HISTORY OF SAINT JOSEPH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Although teams, mostly basketball, have been associated with St Joe’s for many years it wasn’t until 1974 that the school began to organize an athletic program. In 1974 St Joseph School started a baseball program coached by John Markiewicz. Mr Markiewicz was assited by Richard Dowgiewicz for the first 4 years and in 1978 Carmine Cacciapuoti would become his assistant for the remaining years of baseball which ended in 1990. The baseball team played not only local Catholic schools but also local public schools such as Douglas, Grafton, Putnam and Woodstock. Also in 1974 a basketball program was started and led by Richard Skrocki and Dave Geotis.

The basketball program consisted of a boys team only and would play against schools like St Louis, St Anne’s, Marianhill (Trinity Catholic). In an interesting note the team was 0-14 their first season but in their second season the team went undefeated and won the league championship. In 1981 St Joseph School was one of the schools that broke from the Southbridge league to form the new Route 52 Parochial Conference consisting of Catholic Elementary schools in Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. In the beginning of the league there were only Boys JV and Boys Varsity teams. In the 1984-1985 season Girls teams were added. For the first 17 years our own Carmine Cacciapuoti held the League Commissioner title.

Between 1976 and 1980 a cheering program was begun and our squads have been competing in local and league tournaments as well as cheering on our basketball teams ever since.

In 2009 the decision was made to start for the first time a soccer program. The two co-ed teams consisting of both Jv and Varsity compete against St Anne’s, Trinity Catholic, Bartlett and The Rectory School. The program was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm and almost 40 students chose to join and have continued to do so each and every year since.

The athletic program has succeeded over the past almost 40 years because of its volunteer coaching and administrative personal and the generosity of its sponsors and benefactors. The Athletic department is currently looking for photos, news clipping or anything relating to our program as we are compiling it’s history for the schools website.