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Hurricanes coach Ron Wojcik lead his team to four straight Western Massachusetts championships.

Sniezek, Wojcik To Be Honored for Their Passion

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
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Paul 'Tito' Sniezek, in referee stripes, has been involved with Adams youth sports for four decades.
ADAMS, Mass. — Talk to Paul Sniezek about his 40 years around youth sports, and it is clear why he does it.
 
"I think when you pick your team and then you put your players in there, I really like how they’re gung-ho about the sport," Sniezek said recently. "I love to see the kids make a nice play. I love to see the smiles.
 
"I don't like to see the negativity that sometimes happens, and that's why I try to teach respect for the game. I teach them to always think of positive things to say to your teammate or your opponent. Don't say anything negative. Respect the game."
 
Sniezek, known as Tito to his friends, and Ron Wojcik on Sunday will be honored with the Frank A. Zoltek Passion for Coaching Award.
 
The 10th annual "Frankie" Award will be bestowed on them at Forest Park Country Club on Sunday evening, in a banquet that follows the Frank A. Zoltek Memorial Golf Tournament.
 
Wojcik, a longtime boys and girls basketball varsity basketball coach at Pittsfield and, currently, Hoosac Valley, and Sniezek, whose resume includes coaching at the youth, high school and collegiate level, agreed that the award carries special meaning because of the man for whom it is named.
 
"I knew coach Zoltek was a motivator of kids, that he could bring kids to the next level. I was like, 'Gee, do I fit that category?' " Sniezek said of his reaction to hearing about his selection. "I've been with kids all my life, so I was happy to hear it."
 
It’s no exaggeration to say Sniezek has been around kids his whole life. He went directly from being one himself to coaching basketball in Adams' Church League at the age of 18.
 
He coached in the league, off and on, for more than a quarter century. He also has coached Babe Ruth baseball and been an assistant baseball coach at Hoosac Valley and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served as an umpire, and, for the last 38 years, he has been a scorekeeper and announcer at Hoosac Valley basketball games.
 
"My wife has been great about all the coaching and the scorekeeping," the husband and father notes, pointing out that it is a team effort on the home front as well. "I can’t imagine how many hours in my lifetime I’ve put in, but I’ve enjoyed it all."
 
While he is a familiar face on the sidelines, it is fair to say that Sniezek is not as well known to the casual fan as Wojcik, who in recent years has led the Hoosac Valley girls to four straight Western Massachusetts championships and three appearances in the state title game.
 
In 2005, Wojcik was the boys coach at PHS when he learned that he and Zoltek, the North Adams coaching legend, shared a love for more than just basketball.
 
"We had talked the basketball season before because I’m into fly fishing like he was," Wojcik said. "We had talked about getting together that upcoming spring."
 
Zoltek died in May 2005.
 
"So I knew him, but I probably would have had an opportunity  to know him even better if that trip had happened," Wojcik said. "I was looking forward to it."
 
This Sunday, Wojcik joins a long list of local coaches who have earned the award created just a year after Zoltek’s passing. Most of the men and women on the list — like Wojcik’s — are well know high school and college head coaches.
 
He is happy to see Sniezek join their company.
 
"There are so many people like Tito," Wojcik said. "Head coaches get a lot of stuff, but there are so many people behind the scenes -- youth coaches and assistant coaches. They’re heroes too.
 
"It’s nice when they can do something like this to honor people like Tito, too."
 
Past recipients:
 
2007 - Bill Robinson
2008 - Ray Miro
2009 - Bob LeClair and Bob Rivard
2010 - Jack Racette, Holly McGovern, Paul Barrett
2011 - Ed Noel and Erika DeSanty
2012 - George Canales and Steve Phaneuf
2013 - Shawn Flaherty
2014 - Al Giorgi and Mike Larabee
2015 - Blair Dils, Hilary and Hiram Greene, Steve Messina
 
Registration forms are available at Forest Park Country Club or contact Ed Noel at enoel43@verizon.net.

 


Tags: HVHS,   sports awards,   youth sports,   

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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