is to create a stable and enduring culture for the boys soccer team, which has had a new coach each year for the past four years.
“I took the job and promised I will change the culture of boys soccer at Fieldston,” Sepe said. “Hopefully I can build a program that will last from year to year.”
The new girls varsity basketball coach is Maeve Parahus. Going into the season, Parahus expects the players to have positive attitudes and to be committed to the season.
“I feel as a new coach I bring my wide variety of experiences as a basketball player myself,” Parahus said. “I played for four years at Manhattan College and last year played overseas in Ireland. I plan on bringing everything I’ve learned from previous coaches and as a player to Fieldston. I know that high school basketball is an amazing time as an athlete, and I want to give my team the best experience for their four years here. I’m counting down the days until the season starts.”
Other additions include Alexandru Rus and Alejandro Rico, who coach the girls varsity and JV soccer teams, respectively. Rus focuses on fitness and agility and has led the team to some big wins, including a 3-1 win against Dalton.
With Rico in charge, the girls JV soccer team is currently undefeated as they continue to roll through the competition. Rico has very high expectations for the rest of the season, and he said that the team cannot afford to relax or give other teams opportunities to beat them.
“Something new that I can bring to Fieldston soccer is building a program starting from JV to get my players enough games and experience, so when they go to varsity they are ready to play and win,” Rico said.
Allison Peotter, JV water polo coach, is also in her first season at Fieldston. Although her team has had some difficulty with the pool being out of commision, under Peotter’s leadership the JV water polo team has improved individually and as a team.
Peotter has been playing water polo since she was 10 years old, and she played at the collegiate level at George Washington University and Iona College. Most of the players on the team don’t have years of experience in the sport, but Peotter is confident that the team will greatly improve throughout the season and the next few years.
These are just some of the new coaches at Fieldston committed to making Fieldston Athletics even stronger.
