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As a holder of a master’s degree in British literature, Sam Tropiano has certainly encountered Malvolio’s “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them” from William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Resolute in helping youths to realize the magnitude of their might, the native of the 2500 block of South Sartain Street received an irrevocable reminder of their receptivity to his encouragement May 16, with the Bishop Eustace Preparatory School baseball team downing Gloucester Catholic 2-1 to give him his 600th coaching victory.
“I’m more enthused with their heart than with the fact that I hit that milestone,” the Garden State inhabitant said of becoming the fourth South Jersey skipper to reach that total. “I’ll look back on it one day and ponder the severity, but in the baseball world, you have to stay in the moment and take care of business. For me, that’s thinking about the team we’re going to field next year and how well we’ll perform as a unit.”
The Lower Moyamensing product accomplished the rare feat in the quarterfinals of the 42nd annual Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, which the Pennsauken-situated Crusaders captured for the fifth time in his 26-year stint. Having added six more celebrations to his ledger, the leader acknowledges the impressive nature of his tally but prefers to derive more pride from considering the mutual growth that has occurred on the diamond.
“I coach awesome kids, and it’s always been that way,” Tropiano, also the mastermind behind 20 conference, six South Jersey and five state championships, said. “The greatest benefit of my job is to help them to stay focused.”
In keeping them from falling prey to pressure, he can call on lessons from his Advanced Placement Psychology course at the school, where he also serves as the history and social sciences department chair. His two realms often dovetail because of their inherent competitive components, with Tropiano noting that a field often finds players prone to reflect on missed chances when they should be concentrating on upcoming opportunities.
“When I look at teaching and coaching, I see perking up their motivation as a standout obligation,” he said. “They have to let go of failures because a shot at redemption can be theirs in no time.”
With four campaigns at Richland, N.J.’s St. Augustine Prep School as well, Tropiano has logged three decades as a mentor and continues to court innovative techniques through various conferences. Doing so as part of his classroom instruction enhancement, too, he knows that no matter the endeavor, one must mind only the present.
“Guys come along and because of such benefits as private instruction, they are really advanced,” Tropiano revealed. “In their academic work, too, children today are showing amazing progress, and I’m fascinated with watching that unfold. I’m never going to knock 600 wins, but give me someone who makes a key realization as a player or learner, and I’ll be ecstatic.”
Born in Italy’s Calabria region, the renowned figure, whose baseball accolades include honors from the Courier-Post, the Hot Stover’s Baseball Club, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the South Jersey Baseball Coaches Association, first enlisted soccer as his sporting obsession. Moving to South Philly when he was 6, Tropiano, despite an initial language barrier, quickly fell under the spell of the environs, noting that the camaraderie and competitive fire among his peers proved pivotal in his maturation.
“There are so many great memories from my time there,” he said of his presence in the expanse, which bred enrollment at and soccer participation for Bishop Neumann High School, formerly 2600 Moore St. “We all knew our neighbors, and there was a real sense of community.”
Gravitation toward gregarious people served him well at Villanova University, where he met his wife, Marianne, and secured a bachelor’s in secondary education, with a concentration in English, and the aforementioned master’s degree. Romance and his vocation led to his settling in the Garden State, with Laurel Springs as his sanctuary. Regardless of his address, Tropiano has always loved infusing youths with added belief in their bounteous gifts and values his role in conditioning their brains and their bodies.
“Along with coaching great kids, I teach them, too,” he said of registrants, giving a nod to their competence in handling a course whose 14 areas cause the content to go at a “very, very brisk place.” “Everything about my time at Bishop Eustace fills me with admiration for the chance to convey and exchange ideas.”
That discipline has helped to make the Crusaders a highly commendable club, as Tropiano has overseen a slew of seasons with at least 20 triumphs, including 10 straight from 2001 to ’10. The recipient of the ’13 Sportsmanship Award from the New Jersey Umpires Association has always stressed having an intense appreciation for all facets of the game, a mindset that he is using as the director of Bishop Eustace’s 24th annual Scholastic Baseball Camps.
“Kids become so passionate about this game, and it’s wonderful how when they focus on the matters at hand, they can start to see how baseball might fit into their future,” Tropiano, who has been able to count many college and professional successes, said. “When people put it all together upstairs, greatness can be theirs.”
The gifted guide figures to keep nodding his noggin at his charges for years to come, and though he might not be engaging in much prognostication, who’s to say he cannot hit 700 wins?
“Every day is an opportunity to make an impression,” Tropiano said. “I’ve been fortunate to use what people have taught me to apply it to others. That’s a great feeling.”
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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