By RICH FISHER
Contributing Editor
As Chris Alesi takes the helm as boys basketball coach for St. Rose High School, Belmar, he brings a strong background in both religion and coaching.
For 15 years Alesi taught and was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Xaverian High School, Brooklyn, N.Y., where he’s in the school’s Hall of Fame for his basketball prowess. Alesi attends Blessed Sacrament Parish, Staten Island, and is thrilled to join a school that puts faith first.
“Our day starts and ends with prayer,” Alesi said. “A lot of our classes start and end with prayer, and our practices and games do too.”
He has grown to understand the purpose of prayer as well as its power.
“The one thing I’ve learned through the years is, no matter how hard you pray, God doesn’t care if you win or lose,” Alesi said. “What you’re praying for is keeping everyone’s body healthy and mind sharp, and to embrace the experience and the journey.”
Alesi’s journey has brought him to a program that became a state power under Brian Lynch over the past four years. Before leaving to take a coaching position at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, Lynch guided St. Rose to an 88-26 record, two Shore Conference Tournament titles, one NJSIAA Non-Public B crown and three trips to the state finals.
A high bar has been set, made even higher by the fact that Northwestern University recruit Jayden Hodge and several other St. Rose players transferred when Lynch left.
That did not deter Alesi after six seasons as head coach of NCAA Division III program Manhattanville University, where his teams went 80-57 with two trips to the Skyline Conference finals. He also coaches the nationally renowned AAU New Jersey Shoreshots, and has a reputation for emphasizing academic integrity, player development and community service.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a high school coach,” Alesi said. “I love the high school game, I love the process, I love developing players from freshmen to seniors. It’s a calling, I think, more than anything. It’s something you’re sometimes born into. I’ve spent my whole childhood around high school teams and high school practices with my dad.”
The Staten Island resident realizes that coming from college to high school will require more patience, considering the change in maturity level.
“Division III college kids are really mature,” Alesi said. “They know what they sign up for. They’re experts in time management because it’s something they choose to do.”
And while 15-year-olds also choose to do it, they are not yet experienced in budgeting time.
“With high school kids, especially some of the younger guys, it’s teaching them good habits,” Alesi said. “It’s like a full-time job — the time they put into lifting, the off-season, the preseason. It’s a year-round process.”
He continued, “Patience is probably the right word with high school kids. There’s always gonna be distractions and challenges. But watching kids grow, that’s the reward. You watch them come in as freshmen and leave as young men. If you do your job the right way that’s more important than the wins and losses.”
Of course, winning is a key objective and Alesi will rely mainly on returning seniors Tyler Cameron and O’Rien Campbell; along with incoming transfers Marco Leonardis from Gill St. Bernard Upper School, Gladstone; Frank Marullo from Rumson-Fair Haven, High School, Rumson, and AJ Catania from Ranney School, Tinton Falls.
“Tyler is our point guard, he’s a great defender, very athletic,” Alesi said. “O’Rien didn’t play as much but he’s primed to have a really good senior year. Both of those guys will be college basketball players. If they have strong years they can get to the Division II level.”
Leonardis is a combination guard with a high basketball IQ and solid perimeter shot. Marullo is just 6-foot-2 but is strong and can rebound so he will be at the five spot. As for Catania, the coach thinks that the player “is one of he best shooters in the conference.” Catania’s dad, Nick, is the former Point Pleasant Beach coach.
Alesi is still coaching the Shoreshots youth teams but is unsure if he will continue in the spring. Where St. Rose is concerned, he understands it is a rebuilding season after three years of state domination, but loves the situation he has inherited.
“There’s a ton of tradition here,” he said. “They’ve always had really good teams, a great alumni base, a great support system. I had a desire to run my own program at a Catholic high school and close to home. I also got a teaching job here. St. Rose is great environment and it’s a basketball environment. I’m pretty confident we can attract some really good players.”