Tom Scalfani A nybody who doesn’t believe basketball is asmuch a mental game as it is physical should listen to East Brunswick High School’s new girls coach, Tom Scalfani.
“I come from Brooklyn,” Scalfani says, “and grew up playing a lot of chess. What attracted me to basketball was that it reminded me of a chess match taking place on the floor. An opponent presents an offense and our team counters with a defense. The other team changes to another offense, and back and forth it goes.”
Scalfani hopes his “game” enables East Brunswick to return to being the kind of team thatwas always among the best in the Greater Middlesex Conference. He takes over for former Bears star Katie Motusesky, who resigned after eight seasons.
A resident of East Brunswick for 15 years, Scalfani’s last coaching assignment was as an assistant for three years at Highland Park, where he also teaches. Scalfani was head coach the previous three seasons. Coaching the Owls was the latest of a list of appointments that enabled him to gain experience in the high school and college ranks.
“I graduated from Bishop Ford [Brooklyn] in 1977,” he says, “and frankly, I couldn’tmake the basketball team because the competition was so fierce. When I moved on to college at St. Francis [Brooklyn], I was sitting in a class taught by the women’s basketball coach, who asked if anybody wanted to volunteer as an assistant. I raised my hand but looked around and saw I was the only one who volunteered.”
Scalfani was 19 years old and says he was the youngest coach, men or women, in the country. Following graduation, he moved to Scranton and become an assistant women’s basketball coach. During one season, the Royals posted a 26- 5 record and were the fifthranked Division III team. He later moved to Stevens Tech, where he became head coach and was voted Conference Coach of the Year three times.
Scalfani decided to move to
East Brunswick from his native Brooklyn 15 years ago. He is the father of two children, Dan, who played for the Bears and has graduated, and Dayna, who will be a freshman.
“When Katie decided to step down,” Scalfani said, “a few parents thought I should apply for the job. Actually, what convincedme to go for it was my daughter. I thought this was a great opportunity to bring my philosophy to a program with a great reputation.” Scalfani plans to meet with members of the current team, which includes four returning players, and assess their skills with an eye toward developing a rotation. The team will then embark on what he describes as a vigorous conditioning program leading up to preseason practice.
“We lost five to graduation, and the returning players deserve the first opportunity to show what they can do,” Scalfani contends. “However, when all is said and done, I plan to go with the best players.”
Scalfani is especially excited that a number of potential players participate in other sports, including soccer.
“What might be considered a negative situation,” he says, “is actually a positive, in my opinion. Soccer is the primary sport for some, but the way I look at it, we’re getting players who are extremely well conditioned and will be major assets to our team.”
Once the program lands on its feet, Scalfani plans to encourage as many players as possible to participate in AAU basketball.
“That’s the major feeding ground for college prospects,” he says. “The competition is great, and it enables the girls to enhance their skills.”
In addition to teaching and coaching, Scalfani is president of Coaches Choice USA, a scouting management group that conducts clinics, camps and individual training sessions for boys and girls who want to further develop their skills and visibility with college coaches.
Concerning his appointment as East Brunswick coach, Scalfani understands the challenges he faces.
“I’m looking forward to them,” he says. “East Brunswick is a great school system, and the athletic program is among the tops in the state. It may take a few years to get to the place I knowwe can be, but I welcome taking on the challenge.”