MIAA institutes new Heat Policy

The heat is on....There is a lot of buzz around the CHS playing fields this week about the new MIAA Heat Modification Policy.  This new policy has already lead to several changes to the CHS Athletics schedule this week. 

Beginning July 1, 2019, the MIAA's new Heat Modification policy was enacted for all Massachusetts MIAA high schools. The policy uses Wet Bulb Thermometer readings to determine how much activity (if any) is allowable in extreme heat conditions. The policy was put in place to help guide schools in dealing with difficult decisions around playing and training in hot conditions. 

CHS Athletic Trainer Kristen Sasonoff ran a workshop on the new policy for our coaches earlier this week and we have already adjusted schedules twice in order to keep our kids safe under the new policy.  The policy is a sliding scale that becomes more restrictive as the Wet Bulb Temperature goes up. 

Click Here for the entire MIAA policy.  

Good-bye to my mentor and friend- Mr. Stan Masalsky

Stanley Masalsky in the 1998 yearbook.  He
was honored as the National Athletic Director
of the Year in 1998. 

 It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog entry as my longtime supervisor, colleague and friend- Stanley Masalsky passed away this past week.  Stan was a great man. He led the CHS Athletic Department from the mid-1970s through 1999 as the school's Athletic Director.  He was a class act.  Stan led from the shadows, never looking for the spotlight on him, always praising his coaches and student athletes.

It is always tricky to memorialize someone by sharing how much they meant to you as you run the risk of making it about you rather than the person you are honoring.  However, I think it's so important for people to share how much those who came before us, meant to us.  Stan Masalsky meant so much to me.

Mr. Masalsky was my Athletic Director when I was a student athlete at CHS.  It was clear to me as a teenager, that this man really cared about his student athletes- something that I strive to emulate every day.  He was always on the sidelines with a big smile and always had a nice thing to say to all his Bulldogs.  He was at EVERYTHING and he really cared. I played soccer and tennis for CHS and in the 80s, neither of those sports were ever really recognized or respected by much of the school.  But Mr. Masalsky always went out of his way to support us.  I always appreciated him for that and I do my absolute best to live up to that same challenge.

Mr. Masalsky then gave me my first job in education.  While I was a junior at Stonehill College, my high school coach and mentor George Gianaloudis needed a JV coach and I was injured and unable to play for the Chieftains so, as a 20 year old, Mr. Masalsky entrusted me with a high school JV team. That season changed my life. I loved it and decided to give up my business major and become a teacher and coach.  After two seasons with the JV team, coach Giannaloudis moved on and I applied to be the varsity soccer coach at CHS.  Once again, Mr. Masalsky went out on a limb and put his faith in me- a 22 year old.  He put the entire Boys Soccer program in my inexperienced hands.  He then met with me often throughout the seasons, acting as a mentor, counselor, sounding board, critic and ultimately a great friend.  That was 27 years ago and I still consider myself so fortunate to be in that role today.  I have made so many mistakes as a coach over the years but I was blessed to have Stan as my guide in the early years.  He taught me to be humble, honest and reflective.

Me with Stan Masalsky and Marty Badoian at Ralph
Masciarelli Memorial Golf Tournament- circa 1999. Stan
and Marty ran this tournament in Mush's honor for more than
a decade.  Two greats honoring the great Ralph Masciarelli.  

Three years after Stan retired from CHS, I was named to the position he had held for so many years- Athletic Director at CHS. My first call was to Stan and there would be many more calls over the years.  Since being named AD at CHS, I have always strived to live up to the standard he set.  While I have been AD through many societal changes over the past decade and a half, (things like smart phones being everywhere, Twitter, concussion awareness and so much more) I often think about all of the social changes Stan led the Athletic Department through.  Coming into the position just after the implementation of Title IX, he steered the school through the introduction of so many girls sports teams.  He also saw many new boys sports become part of CHS Athletics.  None of those changes were easy to navigate.  Stan was the right leader for the right time.  He respected tradition but always looked forward.

Bulldogs everywhere lost a true giant this past week. I'm sure there are so many other people who can write similar stories about how Stan Masalsky impacted them. For me, he was a bigger-than-life figure who's footprints are still present at CHS.  My condolences to his wife Carol and his entire family.

One last thought-  After not connecting with Stan for the past several years, I gave him a call this past spring.  We talked for a half hour and it was so nice hearing his voice.  He sounded the same.  He sounded happy.  I am so happy that we talked that day.  Always reach out.

Click here for his obituary. 

Current CHS Coaching Vacancies

The CHS Athletic Department is currently accepting applications for the following coaching positions. All applicants must apply through www.schoolspring.com. Job ID # listed next to each below.  Please pass this information along to anyone who you may think would be a great member of our Bulldog team!

