Calista retiring from Wheeler
Pawtucket native spent 30 years at Wheeler School
PAWTUCKET – After 30 years of unwavering commitment to the Wheeler School boys' basketball and baseball programs, Jeff Calista has chosen to retire, much to the chagrin of the Warriors' studentathletes, fellow coaches, teachers, administrators and parents.
The Pawtucket native, now 60, decided to give up his lengthy gig as baseball skipper to devote more time to his expanding business in the city, “A Little Bit of Everything,” as well as his family and friends.
“A little clock in my head told me; I knew it was time,” he grinned sadly from his Daggett Avenue den on Thursday afternoon. “It went off for me a couple of weeks after our last (baseball) game. I was here at home one day reflecting on the season, and just figured it would be the best time.
“The two things I wanted most was to leave the baseball program in at least as good a shape for the returning players and the incoming freshmen, and it should be,” he added. “Wheeler should be one of the favorites to win Division III next season.
“Other than that, although I knew I couldn't pick my successor, I did strongly recommend a player who I had coached when I was with the Pawtucket RBI (club) in the early 2000s. His name is Pete Olsen, a former North Providence High School and Rhode Island College star.
“I told Dan Miller, the headmaster, and Jon Donahue, the athletic director, about him, so they met with him and hired him. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have bringing Wheeler to the next level than Pete.”
When asked if he already missed the daily practices, the instructing, the contests, etc., he immediately nodded, “Of course. I've already told them that I would be involved in anything they wanted me to, that if a basketball or baseball coach got sick, I'd be there. I also said I still planned on going to the games and provide support as much as I could.”
While his plan to yield the post came in mid-June, it didn't become official until October. When news filtered through the Rhode Island interscholastic baseball community that Calista had hung up his spikes, it didn't take long for his phone to start ringing.
“In the span of 10 days to two weeks, I received six offers from different coaches to become an assistant,” he laughed at the coaxing attempts. “They came from former players or friends of mine.”
He told them all he'd love to, but couldn't. That exhibits how much respect and admiration folks have for Calista, who just last season propelled the Warriors to a 12-6 regularseason mark and a third-place tie with eventual D-III champion Burrillville.
Calista knew early on he would someday coach; that inkling came to him when he started playing in the Darlington American Little League in the mid-1960s.
When he reached Tolman High in 1970, he played basketball for the late Jim Donaldson and baseball for the late Ted McConnon, two of the finest mentors the Tigers ever had. In the process, Calista collected six letters, three each in his two favorite endeavors.
Not surprisingly, his playing and coaching careers are filled with legendary figures on the city's athletic scene.
“My father (John) taught me all about baseball, and I had Mike Smith as my junior high coach,” Calista noted. “Mike brought me further along, and his son, Sean, who later signed a contract with the New York Yankees, was my assistant (at Wheeler) for 14 years.”
Although he didn't seek to walk on at the University of Rhode Island's baseball squad, he did glean a Bachelor's of Business Administration in 1977. Even before that, however, he spent time in the summers coaching within the Darlington National Little League, doing so with Ron Pomfret, and continued his relationship with the DNLL long after graduation.
“Around 1985, because I had been friends with Mike Reeder (a renowned high school hoop official), I mentioned to him how interested I was in coaching on the high school level,” Calista stated. “A week later, he called me back, saying, 'I have a great opportunity for you at Wheeler.'
“At first, I was, like, ' Wheeler?' and he said, ' Jeff, just go meet with the AD, Julie Baldwin, and see what she has to say.' So I went for an interview, and I ended up the middle school's boys' basketball coach. When she offered it to me, I said, 'Sure, I'll do it!'
“I didn't know what to expect, with it being such a famed private school, but my first impression of the school was its cleanliness and the friendliness of the people,” he continued. “I just loved the people, from the players to the administrators to the teachers to the parents. It was such a friendly, familytype atmosphere, and the support I received was phenomenal.”
That was in September 1985, and he spent a year mentoring those seventh- and eighthgraders before moving up to the head JV position and varsity assistant under thenhead coach Donahue. He learned a lot under Donahue, and in about 1991, became a varsity assistant alone.
Calista didn't know it at the time, but – in the span of mere months – he'd have a lot more on his plate at Wheeler.
“Jon came to me in, I guess it was September of 1991, and said they wanted to start up a baseball program, then ' Do you want to coach it?'” he explained. “I just told him, 'Yes, definitely.' I've always loved baseball and basketball equally, and I had already been at Wheeler for six or seven years. I had already fallen in love with the place and the people; they were like part of my family.
“It was a process, as I expected it would be,” he added. “The most difficult part about it was creating interest in the program. I think (the powers-that-be) started it because some parents had gone to the headmaster, Bill Prescott, and said, ' My son plays baseball, and he really wants to play in high school. Can you form a team?'”
