Andrew Romanella
FDU Florham Baseball – Madison, New Jersey
Hometown: Allentown, New JerseyÂ
Education: St. Thomas Aquinas College (NY)Â
Twitter:Â @CoachRomo24
Email: aromanella [at] fdu.edu
The moment you first realized that you might like to make coaching part of your career.
While I was in college, I watched my brother take a role as the assistant hockey coach at St. Michael’s University in Vermont. This gave me the opportunity to gain insight into the coaching profession. I learned the importance of building relationships and the opportunity coaches have to have a positive effect on student-athletes lives. Each time I watched him bench, I realized what I wanted to do.
Outside of mentors, talk about one or more ways you’ve learned some aspect of coaching.
The Gunnery School. That is a private high school in Connecticut that I attended for 4-years. Each teacher at The Gunnery is more than a teacher, they are a mentor. They take the time to learn who the students are, why they are here and what they can do to help them succeed. And it goes beyond the classroom and field. The faculty wanted to know who I was as a person and how they could help me grow. Without those experiences, I am not who I am today.
If you could go back to your rookie coach self and give one piece of advice, what would it be?
The coaching profession is not about wins and losses, it is about building relationships and helping develop great individuals. Do not take losing personally and do not prioritize winning over personal development. I did not understand this then but as I have gone further in my career I have learned the importance of building relationships and development.
Best career or work advice you ever received.
Tighten the lug nuts. This is something that my dad has spoken about his entire life and is the title of his book. The idea, small details matter. If you don’t worry about the lose lug nut today, it will become a big problem tomorrow. Take care of the small details every day and you will build toward long term success.
Your dream lunch date. One coach. Any sport. Any level. Living or dead. Who is it?
Jackie Robinson. I want to know how he handled the pressure of breaking the color barrier. What he did mentally to get him through some of the things he heard and situations he had to endure. How can someone take that much, stay positive and be legendary?
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