Interview with Coach Cerone

Eliza Ndreu

As a basketball player myself, I found that this edition of the newspaper was a perfect opportunity for me to write about the sport. My basketball coach, Carly Cerone, has shown profound leadership and coaching skills various times through games and practices. Cliffside has always shown continuous support in the athletics department, and students thoroughly engage in school spirit. To get a better understanding of the girls’ basketball team, I recently interviewed Coach Cerone about the team and the season. Coach Cerone wanted to make an honorable mention to player Maya Winters, a senior athlete who I have seen first-hand give her all during games and practices when asked about any captains and players who have shown true leadership skills. Maya recently sunk her 1,000th point for the CP Raiders and was featured in Yahoo News and on NJ.com for her achievement.

An obvious concern for not only basketball, but every sport, has been COVID-19. Cliffside has actively been coming out with new mandates to ensure the safety of players and their families. Unfortunately, COVID has significantly impacted the season, but the girls’ basketball team has not let it stop them. “We have had to adopt a very flexible, go with the flow mindset. In such uncertain times, we have learned to appreciate every moment on the court,” Cerone stated. Although there has been some adjusting, the team’s dedication and commitment to the sport have been constant. When I asked her about one change she would make to the season, she shared, “no more Covid interruptions :).”

Another question I had asked Cerone was about the total number of wins and losses the team had, “4-10, though a majority of our games have been very competitive!” Sitting on the bleachers and watching some of the games has been a great experience; consistently on the edge of my seat, waiting for new shots to go up, and checking the scoreboard while the players hustle up and down the court with steals and fastbreaks.

Coach Cerone has been through a long journey and I'm happy to have been part of it for three years and counting. She was inspired to start coaching from her own involvement in basketball: “My love for the game and my passion for teaching and helping players develop” brought her to the sport and made her continue as coach for seven seasons.”

This basketball season has been quite an interesting one, and I can say that I, the coaches, and players are thrilled to see where the rest of it takes us. In the words of Kobe Bryant, “Everything negative - pressure, challenges, are all an opportunity for me to rise.”