Every father would love to have his son follow directly in his footsteps.

For a time, St. Edmund Prep, Sheepshead Bay, varsity baseball coach Joe Romano enjoyed watching his son, Joe Jr., break into the field of coaching.

But unfortunately, Joe Sr. lost a 13-month battle with pancreatic cancer in August, 2013 at the age of 57.

He had coached baseball at St. Edmund’s for 15 years, spending time as the freshman, junior varsity and varsity head coach. Last year, Joe Jr. joined the varsity staff as an assistant, but after his father’s passing, he took over as head coach prior to this season.

Joe Jr., a 28-year-old Marine Park native, graduated St. Edmund’s in 2004 and was a pitcher and first baseman on the baseball team. Though Joe Jr. didn’t play baseball for his dad, Joe Sr. coached his son on the junior varsity basketball team.

Joe Jr. went on to play baseball at St. Peter’s University, Jersey City, N.J., and coached there for four years. He now teaches sophomore history at St. Edmund’s in addition to coaching baseball.

The Eagles got off to a bit of a slow start in their first year with a new head coach, since the team is relying on contributions from mostly juniors.

“The adjustment for them has been pretty smooth I would say, because I was around a lot last year,” Joe Jr. said. “We are just really in a rebuilding year right now.”

Still, having a familiar face in the dugout has been beneficial for the team. In fact, Joe Jr.’s coaching philosophy is very similar to that of his father.

“It’s definitely different to have another coach, but he (Joe Jr.) brings a lot of the same things that his father taught us,” said Fred Gavitt, senior center fielder and team captain. “He teaches us the same aspects of the game. He’s really been great for us in getting through this slow start and keeping us together and playing hard.”

To honor the memory of Joe Sr., a few team members have his name written on their sleeves. The team also shouts the name “Joe” as they break from their pre-game huddle.

Family Legacy

As he begins his tenure as the Eagles’ head coach, Joe Jr. will always remember the lessons he learned from Joe Sr. as both his coach and of course his father.

“Baseball is a teaching tool either on the field or in life,” Joe Jr. said. “I can’t think of anything that he (Joe Sr.) didn’t teach me about baseball. Baseball is always a life lesson.”

Losing a parent at such a young age has to be extremely difficult, especially for someone like Joe Jr. who worked directly with his father. But Joe Sr.’s spirit lives on with the Eagles now that his son has taken over the program.

“That’s definitely something that I think he (Joe Sr.) really would have wanted to see,” Joe Jr. said. “He loved me being here last year. It was a good experience.”

As the Eagles’ juniors become seniors next fall, the team should have the experience it needs to succeed in the competitive Catholic League.

And as for the new “Coach Romano,” Joe Jr. is eager to hit the ground running, with his dad’s influence always by his side.

[hr]Contact Jim Mancari via e-mail at jmancari@desalesmedia.org.[hr]