Walk into Rick Shields’ office, and it’s pretty easy to figure out he loves volleyball.
The small bulletin board to the right of his desk is filled with volleyball team pictures and group shots of previous players from the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Every time an athlete brings Shields a photo, he adds it to his little wall of fame. The wall now serves as a timeline of CAPA’s successful boys’ and girls’ programs.
The 2002-03 season will be remembered as another proud one in the school’s volleyball history. The boys’ team finished an undefeated regular season last month by advancing to its third Public League championship game in four years. Back in the fall, Shields, who also works in the school’s roster office, led the Pegasus girls’ squad to the Public League semifinals. Now the coach is getting his own share of the spotlight with the Review‘s 2003 Coach of the Year Award.
Shields, 58, a recreational volleyball player himself, credits the athletes for helping establish CAPA as a boys’ Public League volleyball power. The inaugural 1998 team finished a modest 5-10. Several years later, the coach’s r�sum� includes two undefeated seasons, three championship appearances and the 2001 Public League title.
The results have far exceeded any expectations Shields had when CAPA established its volleyball program.
"Honestly, I didn’t think we would ever get to this level," the Roxborough resident said.
These days, the South Philly program is well respected around the league. When Shields attended the Public League coaches’ meeting in March, his colleagues acknowledged that CAPA was one of the teams they didn’t want to face.
Most of those coaches would’ve been content playing for a Public League title, as CAPA did. But Shields admitted that losing 3-1 to Masterman was a letdown.
"The more successful you are, the more you want to do better," Shields said. "We wanted to beat everybody and beat them bad. I am still disappointed that we lost."
Even after the season ended, the coach continued to open CAPA’s gym during fifth period so his players could practice their skills.
Coaching young athletes isn’t enough to satisfy Shields’ appetite for the sport. The coach, who started playing in adult recreational leagues at age 45, considers himself "a volleyball junkie." Six years ago, Shields even played in a volleyball tournament with his son, Dave, in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
He enjoys renewing CAPA’s shot at a championship each year. Next season, the coach will once again recruit among the student body, which consists mostly of aspiring dancers, singers and actors.
The Pegasus will lose Public League all-stars Omar Malcolm, Ronald Gordon and Karuna Mum to graduation, but Shields said he still has a solid core returning next season. And the championship talk has already started.
The boys will hope to borrow from the success of past years. The 2000 season marked the first time a CAPA boys’ volleyball team advanced to the championship game with an undefeated record. A year later, the Pegasus won it all. Shields has his players refocused and recharged for a 2004 championship run.
"The kids know not to take anything for granted," the coach said. "They already said they aren’t going to [lose in the championship game] again."
Runners-up
Gene Mattioli, Neumann bowling
Mattioli is a regular on this annual list, as he continues to win one Catholic League title after another. This year was no exception, as the Pirates defeated St. Joseph’s Preparatory High 3,184-2,824 to complete their second three-peat over the last seven seasons. The first-place squad also set a new team record for total pins in a championship match.
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Carl Arrigale, Neumann basketball
The 2001 winner of the award compiled another solid season at 26th and Moore streets by leading the Pirates to the Catholic League semifinals before losing 70-60 to Northern Division champ Cardinal Dougherty. Neumann finished second in the Southern Division with a 12-2 record and overall mark of 18-8.
Frank Cipparone, GAMP softball
The Pioneers might not have reached their goal of the Public League semifinals, but still recorded a memorable season. GAMP set a new school record with nine Gold Division wins — good enough for third place. The great run ended with a 9-6 quarterfinal loss to Girls High.