• Assistant Boys and Girls Cross Country Coach- Job ID #3087215- Application Deadline- July 15, 2019
• Assistant Fall Cheerleading Coach- Job ID #3102757- Application Deadline- July 19, 2019
• Boys Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach- Job ID #3125839- Application Deadline- August 4, 2019
• Girls Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach- Job ID #3125842- Application Deadline- August 4, 2019
• JV Girls Soccer Coach- Job ID #3125843- Application Deadline- July 21, 2019

Again- All untested candidates should apply through www.schoolspring.com

Parker named Head Varsity Fall Cheer Coach

Coach Stephanie Parker

The Canton High School Athletic Department is happy to announce the hiring of our new Head Varsity Cheer coach- Stephanie Parker, who is taking the reins from long-time coach Val Baker.

Parker, a science teacher at CHS, has been actively involved in the CHS community since beginning here teaching career here. She has taken on many roles as a Bulldog including junior class advisor.

As for cheerleading, Parker has been a part of the Hockomock cheerleading community since her Pop Warner days in the early 1990s. A graduate of Sharon High School and their cheer program (class of 2006), Parker earned many cheer accolades in both her high school. days and beyond. She returned to SHS after graduating from The Ohio State University to help coach the in the Eagles cheer program.

Parker is currently pursuing a degree in Educational Leadership at Bridgewater State University. She lives in Mansfield with her husband and two boys, Logan and Cameron.

Coach Parker had this to say in reflecting on her appointment as CHS Cheer coach- "I'm truly grateful to have the opportunity to coach the cheerleading team in the district where I teach.  I couldn't be any happier to work at Canton High and now with its Athletic Department. I'm so excited for the season to start!"

Best of luck to coach Parker.  Welcome to Bulldog Athletics!

Hockomock League unveils new logo system

Below is a press release put out by the Hockomock League this morning. As founding members of this proud League we are thrilled about the new marks. They really reflect the tradition of our great group of schools, teams and student athletes.

For immediate release- June 20, 2019

The Hockomock League proudly publishes a logo embodying the key components of the League’s long historical tradition and modern core values. Partnering with Jeff Eagles Creative, League Principals and Athletic Directors completed a year-long process to develop the brand and logo that will stand for the League for decades to come.

 

Canton Athletic Director, Danny Erickson, who was League chairman during the 2017-18 school year when the project began, had this to say about the league's desire to embark on create a prominent League mark: “We agreed it was the right time to establish a truly meaningful and uniform brand among the 12 great schools of the Hockomock League and among the surrounding MIAA institutions.” Jeff Eagles had led the way for the Canton Bulldogs to remake their brand in 2015 and has impeccable credentials working with some of the most touted professional sports teams such as the Boston Bruins, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL.

Each of the components has a specific purpose and meaning. Together these elements create a versatile identity system that conveys both the history of the league as well as the key core values it strives to promote.  First, for centuries, the 5-sided banner has been used as a canvas for symbolic representations of families and kingdoms. In more recent times, it has also been the base shape used to commemorate achievements, and thus makes the perfect base for the Hockomock League’s primary identity.

Second, like links in a chain, the interlocking “H” and “L” ligature communicates some of the core values of the Hockomock League including unity, strength, and community shared by the twelve schools.

Third, stating boldly the League origin date celebrates the importance of history and tradition that the League has upheld for over 87 years. Fourth, Gold has always been a highly-valued entity, used to symbolize excellence. It is the perfect primary color to represent the value of the Hockomock League.

The overall system has a strong, balanced, and purposeful look that is classic and timeless.

Watch out for this logo as Hockomock competition fires up this Fall and beyond. It will become the common signature on social media, banners, uniforms, awards, and even stadium turf and courts.

Fall 2019 Sports Information

Anyone interested in trying out for a fall athletic program MUST have a parent register you prior to the following deadlines:
Football- Wednesday, August 14th at 11:00am
All other sports- Monday, August 19th at 11:00am
Meeting these deadlines and providing the Athletic Office with a copy of a recent physical (good for 13 months), will make you eligible for the first day of tryouts/practices. 

The easiest way to register is to visit the CHS Athletics website and complete the online registration available there.

Click here to Register now!

Sport Specific information:

Girls and Boys Cross Country- Thursday August 22nd 8 AM CHS Field House all Boys/Girls interested in Running XC. They'll get a schedule that day of the preseason; they need to have an up to date physical on file and have registered for sports through the Canton Athletic Department. Any questions email bulldogcrosscountry@gmail.com.

