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DECEMBER 2005

Veteran Coach Arrives at Staten Island Academy
to Guide Girls Basketball Program

By Richard Kagan

It’s been a long time since the varsity girls’ basketball program at Staten Island Academy (SIA) reigned supreme in New York. The Lady Tigers captured the New York State Association of Independent Schools crown during the 1992-1993 season.  There have been some lean years since then.

When veteran high school basketball coach Michael Reape became available prior to the start of basketball practice, Staten Island Academy wasted no time and named him Head coach of the Girl’s Varsity and Junior Varsity teams, and coordinator of all Middle School Boys and Girls basketball.  Reape had successfully coached the boy’s

Varsity basketball team at Tottenville High School, where he led Tottenville to Eight berths in the Public School Athletic League playoffs in New York City.

Reape also coached Tottenville H.S. in the last two Staten Island High School League Championship games, for bragging rights on the Island. Due to an administrative change in credentialing, Reape could no longer coach at Tottenville. 

And in stepped Staten Island Academy. Darlene Crowe, the current director of athletics at SIA got in touch with Reape to see if he was interested in re-building the Girl’s varsity basketball program. The Lady Tigers finished 1-15 last season, and had no returning seniors. But Reape, signed up for the challenge. “It is a challenge,” said Reape.

“Patience is the key word.”

This season the Lady Tigers will play 20 games, starting in early December.

They compete in the Athletic Conference of Independent Schools and the Private School Athletic Association.  Reape, who also runs the recreational basketball program at the Jewish Community Center on Staten Island, is teaching fundamentals to the players and to get them to play to the best of their ability. “The goal will be to improve the overall program,” Reape said. He’s not expecting overnight miracles, just steady progress.

That seems just fine to the staff at SIA. “We’re thrilled to have someone of Mike’s caliber leading our girl’s basketball program,” said Crowe in a statement released to the media. M. Peter Rapp, former athletic director of the school from 1970 to 2003, who is still active on the 12 acre campus, said Reape brings “a wealth of experience.”

First and foremost, the Academy is a college preparatory school. one hundred percent of the seniors graduate and go on to a four year college. SIA’s mission is to provide a liberal arts education to a socio-economically diverse population. While at SIA, students are encourage to participate in sports or other extra-curricular activities.

Coach Reape is a teacher of the game of basketball. At the JCC, he supervises all volunteer coaches in a Sunday recreational league that attracts over 400 students from Kindergarten to 8th grade. He provides coaching clinics to new coaches and helps the ones with more experience brush up on strategy. 

The Lady Tigers are preparing for the 2005-2006 season and the mood at SIA is upbeat. There’s a new coach and a new season.#

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