A student of the game

A familiar face has taken the reins over the Keene State College throwing program.
John Napolitano was hired as the throwing coach for the KSC track and field coach immediately preceding before the 2009-10 season.

“I took the job about two hours before the season started in October,” Napolitano said.
Former throwing coach Darcy Wilson left the Owls to coach at the University of Massachusetts.

“[Wilson] left Keene to coach at UMass for about triple the salary,” head track and field coach Peter Thomas said. “She is hoping to be a head coach one day and thought this would be a good way to build her resume.”

Napolitano was glad to accept the job and coach at the school he once threw for.
“I took a lot of pride throwing here. I was going to volunteer my time and help [Wilson], but she ended up taking the job,” Napolitano said. “It was very cool to come back and especially coach a lot of the kids that were my teammates.”

 Napolitano graduated from KSC in 2008 where he earned All-Little East Conference honors six times and qualified for the New England Championships. When he threw for KSC, the program was different than it is today.

“When I was here, I was one of four throwers. Today we have 16. The program’s grown a lot,” Napolitano said.

Although Napolitano only had a season’s volunteering under his coaching resume, he has a strong background of coaching. When Napolitano went to Classical High School in Rhode Island, he was taught by hall-of-fame coaches Al Morro and Robert Palazzo.
“Morro was a volunteer coach and had 63 years experience. He trained 83 national champions, 443 All-Americans and more than 700 kids got scholarships because of him,” Napolitano said. “Palazzo was a great thrower who got a scholarship to throw at Harvard.”
At KSC, he was coached by Thomas, who has 26 years experience coaching track at the collegiate level.

With the coaching change, Napolitano said the way the team is run has changed. Wilson was more of a players coach and things were more relaxed. Napolitano said he is more strict and uses more tough love. To coach throwing more advice than “you may want to throw that hammer harder” is required.

“All the coaching goes into the technique. From high school to college, the weights go up. Once you get to the collegiate level, you can’t rely on just strength anymore. The technique becomes more important,” Napolitano said.

Napolitano also has to teach throwers a whole new event. For high school competitions students are not allowed to do the hammer throw, except in Rhode Island. Napolitano has to teach throwers how to do a whole new event when they arrive at Keene.
Since Napolitano was throwing just a few years ago, he recognized a significant transition from thrower coach.

“At the beginning the transition was hard. Every time that I go to the track meets, I’d hear the national anthem play and I’d get ready to throw. It was a tough adjustment but I think I made it pretty well,” Napolitano said.

Napolitano is arriving at a good time as the Owls have a record-breaking thrower already.
Senior Bryan Kolacz continues to re-write the book of records at KSC in his four years. In sports, sometimes when a new coach is brought in, the all-star doesn’t necessarily get a long with them, but this case is different.

“[Kolacz] and [Napolitano] got along really well last year,” Thomas said. “[Kolacz] really listened to what [Napolitano] had to say. It’s been a good fit.”

According to Napolitano, Kolacz loves the sport so much and coaches himself in a lot of ways. Napolitano steps in where Kolacz needs a second set of eyes to fix techniques.
“The things that I tell him are the things he couldn’t see on his own. I help him fix the small glitches in his technique. There have been nights where we have practiced until nine at night,” Napolitano said.

Napolitano said he is having fun with his coaching duties and it helps him get through his day.

“I work so many hours being the Assistant Sports Information Director. Coaching gives me a nice little break in my day,” Napolitano said

Chris Thelin can be contacted at cthelin@keeneequinox.com