Page 12 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2024 Courtside with Coach Rivera: a season of unity and victory at Revere By Dom Nicastro I n her inaugural year at the helm of Revere High School’s varsity girls’ basketball team, Coach Ariana Rivera has embarked on a journey of self-discovery, unveiling her unique coaching philosophy amidst a diverse array of coaching styles within her staff . Rivera’s approach – characterized by a blend of energy and composure – has been instrumental in guiding her team through the highs and lows of a demanding season. The team fi nished 14-6 in the regular season and shared the Greater Boston League championship with Lynn Classical. It will be embarking on the postseason soon, with tournament matchups for Division 1 and the rest of the divisions out soon. A pivotal moment that encapsulated the team’s unity and potential was their game at the TD Garden against Notre Dame Academy-Hingham, a match that Coach Rivera describes as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This game not only highlighted prised you, etc.? Rivera: I think, overall as a coaching staff, we have so many diff erent coaching personalities, which makes for a great balance. I fi nd my energy as a coach often channels through to the players, so in high-intensity moments, I do my best to keep the composure. Advocate: Captains are alPatriots’ Varsity Head Coach Ariana Rivera is shown courtside during the annual Andrew James Lawson Foundation 2024 Invitational at the TD Garden against Notre Dame Academy. the team’s ability to compete at a high level but also served as a catalyst for realizing their collective and individual capabilities. We caught up with Rivera for a Q&A as her team prepares for the postseason: Advocate: Being your fi rstyear coaching varsity for this team, what did you learn personally about your coaching style – what works, what surNortheast Metro Tech to host ‘A Knight Out on the Town’ to raise funds for scholarships for students with disabilities WAKEFIELD – Superintendent David DiBarri is pleased to share that Northeast Metro Tech is hosting the inaugural “A Knight Out on the Town” gala to support a scholarship that will benefi t students with disabilities. WHEN: Monday, March 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. WHERE: The Four Points By Sheraton, 1 Audubon Road, Wakefi eld. WHAT: A Knight Out on the Town is a gala that will feature culinary delights from restaurants in each of Northeast Metro Tech’s 12 sending communities, as well as music from Phil Carbone of Time of Your Life DJ Service and Entertainment. There will also be several raffl es available. All funds raised by the gala will be used by the Northeast Metro Tech Special Education Parent Advisory Council (Northeast SEPAC) to start a scholarship fund for Northeast Metro Tech students with disabilities who are heading to trade schools or post-secondary education. The Northeast SEPAC provides education and support to parents, school personnel and the broader community on special education issues and services. The Northeast SEPAC’s mission promotes a supportive, innovative and respectful educational environment that ensures students with special education needs have equal and appropriate access to opportunities and are encouraged to reach their full potential. Historically students with special education needs are often overlooked for traditional scholarships. Our “Knight out on the Town Fundraiser” will provide scholarships for our students with disabilities that wish to continue on to trade schools or post secondary education upon graduating. Tickets are $50 each, and they can be purchased by visiting https://knightout.square.site/ “I’d like to invite all of our parents and supporters to attend this gala to support our students with disabilities as they seek to move on to trade schools and post-secondary education,” said Superintendent DiBarri. “This is sure to be a fun and enriching night that will support those in our school community who need it most.” “Sip, savor, and support education – because every taste is a step toward brighter futures,” said Special Education Administrator Victoria Colaianni. For more information on the event, email knightout@northeastmetrotech.com. ways a big part of a team’s success. Tell me about what the captains brought on and off the court – individually and as a unit – for this regular season? Rivera: Alisha Jean has been one of my vocal captains on and off the court in the back half of our season. Alisha sets the tone from tip off , and her teammates usually follow suit. Haley Belloise is the court general to our off ense. She has done a great job this season of recognizing her role, but is not afraid to stray away from her playmaker role when we need some quick buckets. Bella Stamatopolous has been adding her spark off the bench in our fi nal regular-season stretch. We can always rely on Bella to be vocal during games as well as practices. Belma Velic has been working on her outside game a bit more, which is only a good thing for us, off ensively. Belma’s versatility will make it much easier for Alisha to do some damage in the paint. Advocate: Was there a defi ning moment for this team where it all came together this season – and what was that like? Rivera: Our defining moment this year had to be our TD Garden game against Notre Dame Academy-Hingham. As a coach, this experience was once in a lifetime, so I can’t imagine how the girls felt. This game was an opportunity for these girls to compete with a very talented and high-ranked team. They were able to play fast-paced and high-pressure basketball. This game was huge for us because we started to realize our potential as a whole and individually. Advocate: Who among the COACH | SEE Page 15 Local students earn 2023 Dean’s List at UMass Amherst B elow is a list of local students who were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the fall 2023 semester. In order to qualify, an undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 grade point average or better on a 4 point scale. Revere William Rafael Ardon Adianna Victoria Barrett Razan Sara Belguendouz Sydney Elise Ciano Victoria D’Olimpio Ava Jane Hawkes Parker Daisy Legere Jaeron Valera Mercado Anh Thy Thien Nguyen Frankie Michael Pimental Gia Laureen Polci Dante Raff a Sarah Essah Rashid Michael Joseph Roncevich Eleejah Serafi n Rosa Anas Sbai Jenipher Batista Silva Cole William Story Adriana Nicole Velasco Isabella Renee Veraldi UMass Amherst is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Mass. It is the oldest, largest and fl agship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the Massachusetts Agricultural College. UMass Amherst is the largest university in Massachusetts by campus size and undergraduate enrollment. The university off ers academic degrees in 109 undergraduate, 77 master’s and 48 doctoral programs.
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