Archive: Sports

Fans following Lansing's varsity girls basketball team this season know that the team has had an outstanding season, 15-0 as of this writing.  At Saturday's Lansing Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony a special landmark was acknowledged.  Stuart Dean received a plaque marking his 400th career win in his 24 years as Lansing Varsity Girls Basketball Coach.

"This can mean two things -- either you've had great teams, or you've been around an awful long time!" said Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Marty Christopher.  "In Stu's case it's both.  I noticed that this 400th career win moves him to the top dozen coaches in New York State."

Dean, a Physical Education teacher at Lansing High School, started his coaching career here at Lansing in 1978, while completing his senior year at Ithaca College.  Hired by then Athletic Director Fred Caliel to coach junior varsity basketball, Dean worked under Caliel for three years.  "Fred served as my first and most influential coaching mentor from a basketball standpoint," Dean says.  "A great deal of what I know and still apply I learned from him during those three years."


Dean took over as coach of the Varsity Girls Basketball team in 1982.  He took a year off in 1985 to do graduate work, then returned to Lansing in 1986.  He coached the boys basketball team for a year in 1995 when Caliel passed away.  Between the boys and girls and JV teams, he has been a Lansing basketball coach for 28 years, teadching here for 24.

Under his tutelage, the girls basketball team has scored more than 400 wins and 107 losses.  Dean credits the community for that remarkable 4:1 ratio.  "I've been blessed over the years with outstanding, dedicated student athletes, quality individuals first and foremost, a reflection of the parenting that takes place here in Lansing," he says.

Over the years Dean says the 2000-2001 team stands out in his memories.  That year the girls won the New York State Class C Championship, and Dean says it was a 'once in a lifetime' group that he was privileged to coach.  He says this year's team has the potential too, and with a shutout season so far the players make up a basketball powerhouse.  Underlining that potential, the team scored a 53-31 victory over Dryden after the Hall of Fame presentation, bringing their season total to 15-0.

"This is an unbelievable group, with great variety: one freshman, two sophomores, three juniors and three outstanding senior leaders," he says.  "We've received great leadership from our 3 senior Captains, Beth Lader, Megan Palladino and Rachael Palladino. Additionally we've had the benefit of a volunteer assistant coach, Beth Anne Duncan, an Ithaca College student whose time and energies have been an important ingredient to our present level of success. They continue to work hard and improve with each day, taking each game one at a time, and we're hopeful that our best basketball is still ahead of us."

Dean says the most important things he can teach his players are work ethic, commitment, teamwork, and sportsmanship.  "Being part of a team means sacrificing many things," he notes.  "Sportsmanship is the correct way to compete both in practice and games, the appropriate way to handle victory and defeat and to learn from both.  It is respect, for teammates and opponents in addition to the game."


In that vein Dean considers himself a part of the larger team, and views his success as a coach as part of a bigger picture.  "I know anytime you are fortunate enough to reach these type of milestones that you don't get there on your own," he says.  "I would like to thank all of the great student athletes I've had the pleasure of coaching and their parents for allowing me to do so.  I would like to thank the number of assistant coaches I've had the pleasure of working with over that period of time, with a special thanks to Adam Heck our JV coach in 2000-01, we couldn't have achieved that Championship without you!  I would also like to thank Fred Caliel, for not only giving me the opportunity to coach here at Lansing High School but for providing me the foundation in coaching that I still utilize today.  Last but certainly not least I would like to thank my wife Terri, who's many sacrifices have allowed me to pursue my passion that is coaching.  I don't think I could ever appropriately thank her enough for her support and understanding over the past 27 years."

That foundation and support guides him as he looks to the future.  Dean says that winning teams start with talented players.  "As a coach you are only as good as your players," he says.  "To be a successful team you need to get all team members committed towards a common goal.  Sacrificing individual goals for those of the team is a difficult proposition, but a necessary one if you really want to be successful. You also have to have coachable athletes willing to work hard on a daily bases. Team chemistry is also a critical factor, and you also have to have some good luck along the way as well."

At Saturday's presentation the standing room only crowd made it clear that they give Dean a lot of the credit.  In a presentation that only took two minutes, they applauded and cheered him four times.

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