Even the best of sports teams have their low points. The Golden State Warriors, for example, went from a record-breaking 73-9 season to being the worst team in the NBA in just a few years. Similarly, our own varsity football team faced a drought during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Although these droughts are inevitable, they don’t last forever. Every team, including our Falcons, eventually reaches a high point as well. However, sports teams often struggle on this journey of building a franchise that is capable of winning titles. So, how did our 2-6 Varsity Football team morph into a 5-3 championship contender in just one year? Well, the answer lies in one individual: Coach Phil Treglia.

In the 2017-18 season, the Falcons had a 3-5 record, and the  2018-19 season was even worse, as they finished with a 2-6 record. The Falcons finished last in the Ivy League both years. Although the cause of these disappointing seasons will remain uncertain, Seniors David Korn and Aidan Friedsam, two of four captains of Riverdale’s Varsity Football team, speculate, among many others, that their poor performance was in part due to a negative environment created by the previous coaches. “It was always a punishment if we messed up. It was never a reward for doing well,” Korn explained. Friedsam even mentioned how lowerclassmen were underappreciated and that sometimes the coaches were outright “mean.” Ultimately, as Friedsam put it, “Riverdale’s football record reflected [their] coaching staff at the time.”

This coaching concern was eventually brought to the Athletics Director, Mr. John Pizzi. To resolve this issue, Mr. Pizzi decided to bring in three new coaches for the 2019 season. The players even got a say in the hiring process. However, amongst the candidates stood one clear winner: the new head coach, Phil Treglia. Coach Treglia has been coaching high school football since the fall of 2002 and even coached another high school team, Archbishop Stepinac, to the New York State Championship. In addition to being a football coach, Coach Treglia has experience with being an educator and a school counselor at Iona Prep. According to Mr. Pizzi, this was one of the factors that led to his hiring because being an educator as well as a coach facilitates personal relationships and bonds with the players that a regular coach would not necessarily bring.

Ultimately, the hiring of Coach Treglia worked. From a player’s perspective, the environment drastically improved, underclassmen felt a part of the team, there were zero concussions, and, as David Korn said, the new coach gave the players “a special sense of possibility.” For most of the players, practices, games, and football in general became significantly more fun. From Coach Treglia’s point of view, he just wanted to bring fun, safety, and “good vibes” to football as opposed to the win-at-all-costs mentality. He always kept in mind that these players were just high schoolers and needed to enjoy their youth. The combination of his expertise and enthusiasm led to Riverdale’s amazing performance in the 2019 football season, where they made it to the league semifinals for the first time ever. Thank you, Coach Treglia!