THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2024 Page 15 A season of growth: Frank Shea reflects on winter successes and spring opportunities at RHS By Dom Nicastro T he role of an athletics director is both pivotal and dynamic. Frank Shea, the athletics director at Revere High School, is at the forefront of navigating these waters, ensuring the seamless transition between seasons, the development of programs and the nurturing of young talent. As winter gives way to spring, we catch up with Shea for an insightful discussion on what’s been happening in Revere High School’s sports scene and what lies ahead. Embracing the transition seasons March stands as a transitional period for high school athletics, acting as a breather between the winter and spring seasons. Shea highlights this time as crucial for winding down post-winter activities – collecting equipment, conducting exit interviews with coaches and preparing for the upcoming spring season. This “downtime” is anything but idle: fi lled with preparations that ensure a smooth handover to spring sports. “It’s a much-needed break,” Shea said. “Obviously, we’d like to have fi ve winter teams who have gone further. But on the flip side, there’s just so much winding down from the winter collecting equipment, getting into exit interviews with coaches, and then all the spring people are knocking at your door because they’re anxious to get together.” Winter season recap: a story of success and growth The winter season at Revere High School was marked by notable achievements across several sports. The girls’ basketball team, under the leadership of fi rst-year coach Ariana Rivera, clinched a share of the Greater Boston League title, showcasing the impact of fresh coaching talent and the successful adaptation of athletes to new styles of leadership. Similarly, the indoor track teams, led by Raquel MacDonald-Ciambelli and David Fleming, demonstrated dominance in their respective leagues, with athletes achieving at both team and individual levels. And while Dave Leary’s boys’ basketball team did not make the tourney, Shea said he’s lucky to have an asset like Leary, who remains to be a great role model and advocate for his young student-athletes. Who Should Be Screened for Lung Cancer? Dear Savvy Senior, Who should be screened for lung cancer and how it’s covered by Medicare? I used to smoke but quit many years ago and am wondering if I need to be tested. Just Turned 65 Dear Just Turned, Even if you haven’t touched a cigarette in decades, you could still be due for an annual lung cancer screening, based on new recommendations from the American Cancer Society (ACS). 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What makes lung cancer especially tricky is that it’s often symptomless until it’s at an advanced stage, when it’s harder to treat. Early detection can lead to a 20 to 25 percent improvement in survival rates, resulting in fewer deaths from lung cancer. But a 2022 report from the American Lung Association found that only 5.8 percent of people eligible for lung cancer screening in the U.S. get screened, and the screening rate is as low as 1 percent in some states. Screening & Coverage If you fall into the population eligible for a lung cancer screening, start by speaking with your doctor, even if it’s been a long time since you smoked. Medicare Part B will cover lung cancer screenings with a low-dose CT scan once a year for people ages 50 to 77 who are current smokers or quit in the last 15 years and have a 20-pack-year history. Patients must have an order from their doctor or health care provider and should not have symptoms of lung cancer. A low-dose CT scan is a noninvasive test where you lie down and hold your breath while being moved through a doughnut-shaped X-ray machine. The scan takes several Xray images of the lungs and can help to identify possible abnormalities in the lung tissue. There are some potential risks with this screening, including the possibility of false positives, which can lead to more scans or invasive procedures. According to the American Lung Association about 12 to 14 percent of lung cancer screening scans will have a false positive, which is about the same rate as with mammograms. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Raquel MacDonald-Ciambelli: mastery in motivation and adaptability MacDonald-Ciambelli’s approach to coaching indoor track demonstrates a remarkable blend of expertise, innovation and personal athlete development, according to Shea. Her ability to coach a sport that requires a wide range of skills across different events, often without the support of assistant coaches, showcases her adaptability and deep understanding of track and fi eld. Her success in leading the team to dominate the Greater Boston League in the regular season and league meet refl ects her mastery in motivating athletes and maximizing their potential across various disciplines. “Raquel does a great job,” Shea said. “She comes in and she gets her work done with the kids. Having been a college athlete herself, she knows what needs to get done. And those girls have really excelled. She’s our outdoor coach as well. She really coaches a sport where you need a bunch of assistants, and she doesn’t have that, and does it herself. So it’s a real credit to what she was able to accomplish. And it helps to have a good group of kids, which obviously she had.” David Fleming: fostering resilience and team spirit Fleming’s leadership of the boys’ track team has been characterized by fostering resilience and a competitive spirit among his athletes. Despite facing challenges, such as close losses and key athletes being unavailable due to illness, Fleming’s ability to regroup and focus his team FRANK SHEA RHS Athletic Director on its strengths led to winning the league championship meet, salvaging the season and ending on a high note. Fleming’s coaching extends beyond just track and fi eld to encouraging athletes from various sports to join the team. This inclusivity not only enriches the track team with diverse talents but also promotes a healthy, active lifestyle and camaraderie among students from diff erent sports backgrounds, according to Shea. “I think they had a couple of meets where they lost real close ones or they had kids that were sick in key positions,” Shea said. “And talking to talking to Coach, he was kind of a little disappointed but the fact that they were able to regroup and get to win the league championship meet really put a smile on everyone’s face and kind of salvaged that season because I think they were expecting to compete for the league title.” Ariana Rivera: a new era in girls’ basketball In her fi rst year as Head Coach, Rivera made an immediate impact by leading the girls’ basketball team to a GBL title and postseason appearance. Her RHS | SEE Page 16
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