By: Sean Moylan
Coaching high school sports is not easy. It is a demanding, time-consuming occupation and with every week there are unforeseen challenges and obstacles to overcome.
But for the past 20 years or so the coaches and athletes of Hightstown High School have had the help and support of a great man and Athletic Director by the name of Gary Bushelli. In fact, it’s rare when a week goes by without some Hightstown coach or player with a problem uttering the words, "Gary took care of it."
Bushelli, who works closely with his trusty and loyal secretary Rita Olsen, is a master problem solver. But more than that, he prevents problems from ever happening.
A caring individual who has done a great deal of work with charities, including Tip Off Against Cancer, Bushelli’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Consequently, he will receive the highly-prized "Award of Merit" from the New Jersey Association of Athletic Directors at its annual convention in Atlantic City on March, 28. Only four Athletic Directors receive the award each year, and that’s in a state with over 500 school districts.
"I was very humbled when I heard about it. I did not expect it in any way, shape or form," said Bushelli, who believes his length of service may have something to do with earning the honor.
While many current Athletic Directors consider five years a good run, Bushelli has lasted four times that long. The current administration at Hightstown thinks and speaks very highly of Bushelli.
"The ‘Award of Merit’ is based on a number of criteria, but I can tell you from knowing and working with Gary all this time that he is most deserving. He is more than an Athletic Director he is a dedicated and outstanding educator who has done so much for Hightstown High School, the East Windsor-Hightstown community as well as contributions on both the county and state level. Gary has never rested on his many accomplishments; rather, he is always looking to improve programs, involve and help more students," noted Kenneth Boardman, who works in Community Services and Public Relations.
Through Bushelli’s hard work, Hightstown has been able to add sports like boys’ and girls’ lacrosse to its athletic program.
A few weeks back, the Hightstown High boys’ varsity basketball team won the Mercer County Tournament in front of a packed house at Mercer County Community College. Without Bushelli’s input, the Mercer County Tournaments would not be the hugely successful events they have become.
"The Mercer County Tournament was already in place but we tweaked some things. It’s very exciting and it’s a great preparation for the state tournament," said Bushelli.
One of Bushelli’s main attributes as an AD is that he listens to people. So when Frank Hampton came to Bushelli with an idea for an Athletic Hall of Fame at Hightstown, he didn’t dismiss it as a hair brain scheme. Instead, he looked into Hall of Fame trophy cases and what it would take financially and work-wise to get a Hall of Fame into place.
"We were the first local public school to have it (a Hall of Fame)," added Bushelli.
Now neighboring public schools are using Hightstown as a model for adopting Hall of Fames of their own.
Two years ago, all the basketball teams in the CVC agreed to donate all of their opening night proceeds to the American Cancer Society. The experience made Bushelli more aware of an important cause and therefore he became increasingly more involved in the Tip Off Against Cancer.
"After evaluating it, we opened it up to the whole state and connected it to the V Foundation for Jimmy Valvano (the North Carolina State basketball coach who died of cancer)," Bushelli said.
A respected History teacher and a one time girls’ basketball and football coach himself, Bushelli understands what it takes to be a good coach. So he appreciates it when a fantastic head coach like Don Hess, can nearly win Group III Central Jersey titles in two different sports.
"I knew Don’s girls soccer team would be improved, but there’s no way I expected them to do what they did," said Bushelli, who felt the same way about Hess’ boys’ varsity basketball team.
Bushelli also applauds the fantastic jobs Julie Reisig did with the field hockey team and MIke Russo did with the wrestling team. Once upon a time Hightstown sports was built on football and Ed Kopp returned the Rams’ football squad to prominence this season.
"Ed Kopp deserves a lot of credit because he really turned around our defense and we focused on that, even in the games we lost," said Bushelli, who will miss Kopp’s hard work and dedication. "Number one, our coaches are out there to educate. Less than 2 percent of all athletes get athletic scholarships."
Nonetheless, this year players like Jessica Haughton, Kenny Amponsa, Tara Milluszewski, Ify Onochie, Tim Lawson, Mike Williston, Tim Trivisonno and many others have become household names in Hightstown.
When Bushelli took the position of Athletic Director he never expected the diversity of work he would encounter. He does everything from making sure the school’s facilities are in proper playing condition to learning all the rules and regulations involved in steroid testing. Still, a vast number of his conversations with parents concern their child’s playing time. But nearly every AD in America could probably make that claim.
Most of all, Bushelli likes his job because he gets to work with student athletes on a personal level. "I love it. I get to know people like Kenny (Amponsa), Trivisonno and Lawson," said Bushelli.
When Amponsa recently took 5th place at the state wrestling meet at Atlantic City, Bushelli was as much a fan as anyone.
"To take fifth in the state while giving up nearly 20 pounds a match is remarkable," said Bushelli, who has been in awe of Jessica Haughton’s achievements in field hockey and track and field for years.
And when Hightstown fans travelled by the hundreds to watch their boys’ varsity basketball team take on Neptune and Monmouth Regional, Bushelli was standing right there with them. He likes and understands kids. In fact, after Hightstown beat Neptune, Bushelli talked to Rams’ senior point guard Mike Williston for several minutes about the game. He loves all the schools’ sports programs, successful or not.
So when the powers that be proposed that student athletes "pay to play," Bushelli immediately saw it for the bad idea it is.
"I’m very much opposed to it. It’s going to put more pressure on coaches to play players (equal time)," said Bushelli. "And we have more disadvantaged kids than some areas. This year’s boys’ basketball team, 25 years from now we’ll still be talking about them. And that may not have happened."
Bushelli always has the kids’ best interest at heart. He thanks principal Alix Arviso and superintendent Ron Bolandi for all their help over the years. He understands he can’t do it alone and working with people is what he does best. Gary Bushelli "gets it" and now he’ll be finally be honored by his peers for years of excellence.
