COACH HAS HIGH HOOPS
Believes investing more in HS sports can help fight gun violence
Ron Naclerio walked into Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens for the first time in 1973 as a sophomore. Nearly five decades later, he’s still there doing what he loves.
Since his 1975 graduation, Naclerio has coached the Bayside high school’s Cardozo Judges basketball team.
Naclerio, 65, has racked up more wins than any other coach in the history of the city’s Public Schools Athletic League — a point of pride he describes as his “life’s work.” Naclerio has also learned over the years that there’s a lot more to sports than winning.
“To be on a basketball team, a football team, a baseball team — it’s like being in a good gang. It’s a family,” Naclerio said. “The team becomes a positive presence for these kids. It teaches them accountability, leadership, discipline, they learn how to sacrifice and help each other.”
The city has seen a troubling uptick in shootings since the COVID-19 pandemic, and Naclerio, a Daily News Hometown Heroes nominee for his dedication to his students, believes Mayor Adams can take a page from his playbook to help fight the violence, which is often at the hands of teenagers.
The seasoned coach suggested that investing more in public school sports could be part of a holistic approach to combating gun violence.
Kids who are on varsity sports teams are required to maintain certain academic averages, giving them incentive to hit the books while dedicating their free time to athletics — a blend Naclerio said has worked wonders for many of his players.
“I’ve seen so much positivity in these kids — just showing them a little love, a little care. I’ve gotten calls and texts and letters from students just saying, ‘Thank you for listening,’ ” he said, noting that he has coached four students who ended up playing in the NBA, including former Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Royal Ivey, who’s now an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets.
“I’m hoping Eric Adams and (city Schools Chancellor) David Banks can reach out to me so that we can make not only a plan but come up with solutions, athletically and academically, because we are suffering” Naclerio said.
Investment in public schools sports is not part of Adams’ anti-gun plan — but he told the Daily News he’s interested in Naclerio’s ideas.
“After-school activities, like basketball, supply many kids with a much-needed positive outlet and help them focus their frustrations on something productive,” the mayor said. “My administration will continue to support young New Yorkers by investing in programs that provide transformative opportunities, like the Public Schools Athletic League.”
George Lanese, a friend of Naclerio’s and co-founder of About U Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to providing academic and athletic networking to city students, said the Cardozo coach has been an invaluable source of stability for his players during the pandemic.
“Coach Naclerio’s reputation for helping New York City public school basketball players over the last year is unparalleled,” said Lanese, who nominated Naclerio for the Hometown Heroes award.
Front and center for Naclerio at the moment is to host an outdoor basketball minitournament this summer between the Cardozo Judges and teams from three other city high schools that have lost students to gun violence.
In between games, Naclerio envisions lectures on gun violence and memorials for shooting victims — including 14-year-old Cardozo Judges freshman player Aamir Griffin who was killed by a stray bullet while shooting hoops at a court in South Jamaica in October 2019.
As Naclerio tries to gain momentum for his tournament proposal, he remains focused on doing what he can for his alma mater.
“I’ve made Cardozo my life,” he said. “I will probably die at Cardozo.”