By: Avery Eskin
Coach Ricci first began coaching GV’s football team in 1986. After a span of 38 years of coaching and leading the team to 261 victories, Coach Ricci has announced his retirement. His impact on the school, but most specifically the football team, has been astronomical with his coaching bringing the Jaguars to playoffs nearly every year excluding one.
The statistics of Coach Ricci’s impact are endless from championships won to Central League titles acquired. But one of the most notable things is how many people joined the football team with Ricci leading. This can be accredited to Coach Riccis’ encouraging and inclusive attitude or more so the type of motivation he provides to his students.
For many years at the school, Coach Ricci has taught a class called High School 101. In this class, he gives his students’ life lessons that will help them not just in their schooling, but in their everyday lives. A few of the sayings Ricci says to his class are “do what you’re supposed to do”, “if it’s to be it’s up to me”, “choose to be positive”, and more. One of his most notable sayings however is the simplest and has most definitely motivated the football players as it was spoken at the end of every practice. This saying is, “oneness”.
Coach Ricci does not only preach oneness to his students and team, but to all of Garnet Valley. Whether you have had Coach Ricci as a teacher or a coach or never even met him, you have heard of oneness as well as the pyramid he made that is focused on hard work, character, and selflessness. The idea of oneness has had such an impact that it is plastered on decorations by GV fields and acknowledged by a plethora of GV students. It is beyond evident that Coach Ricci has had a positive impact on Garnet Valley.
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