- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 474,943
- Reaction score
- 45
WATCHUNG – Denise Materia was a senior at Montclair State University, coaching softball at David Brearley High School in Kenilworth between studies. While on the way to a game in Somerset County, the bus broke down on Route 22 in Watchung.
Little did she know her life was about to change.
While the team stepped off the bus to hang out on the grass, the coach crossed the highway to make a phone call at Sears (which closed a couple years ago). Help eventually arrived.
“I had been to Sears a ton of times when I was little,” Materia said, sitting in a comfortable chair in the Mount St. Mary Academy conference room, a brown cross on the wall behind her. “But I had no idea what this was. But when I looked up the hill, I saw the tennis courts and was like, ‘Holy cow! This is a school!’”
Eighty acres. A winding road up the hill, .04 miles from Route 22 in the Watchung mountains; not even 300 students.
A few weeks later, a friend happened to mention that her sister-in-law worked at Mount St. Mary and there was an opening for a physical education position.
Forty years later, Materia is retiring next month.
“Divine intervention,” she said with a smile. “I was blessed. It was a perfect place for me. An absolute perfect fit.”
More: Softball ballot: Vote for Central Jersey Player of the Week
More: Softball rankings and notebook: Skyland Conference and western Union County
Materia would go on to be the school’s athletic director and coach basketball for 11 years (146-78) and softball for 23 years (256-170). She also served as the Mount’s Health and Physical Department chair, taught physical education and health, driver’s education and currently serves as Assistant Directress for Student Life.
“Denise has been the guiding light of our athletic department for more than 40 years,” said Sister Lisa Gambacorto, RSM, Ed. S, Mount St. Mary Academy Directress, was quoted in a school press release saying, “Her leadership and dedication, not only to athletics, but all things Mount. She has been a model for our students: women’s leadership, sportsmanship, and what it means to play fair; making them better athletes and women. She will leave a lasting impact on the athletic program and the school.”
The youngest of Materia girls, she played tennis, basketball and softball at Brearley. Single with two German Shepards, she thinks she was, “Daddy’s little tomboy. We’d go out and play catch, and little by little that was it.”
With a Bachelor’s Degree from Montclair State and then a Master’s in Educational Administration from Kean, she was only 22 when hired by the Sisters of Mercy.
She was promoted to AD in 1985, and beginning 10 years later would establish teams in soccer, swimming, spring track, indoor track, volleyball, lacrosse and golf. The tennis courts were expanded from four to six courts, as well.
Despite going against competitive opponents, she led teams to a number of Mountain Valley titles, and Skyland Conference championships. They also won states in both cross country and swimming.
“When I got here it was like blank slate,” Materia said. “I think we had four sports and a new gym. It was so new that when I saw it for the first time, I had to take off my shoes. That’s how new it was. Little by little, by little, we had to have patience because the school had other needs. Not just sports.
Her love of coaching surfaced this school year when she came out of retirement to coach freshmen basketball and junior varsity softball.
Not having coached in 10 years, she was reminded how to handle the students.
“It’s how you phrase things,” she said. “You always want to be building them up, because they do need to be built up.”
Not all the kids arrived on campus with self-confidence, and that holds true today.
“We’ve had spatters of parents who really made coaches’ lives difficult,” Materia said. “Sometimes, they’re too hard on their kids and it makes it hard to do what you want to do, because kids are so tense, which is exactly what you don’t need. The fact that I coached so long made me a better athletic director. I understood the kids better, coaches better and parents.’’
As for memories, perhaps her most fond might be the year the basketball team faced Immaculata in the Somerset County semifinals. Down 24 points, they rallied to win in overtime.
As for her legacy, Materia paused.
“That’s a tough one. I guess, for the kids, I’d like it to be that they learned from me and that they found me to be kind. That’s what I’d like my legacy to be.”
That, and the fact she really was a maverick in a male-dominated field of athletic directors.
“I think it would’ve been harder to do as a female in a public school, to get that first athletic director’s job,” she said. “There’s not that many, if you think about it. But it’s a tough job. It’s consuming; it just takes over your life. Coaching would have been the same (at a public school). But I may very well have found myself back in a catholic school. I think that’s where I was meant to be. Even though I didn’t know that at the time.”
Her plans? Florida in July, then moving to Palm Coast.
“I’ve been thinking about this the last couple of years,” she said. “I think you know when it’s time. When I’d talk about it, I’d actually get a wave of anxiety. And then, suddenly, that weight was gone. I just knew it was time.”
Now what?
“This is going to sound funny. I want to be an Uber driver,” she said before laughing. “I think just to have contact with people. Even if it’s just quick, just so I’m not waying on the couch. But I’m not closing the book on coaching. If something does come up, you never know.”
That is, if there are any school openings in Flagler County.
As she walked back into the spacious lobby, with religious murals on the walls in dim lighting, there was a peaceful quiet to the setting.
“People say there is a religious feeling here,” she said. “I think that’s what kept me here so long. It’s a community. It’s a warm, homey kind of feeling. These people are going to be hard to replace. It’s kind of made this my home. So that’s the toughest part. Very tough.”
As if on cue, the bell in the clock tower rang its loud, hourly sound. Sort of right out of the movie The Bells of St. Mary’s.