Boys Soccer- All boys interested in playing soccer should report to the turf/track on Thursday morning, August 22nd at 8:00am for a fitness test including a 2-mile run. No cleats needed for this session. Goalkeepers will NOT be running the 2-mile (unless you are also a field player) but will train in goal at the conclusion of the fitness training. Our first field session will take place later that day at the grass field on lower campus (Gibson) from 5:00-7:15pm (goalkeepers start at 4:00pm). Training Sessions will then continue on Friday thru the following week (with Sunday off).  Need more info? contact coach Danny Erickson- ericksond@cantonma.org

Golf- Mandatory meeting on Wednesday, August 21st at 2:00pm in the Distance Learning Lab at Canton High School to discuss the tryout process/schedule. Times and locations for tryouts on Thursday, August 22nd will be distributed at this meeting. Need more info? contact coach Mike Barucci- baruccim@cantonma.org..


Volleyball- We welcome anyone interested in playing volleyball (no experience necessary) to join us for tryouts in the CHS gym. We field three teams: varsity, JV and freshman. 

Tryouts are as follows: Thursday, August 22: 5:00pm - 9:00pm, Friday, August 23: 5:00pm - 9:00pm, and Sunday, August 25: 5:00pm - 9:00pm. Practices for all three teams will start on Monday, August 26.

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to start time. Bring plenty of water and some snacks for break time. Need more info? contact coach Pat Cawley - patriciabcawley@gmail.com,  Anna Amico - amicoanna@yahoo.com, or Michelle Cawley – micawley31@gmail.com.

Girls Soccer- All girls interested in playing soccer at CHS should report to Gibson Field (baseball field) at CHS on Thursday morning, August 22nd at 8:00am for a fitness test. An on field session will take place that day at 2:45pm on the CHS turf. Any questions, contact coach Kate Howarth- k.howarth13@gmail.com.

Cheerleading- Tryouts will be held for Cheer on Wednesday, August 21, Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23rd from 3:00-5:30 in the Rodman Admin Building Gym. Regular practices will being on Monday the following week with daily practices at 3:00pm

Football- Thursday, August 15th: Media Day 4:00 PM at CHS turf Field...Friday August 16th all players should report to a pre-practice meeting at 3:30pm at CHS gymnasium. Practice begins at 5:30pm at the turf- Helmets only. For questions, contact coach Bohane- bohaned@cantonma.org.

Field Hockey- Tryouts begin on August 22nd. Please arrive promptly with turf shoes or cleats, sneakers, stick, mouth guard, shin guards, and water bottle.
Thursday, August 22nd- 12:00-2:30 and 5:15-7:15pm.
Friday, August 23rd- 7:30am-9:15am and 6:30pm-8:30pm
Practices are also held the week of August 26th. Please plan on attending every session.
Contact Coach Chrissy O'Connor with any questions. rsd.oconnor@gmail.com

Unified Basketball- Begins in October....Registration takes place in September.

Long-Serving Boys Lacrosse Coach steps down

Coach Bill Bendell at one of the final games of his
Bulldog career last month

After wrapping up yet another successful season, long-time CHS Boys Varsity Lacrosse coach Bill Bendell has announced he is stepping down from the position- one he has held since 2004.  During that 16 year stretch, Bendell has led the program to great height including qualifying for 9 MIAA tournament appearances and 7 of them coming in the past 9 seasons. 

Bendell shared some of his memories and highlights of his career as he reflected on his more than decade-and-a-half career as a Bulldog:

- Qualifying for the tournament for the first time in program history and beating a good Bedford team in the first round in a one-goal game was my first great memory. 

- Our 2012 team won the most games in school history at that point and helped raise program expectations. I will forever be thankful to that crew for that. 

- Our 2013 season was my favorite- beating everyone in the Hockomock League on the way to a Hock Title and a Final Four finish in the state tournament. Our final record was 18-2, but really made that team special was how we handled ourselves. We were mentally and physically tough and we had leaders all over the field. We played the right way and never made excuses. We even won the sportsmanship award and set a new standard for CHS Lacrosse. 

Bendell, who played four years of lacrosse at Bentley College where he captained the 1999 team and graduated as the school's all-time assist leader, had this to say about his 16 years here at the helm of the Bulldog Lacrosse program:

"I really enjoyed the past 16 years. I feel lucky to have had great athletes and very supportive parents throughout my tenure. Coaching at the high school level requires a lot of time and effort, but it is also extremely rewarding. The moments I will always remember are the little things - times when guys volunteered to play another position to help the team or when someone made everyone laugh with a quick line."

Bendell will certainly be missed on the sidelines next spring. CHS Bulldogs everywhere thank him for his years of commitment to our program and wish him well in the next steps of his life.  Thank you Coach Bendell!