Coaching Spotlight: Anthony Ferrari

Hometown: Astoria, NY

Sports: Boys Soccer, Girls Basketball, and Boys Baseball 

Job: Lab Middle School Physical Education Teacher and LMU Coach 

In Ferrari’s one and a half years at Lab he has been a stellar coach for 3 LMU sports teams. In the 2022-2023 school year he led the girls basketball team to an 11-5 record which resulted in a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, they came up just short of the championship. In the spring of 2023, his boys baseball team had an outstanding 14-1 regular season and were a favorite to make it to the championship game at Yankee Stadium. However, they lost a heartbreaker in the elite eight. Fast forward to the 2023-2024 school year where Coach Ferrari added boys soccer to his resume. He led the boys to an undefeated 13-0 record but the team fell apart in the first round of the playoffs losing 2-1. In Ferrari’s second season as the girls basketball coach, they had a 10-4 record, but lost in the first round of the playoffs. Ferrari is now amidst coaching boys baseball, looking to take his young squad to the championship. 

Please enjoy this exclusive interview with Coach Ferrari:

ZC: Describe yourself in high school. 

AF: “I went to Monsignor McClancy High School. I was very quiet, I played baseball and hockey and mostly kept to myself. I was a ‘B’ student.”

EB: What did you study in college? How has it helped you in your current career? 

AF: “I went to SUNY Cortland and loved it. I studied three different things. First I studied Athletic Training, then Engineering, and then decided to do Physical Education. I got my minor in adaptive P.E. I loved it because I got my P.E. certification and I got this job.” 

ZC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

AF: “I see myself at a higher coaching job. If not, I wouldn’t mind staying here. I love it here. I love the atmosphere. I love my athletes and I love the students. It’s a great environment overall.”

EB: What are your coaching methods? How do you get players to get better? 

AF: “I see what their strengths and weaknesses are and work on those things. I analyze players for the first few practices. For basketball for instance, I see if players can dribble with both hands and shoot correctly and if their IQ is high. That goes for baseball too. As for my coaching style, I want to make sure my athletes are learning, love the sport, and have fun while winning.”

ZC: Do you think PSAL runs smoothly? What improvements would you like to see in PSAL? 

AF: “PSAL has done an okay job. The division seedings this year has helped our girls basketball team but may not benefit our boys team. They could do a better job with sorting out games, referees, and making a more accommodating schedule for students and coaches. Sometimes games are too far away which leaves us with not enough time to get there and get set up for the game. Things could be better transportation and scheduling wise.”