The biggest issue was this: Wheeler was a school of perhaps 135-140 boys, and a lot of them were involved with either lacrosse or tennis, both spring sports like baseball.
“I knew getting the kids' interest would be tough, except for those who already were playing some form of youth baseball,” he admitted. “I started with 14-15 kids in the late winter of 1992, including a couple of girls. Because we were brand new, we had a JV schedule playing within the Southeastern New England Prep School League, and we didn't win much, if at all.
“The following year, we actually won some games playing a half-JV and half-varsity schedule, and finished a little below .500. In 1994, we finally joined the SENE Prep School Varsity League, and got better. By 2000, we became a consistent .500 team.”
Under Calista's tutelage, not to mention his able assistants (among them Sean Smith), Wheeler captured six straight league crowns between 2001 and 2006, and even snared a New England Prep School co-championship in 2004.
Ironically, that was the last season he would serve as the head JV hoop coach and varsity assistant.
Two years after that final league title, in 2008, Wheeler brass chose to join the Rhode Island Interscholastic League as a Division II representative.
“That became a whole new chapter in the life of Wheeler baseball because of the step up in competition,” Calista said. “We were also going to be playing more games. The important thing there was I had two area coaches who really helped me out with the transition to the Interscholastic League – Theo Murray of Tolman and Dino Campopiano of Shea.
“I had known Theo since he was 16; in fact, four years ago (in 2011), we took our ( Tigers and Warriors) players to Cooperstown to both compete and see the Hall of Fame,” he continued. “We actually played on Doubleday Field.
“It turned out to be a tremendous trip for all of us; the camaraderie, watching the kids become friends, was priceless. Seeing their reactions to traveling and having photos taken in front of the plaques of the greats, man, it was amazing! We told them that Doubleday had once been used by professionals, and they were thrilled by it.
“Anyway, Theo and Dino helped me get to know the other teams in D-II, the coaches, the logistics of playing the schedule. Our biggest problem was both depth and quality. We had some great players, but then there was a dropoff (in talent and knowledge). It was so hard to compete because a lot of those D-II teams were so good.
“I had long been a proponent of the IL realigning into three divisions, and – after my first year – I brought that up at Interscholastic League meetings. It wasn't just for Wheeler's benefit, but for all of high school baseball. Some teams were getting blown out by 20-6 or 18-1 scores; I wanted to make teams more competitive statewide.”
RIIL officials finally added that third division a few years ago.
“In the seven years after 2008, we made the playoffs three times,” he said proudly. “Last season, we lost two games (to Mount Hope and state runner-up Juanita Sanchez) under the double-elimination format, but it was great getting there. The kids were elated.”
Murray admitted being saddened by the news of Calista's retirement.
“I've known him a long time, and I'm going to miss him,” he said. “I first met Jeff when I was in high school (at Shea), and we've been friends since. We were like family … Jeff's a great guy, and I don't know if Dino knew him or not, but he wanted to help (with his advancement to the RIIL), and so did I. Nobody had as much of an effect on me as Jeff. He's one of the best I've ever seen at game management, situational baseball; I can say that unequivocally.
“He knew baseball inside and out, and he was always prepared, a true baseball mind. Say I asked for a bunt defense, he'd still be able to expose you, catch you on a suicidesqueeze. You know, I think he stole home against me (and the Tolman squad) twice in a row because he had my pitchers so discombobulated.
“Very rarely would you think someone could do that to you, but he did. He made me think about so many other different situations. He taught me so much.”
Calista admitted he had a “phenomenal ride” at Wheeler, but couldn't have done it without such outstanding assistants.
“I got to coach with Russ Martin and Andy Avakian, two of my old teammates at Tolman, and Ron Pomfret, who I coached with in Little League,” he said. “I coached Pawtucket RBI with the legendary George Patrick Duffy and also Mark Cooke, who was with me at Wheeler before moving on to Bishop Feehan and Dean College.
“I loved every minute of it. The relationships I had, and have, as a result of coaching, will always be with me. I spent 30 years at Wheeler, 23 in baseball as the head coach. I still can't believe it was that long. I figure I've coached at least 300-400 kids, maybe more.
“That tells me I'm a very lucky man. I've coached young men who went on to be doctors, lawyers, surgeons, television writers, bank presidents, you-name-it. The greatest reward I get is when one of them calls for advice, or just to check up on me and say 'Hi!' When they say, 'Coach, thanks for everything,' boy, that hits you.”
“My father ( John) taught me all about baseball, and I had Mike Smith as my junior high coach,” Mike brought me further along, and his son, Sean, who later signed a contract with the New York Yankees, was my assistant (at Wheeler) for 14 years.”
- Pawtucket native Jeff Calista