And if you listened closely, it might be heard all the way down to Route 22.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Mount St. Mary AD and coach Denise Materia retiring after 40 years
Continue reading...
Little did she know her life was about to change.
While the team stepped off the bus to hang out on the grass, the coach crossed the highway to make a phone call at Sears (which closed a couple years ago). Help eventually arrived.
“I had been to Sears a ton of times when I was little,” Materia said, sitting in a comfortable chair in the Mount St. Mary Academy conference room, a brown cross on the wall behind her. “But I had no idea what this was. But when I looked up the hill, I saw the tennis courts and was like, ‘Holy cow! This is a school!’”
Eighty acres. A winding road up the hill, .04 miles from Route 22 in the Watchung mountains; not even 300 students.
A few weeks later, a friend happened to mention that her sister-in-law worked at Mount St. Mary and there was an opening for a physical education position.
Forty years later, Materia is retiring next month.
“Divine intervention,” she said with a smile. “I was blessed. It was a perfect place for me. An absolute perfect fit.”
More: Softball ballot: Vote for Central Jersey Player of the Week
More: Softball rankings and notebook: Skyland Conference and western Union County
Materia would go on to be the school’s athletic director and coach basketball for 11 years (146-78) and softball for 23 years (256-170). She also served as the Mount’s Health and Physical Department chair, taught physical education and health, driver’s education and currently serves as Assistant Directress for Student Life.
“Denise has been the guiding light of our athletic department for more than 40 years,” said Sister Lisa Gambacorto, RSM, Ed. S, Mount St. Mary Academy Directress, was quoted in a school press release saying, “Her leadership and dedication, not only to athletics, but all things Mount. She has been a model for our students: women’s leadership, sportsmanship, and what it means to play fair; making them better athletes and women. She will leave a lasting impact on the athletic program and the school.”
The youngest of Materia girls, she played tennis, basketball and softball at Brearley. Single with two German Shepards, she thinks she was, “Daddy’s little tomboy. We’d go out and play catch, and little by little that was it.”
With a Bachelor’s Degree from Montclair State and then a Master’s in Educational Administration from Kean, she was only 22 when hired by the Sisters of Mercy.
She was promoted to AD in 1985, and beginning 10 years later would establish teams in soccer, swimming, spring track, indoor track, volleyball, lacrosse and golf. The tennis courts were expanded from four to six courts, as well.
Despite going against competitive opponents, she led teams to a number of Mountain Valley titles, and Skyland Conference championships. They also won states in both cross country and swimming.
“When I got here it was like blank slate,” Materia said. “I think we had four sports and a new gym. It was so new that when I saw it for the first time, I had to take off my shoes. That’s how new it was. Little by little, by little, we had to have patience because the school had other needs. Not just sports.
You must be registered for see images attach
Her love of coaching surfaced this school year when she came out of retirement to coach freshmen basketball and junior varsity softball.
Not having coached in 10 years, she was reminded how to handle the students.
“It’s how you phrase things,” she said. “You always want to be building them up, because they do need to be built up.”
Not all the kids arrived on campus with self-confidence, and that holds true today.
“We’ve had spatters of parents who really made coaches’ lives difficult,” Materia said. “Sometimes, they’re too hard on their kids and it makes it hard to do what you want to do, because kids are so tense, which is exactly what you don’t need. The fact that I coached so long made me a better athletic director. I understood the kids better, coaches better and parents.’’
As for memories, perhaps her most fond might be the year the basketball team faced Immaculata in the Somerset County semifinals. Down 24 points, they rallied to win in overtime.
As for her legacy, Materia paused.
“That’s a tough one. I guess, for the kids, I’d like it to be that they learned from me and that they found me to be kind. That’s what I’d like my legacy to be.”
That, and the fact she really was a maverick in a male-dominated field of athletic directors.
“I think it would’ve been harder to do as a female in a public school, to get that first athletic director’s job,” she said. “There’s not that many, if you think about it. But it’s a tough job. It’s consuming; it just takes over your life. Coaching would have been the same (at a public school). But I may very well have found myself back in a catholic school. I think that’s where I was meant to be. Even though I didn’t know that at the time.”
Her plans? Florida in July, then moving to Palm Coast.
“I’ve been thinking about this the last couple of years,” she said. “I think you know when it’s time. When I’d talk about it, I’d actually get a wave of anxiety. And then, suddenly, that weight was gone. I just knew it was time.”
Now what?
“This is going to sound funny. I want to be an Uber driver,” she said before laughing. “I think just to have contact with people. Even if it’s just quick, just so I’m not waying on the couch. But I’m not closing the book on coaching. If something does come up, you never know.”
That is, if there are any school openings in Flagler County.
As she walked back into the spacious lobby, with religious murals on the walls in dim lighting, there was a peaceful quiet to the setting.
“People say there is a religious feeling here,” she said. “I think that’s what kept me here so long. It’s a community. It’s a warm, homey kind of feeling. These people are going to be hard to replace. It’s kind of made this my home. So that’s the toughest part. Very tough.”
As if on cue, the bell in the clock tower rang its loud, hourly sound. Sort of right out of the movie The Bells of St. Mary’s.
And if you listened closely, it might be heard all the way down to Route 22.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Mount St. Mary AD and coach Denise Materia retiring after 40 years
Continue reading...
