Special to The Citizen
AUBURN - Looking back, the journey to becoming one of the members of the Class of 2007 Auburn High School Athletic Hall of Fame seems natural. John Alberici, a staple in Auburn sports for the better part of the past three decades, grew up in a sports home starting with his father, Gino, who was one of Auburn football's most well-known coaches.
“I'm one of six kids, with five of us boys” Alberici said. “We all grew up playing football, basketball or whatever in the side yard. And I grew up watching my father coach. So from very early on, sports were always a part of my life.”
By the time Alberici attended Auburn High School, he had found his niche, rather three of them, playing football, lacrosse and wrestling.
“I grew up around football,” Alberici said. “That was my first love. In middle school, Fred Prentice encouraged me to try wrestling and by my freshman year, I was on the varsity team and my brother Jim started playing lacrosse. So when I was in eighth grade I got into it and then I started playing lacrosse as a freshman.”
During his years at Auburn High School, Alberici racked up the accolades, earning 11 varsity letters, a football MVP in 1985, a wrestling MVP in 1986 and a second team all-star nod in lacrosse the same year. But it was another set of honors during his senior year that really meant the most to Alberici.
“I was captain of the football, lacrosse and wrestling teams,” Alberici said. “That was a real honor to be thought of that way and voted captain by the other guys on the team. For me, those are things that really stand out - the relationships I built while I was playing sports, relationships that I still have today. Some of my best friends to this day are the guys that I competed with while we were members of those teams.”
Being named captain wasn't relegated to Auburn sports, though. After graduating from Auburn in '86, Alberici went on to SUNY Albany where he played football all four years, and was voted captain for the 1989 season.
During his years as a Great Dane, Alberici earned more impressive recognition for his hard work on the field. He was named as the special teams player of the game against Ithaca College in 1986, and against Western Connecticut in 1987, as well as offensive back of the game against Hofstra in 1989. Alberici though, mostly remembers the team accomplishments instead of his individual ones.
“We didn't have as much success as we would've liked - we were a little above .500,” Alberici said. “Beating Ithaca College my sophomore year was great and we were ranked in the top 10 for a while, but we had a couple of setbacks. But again I was lucky enough to play with some great athletes and create some great friendships that still last to this day.”
After graduation, Alberici took a position as an account executive with what has since become Time Warner, and has continued to work there for the past 17 years. But in 1990, another athletic opportunity presented it self to Alberici - the chance to follow in his father's footsteps and become a football coach.
“Growing up I saw my father and the impact he had on the lives of his players,” Alberici said. “And I was lucky enough to have some great coaches that taught me a lot, not just about athletics but life lessons as well, so it was an opportunity that I was glad to have.”
Alberici spent several years coaching the JV team, once going undefeated with an 8-0 record. He then spent nine more years coaching on the varsity level, before giving up the sport.
“My kids are growing up,” Alberici said. “It's a lot to do coaching during two seasons, so it was the right time to focus in one just one sport.”
That sport is wrestling, a program he has been involved in since 1991. That year, Alberici took on the head coaching position with the Auburn varsity wrestling team, a job he still holds today.
During his 16 years heading up the wrestling program, Alberici has been able to help others find the success he had, by leading a program that has grown significantly over the last several years.
Though his philosophy in coaching the sport has been to teach first, he has been successful in the win column as well. Alberici has coached three wrestlers into the 100-win club as well as coaching four Section III, Class A champions. He also earned the 2000 Coach of the Year recognition.
Though all of the coaching milestones and awards have been valuable to him, it is the other things that he has been able to accomplish that Alberici holds dearest.
For the past six years, Alberici and his wrestlers have gone on Christmas shopping sprees to collect gifts for children at University Hospital's oncology ward, on their own dime.
“Our oldest daughter went through two and a half years of chemo when we found out she had leukemia,” Alberici said. “She is a freshman now. So this is a way we can give something back to a place that has given so much love and support to us and for others as they go through their struggles.”
It is these kinds of character building moments that Alberici is most impressed by in his athletes, moments that he will always cherish and that keep him interested in coaching and contributing to the lives of his team members.
“One of the members of the 2000 team joined the military,” Alberici said. “He made a point of coming back and he presented me with a flag that had flown during Operation Enduring Freedom in August 2006. He said that he wanted to thank his coach and mentor. Those are the moments that mean the most to me to see that impact on the lives of these kids, that is what keeps me coaching.”
The wrestling coach credits his wife Wendy and his three daughters, Jessie, Jenna and Jillian with aiding in his success with their immense support of his time put into Auburn athletics over the years.
To be recognized with a place in the Hall of Fame for all of his contributions is also an honor that Alberici will always carry with him.
“There are certainly some tremendous athletes in there,” Alberici said. “And there are certainly more in the years to come. For me though, this is a tremendous honor and I am very proud to be a part of this.”
