Wappingers Women's Lacrosse

Wishing a speedy recovery to our good friend Conrad. CB22❤️

In all my years of broadcasting, I'd never gotten emotional on air until tonight. It was impossible to hold back the tears. Jack Piccione of Tappan Zee lost his father suddenly last Sept. 1. Matthew Piccione died of a heart attack minutes after playing pickleball with friends. He was 51. Over the last three years, I got to know Matthew Piccione fairly well. One day back in 2023, he asked coach George Gaine for my number so he could call me just to say thank you for calling out Jack's contributions during Tappan Zee's championship run. Jack was a role player who averaged maybe 5 points a game as a freshman. But he started and never came off the court. "I know he doesn't score a lot of points," Matthew Piccione said. "But you are one of the only people who appreciates what he does for the team." Matthew Piccione kept a very low profile at games and reinforced in his son to be the emodiment of all the things that make Tappan Zee basketball different than any other program in the state. Play unselfish. Defend. Be coachable. Defend. Draw charges. Pass. Sacrifice for your teammates. And, of course, defend some more. Nobody in the history of Tappan Zee basketball since I have been covering has ever played that role better than Jack Piccione. He's the best best defensive player in the program and is on an elite level of players I've been around in Section 1. When Matthew died in September, I worried about Jack. I wondered what his senior season might be like. The person most responsible for instilling and reinforcing the values that made Jack great was now tragically gone. Tonight, Jack Piccione scored 5 points in the Section 1 Championship game. FIVE. Yet not only did his team because of his performance, I had the honor of handing him the MVP Trophy to prove it. In the final 90 seconds of the game, I shared the story of Matthew Piccione and his passing. You will hear the emotion in my voice. It's genuine, not because of any relationship I had with him. You just can't be a sports parent and not relate to loving your child and always wanting what's best for them. Because here's what I am going to tell you. And I really want all parents to read this and remember it: Your kids' youth - not just athletics, but all of it - is short and it's precious. You don't get this time back when it's over. It goes way too quick. And some don't even get to see it to the end. You have a choice: You can spend this period of their lives stressing about how many points they score, what awards or accolades they receive, begging people to vote in the online poll for Player of the Week, emailing the coach and complaining about playing time or lamenting the number of shots they get in a game. Go ahead. You can make all of that important for yourself and your child. Trust me, you won't be alone in doing so. Or you can do what Matthew Piccione did. Sit in the stands and enjoy watching your children compete. Teach them that it's team above all else, stress what it means to sacrifice and ensure them that, when you do those things and have success, the feeling of hanging a banner will far exceed any of the personal accolades think are important. And, sadly, God might choose that you won't be around to see it all anyway. Matthew didn't get to give his son a hug after he won tonight. And Jack didn't get to see the pride in his father's face. Think about that. If you are a parent, try to put your child in Jack's shoes. If God forbid your child was confronted with the same tragedy, you'd want them looking back on this sacred period of their lives the way Jack will forever recall them with his dad. Tonight was complete validation for Jack Piccione and all of the things his father always told him. Jack scored 5 points and won the MVP on his way to becoming the most decorated basketball player in Tappan Zee history. Nobody has ever won more in a TZ uniform than the most unselfish player they've ever had. He wouldn't trade his career with anyone, either. Take a moment to listen to myself and Pleasantville coach Nick Bonura from tonight's @SportsEngine broadcast of @TZeeAthletics @TZhoops

Last pre-season workout, girls got a nice refresher from Dunkin to end the day. Ready to go on Monday.

Enough already

4-0 for both teams today. Hard work paying off, lots to build on. Onward.

70 girls tried lacrosse for the first time last night. Awesome night at the first clinic of the spring, more to come! @WCSDEmpowers @RCKAthletic @JJEFAthletics @WCSDAthletic @PJSports

Almost there. Keep stacking days. @WCSDAthletic @RCKAthletic @JJEFAthletics @PLT4M @CoachJordan_VSP @freelap

Never forget who got you there

On February 9th, 2007, Jimmy Regan made the ultimate sacrifice. Today and every day, we honor his legacy. Rest in peace, JR10. 💙

Make sure you are ready for the next level of competition!! Come hear all information NCAA Clearinghouse @WCSDEmpowers @WCSDAthletic

Celebrating National Girls and Women’s in Sports Day. 2026 season right around the corner. Getting better one day at a time. @WCSDEmpowers @WCSDAthletic @RCKAthletic @JJEFAthletics

6 weeks out. Faster and Stronger, week by week. @FreelapUSA @PLT4M @WCSDAthletic

Andrew Luck, former NFL quarterback (now GM of Stanford Football programme) digs deep into the importance of competitive practice… Don’t mess with practice…that’s when you win games… The detail - constraints and conditions that help players experience the demands of competition. Tasks and challenges that increase emotion and feeling. But here’s the thing… Mr Luck hints at player mental frameworks when he speaks to the opportunity to practice breathing and positive affect during tough-to-manage training sessions. Breathe…steady your nervous system! Positivity…influence your teammates! Deeper still… Go to work on attention, intensity, intent… A deep attention during practice…search for the cues you need to respond to… Heighten mental intensity…stay engaged with the cues… Aim to execute actions with a high intent…purposeful, positive, and proactive no matter what… In control and in charge. Dominate and own your mindset. Practice is a time to go hard mentally…it’s a time to practice the psychology of game day… (From Think Fast Talk Smart Podcast)

💤Ideal bedtime⏰ If you wake up at: 5:30 am → Bedtime: 8:30–9:30 pm 6:00 am → Bedtime: 9:00–10:00 pm 6:30 am → Bedtime: 9:30–11:00 pm 7:00 am → Bedtime: 10:00 pm Why more sleep before midnight: ✅Deeper slow-wave sleep occurs earlier in the night ✅Better growth hormone release (repair & fat metabolism) ✅Improved insulin sensitivity ✅Lower anxiety and better mood regulation ✅Easier wake-ups (less “sleep inertia”) Signs your bedtime is too late ❌Needing caffeine to function ❌Groggy or irritable mornings ❌Cravings for sugar or carbs ❌Poor workout recovery ❌Trouble falling asleep despite exhaustion

Mediocre players think the truth hurts. Great players think the truth helps. What you need to hear is always more important than what you want to hear. Seek the truth.

💪 Responsibility wins.

Took home 2 Rudolf Rumble Championships today. Great job by both teams. 4-0 and 3-0 on the day. Ready to get back to work in January

Clark Lea is a real leader. Doesn’t blame the committee. Doesn’t complain about scheduling. Doesn’t get defensive about losses or conferences. He models responsibility for his players, same as he expects from his players. I’m telling you, this matters more than you realize.

Geno Gold 🥇 Preparation is the great separation. In the biggest games you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your preparation. Be great today.

Some perspective on high school, club & player development. You will spend 5-10x more training hours with your high school program than with your club. Orders of magnitude larger. Acquiring talent and developing talent are two completely different skills.

Great day seeing all the alums getting together for some lacrosse. This is what it’s all about. Shoutout to alums Zack Timmons and Riley Kuczma for organizing a great event. #Family @JJEFAthletics @WCSDAthletic @RCKAthletic