If you go
What: Auburn High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony
When: Saturday, Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Springside Inn
Tickets: Available at YMCA, Lewis Restaurant, AHS athletic office, Balloons Restaurant
Contact: Dick Williams at 252-3618
“I'm one of six kids, with five of us boys” Alberici said. “We all grew up playing football, basketball or whatever in the side yard. And I grew up watching my father coach. So from very early on, sports were always a part of my life.”
By the time Alberici attended Auburn High School, he had found his niche, rather three of them, playing football, lacrosse and wrestling.
“I grew up around football,” Alberici said. “That was my first love. In middle school, Fred Prentice encouraged me to try wrestling and by my freshman year, I was on the varsity team and my brother Jim started playing lacrosse. So when I was in eighth grade I got into it and then I started playing lacrosse as a freshman.”
During his years at Auburn High School, Alberici racked up the accolades, earning 11 varsity letters, a football MVP in 1985, a wrestling MVP in 1986 and a second team all-star nod in lacrosse the same year. But it was another set of honors during his senior year that really meant the most to Alberici.
“I was captain of the football, lacrosse and wrestling teams,” Alberici said. “That was a real honor to be thought of that way and voted captain by the other guys on the team. For me, those are things that really stand out - the relationships I built while I was playing sports, relationships that I still have today. Some of my best friends to this day are the guys that I competed with while we were members of those teams.”
Being named captain wasn't relegated to Auburn sports, though. After graduating from Auburn in '86, Alberici went on to SUNY Albany where he played football all four years, and was voted captain for the 1989 season.
During his years as a Great Dane, Alberici earned more impressive recognition for his hard work on the field. He was named as the special teams player of the game against Ithaca College in 1986, and against Western Connecticut in 1987, as well as offensive back of the game against Hofstra in 1989. Alberici though, mostly remembers the team accomplishments instead of his individual ones.
“We didn't have as much success as we would've liked - we were a little above .500,” Alberici said. “Beating Ithaca College my sophomore year was great and we were ranked in the top 10 for a while, but we had a couple of setbacks. But again I was lucky enough to play with some great athletes and create some great friendships that still last to this day.”
After graduation, Alberici took a position as an account executive with what has since become Time Warner, and has continued to work there for the past 17 years. But in 1990, another athletic opportunity presented it self to Alberici - the chance to follow in his father's footsteps and become a football coach.
“Growing up I saw my father and the impact he had on the lives of his players,” Alberici said. “And I was lucky enough to have some great coaches that taught me a lot, not just about athletics but life lessons as well, so it was an opportunity that I was glad to have.”
Alberici spent several years coaching the JV team, once going undefeated with an 8-0 record. He then spent nine more years coaching on the varsity level, before giving up the sport.
“My kids are growing up,” Alberici said. “It's a lot to do coaching during two seasons, so it was the right time to focus in one just one sport.”
That sport is wrestling, a program he has been involved in since 1991. That year, Alberici took on the head coaching position with the Auburn varsity wrestling team, a job he still holds today.
During his 16 years heading up the wrestling program, Alberici has been able to help others find the success he had, by leading a program that has grown significantly over the last several years.
Though his philosophy in coaching the sport has been to teach first, he has been successful in the win column as well. Alberici has coached three wrestlers into the 100-win club as well as coaching four Section III, Class A champions. He also earned the 2000 Coach of the Year recognition.
Though all of the coaching milestones and awards have been valuable to him, it is the other things that he has been able to accomplish that Alberici holds dearest.
For the past six years, Alberici and his wrestlers have gone on Christmas shopping sprees to collect gifts for children at University Hospital's oncology ward, on their own dime.
“Our oldest daughter went through two and a half years of chemo when we found out she had leukemia,” Alberici said. “She is a freshman now. So this is a way we can give something back to a place that has given so much love and support to us and for others as they go through their struggles.”
It is these kinds of character building moments that Alberici is most impressed by in his athletes, moments that he will always cherish and that keep him interested in coaching and contributing to the lives of his team members.
“One of the members of the 2000 team joined the military,” Alberici said. “He made a point of coming back and he presented me with a flag that had flown during Operation Enduring Freedom in August 2006. He said that he wanted to thank his coach and mentor. Those are the moments that mean the most to me to see that impact on the lives of these kids, that is what keeps me coaching.”
The wrestling coach credits his wife Wendy and his three daughters, Jessie, Jenna and Jillian with aiding in his success with their immense support of his time put into Auburn athletics over the years.
To be recognized with a place in the Hall of Fame for all of his contributions is also an honor that Alberici will always carry with him.
“There are certainly some tremendous athletes in there,” Alberici said. “And there are certainly more in the years to come. For me though, this is a tremendous honor and I am very proud to be a part of this.”
If you go
What: Auburn High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony
When: Saturday, Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Springside Inn
Tickets: Available at YMCA, Lewis Restaurant, AHS athletic office, Balloons Restaurant
Contact: Dick Williams at 252-3618
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Damian wrote on Sep 25, 2007 10:53 PM: