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THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 Page 19 Sports Preview with RHS Patriots Athletic Director Frank Shea By Don Nicastro A s another athletic season dawns upon Revere High School, the school’s athletic landscape presents a mosaic of challenges, achievements and transitions. From the fl uctuating dynamics of freshman teams to value of coaches new and returning, the school’s athletic director, Frank Shea, provides an insightful glimpse into the state of Revere athletics. With a history of both successes, such as the undefeated run of the girls’ volleyball team last fall, and challenges like the decline of the varsity hockey team, Revere High School stands at a crossroads of tradition and change. Shea caught up with the Revere Advocate as his teams soon begin their fall competition. Shea has a rich history with Revere High School and its athletic programs. His journey from being associated with the old Savio Prep in Boston to his current role as the athletics director at Revere High School showcases his commitment and experience in the fi eld of school athletics. He is in Year No. 9 now. The onset of the athletic season brings a fl urry of activity and excitement. While the atmosphere remains consistent with previous years, the logistics and coordination eff orts are immense, especially at the beginning. Football started Friday, Aug. 18, and all other sports began their preseason the following Monday. “You know, I don’t think it’s any diff erent than any of the previous years. I think kids are excited,” Shea said in the Advocate’s Aug. 21 interview. “Coaches are kind of running around with their heads cut off trying to get kids cleared with physicals. They’re looking at times for tryouts and how many kids they’re going to have and if they have to make cuts, and so it’s kind of hectic with them. Coordinating all the sports, especially for the fall, is the most diffi cult because people have been away for the summer and no one’s really in that mode yet. And it just all comes and hits you right at once.” The school has a mix of new and veteran coaches. While new coaches bring fresh ideas and energy, the experienced ones provide stability and a deep understanding of the school’s athletic culture. Alex Butler will take over the fi eld hockey program. Sabrina Sloan and Kylie Pezzuto will grab the reins of the cheerleading program. Emilie Hostetter takes over the volleyball program – coming off a tremendous season for which he was an assistant. Lou Cicatelli (football), Michael Flynn (boys’ cross-country), Katie Sinnott (girls’ cross-country), Manual Lopes (boys’ soccer), Megan O’Donnell (girls’ soccer) and Brendon Pezzuto (golf) all return. Shea said he’s excited with the mix of coaches, new and old. While the returning coaches like Cicatelli (22 seasons) “make things much easier,” the new ones “come with a lot of new ideas and a new energy, which is good. They are quality candidates who went through the interview process … and have a level of experience, expertise and enthusiasm.” The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a decline OBITUARIES Patricia E. “Pat” (DiBenedetto) Lino Metro Vocational Technical High School, class of 1953. Following High School, Patricia met her husband, Richard Lino. They married in May of 1957 and shortly after moved to East Boston to start and raise their family. She remained there until moving to Revere in 1979. Patricia worked for Ames DeO f Revere. Passed away peacefully on Monday, August 21, 2023. She was 88 years old. Born in Chelsea, she was the daughter of the late Robert A. and Violet (Breen) DiBenedetto. She was raised and educated in Melrose and was a graduate of Northeast partment Store in the fabric department for many years, until the time of her retirement. She was also a talented seamstress and she loved to sew and make her own clothing. She eventually turned her passion into a career and started her own business as a dress maker in her home. Pat was an avid reader. She was very active and walked 2 miles a day. She enjoyed chatting with friends and being around other people. Above all she adored her family and cherished spending time with them. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend who will be missed by all who knew her. Patricia was the beloved wife of the late Richard Lino; the devoted mother of Stephen Lino of Bellfl ower, CA., the late Richard K. Lino, the late Mark Lino, and the late Richard Lino, Jr.; cherished grandmother of Robert Gaskell, Amanda Gaskell, Brittany Lino and Richard Lino; adored great grandmother of Anthony, Royale and Ashawn; dear sister of the late Phyllis Moreau and Frances O’Brien. She is also lovingly survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Family and friends were invited to attend Visting Hours on Monday, August 28 in the Vertuccio Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals, Revere. Her Funeral was on Tuesday, followed by a Funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in East Boston. Interment followed in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. in sports participation. However, the school has managed to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. There’s a noticeable trend of students becoming selective in their sports choices, with some sports gaining popularity and others seeing a decline. “We did have a big drop coming the fi rst year coming out of COVID,” Shea said. “But we’ve kind of got back to where we were numbers-wise, at least overall numbers, prior to COVID, which is a plus.” Urban schools like Revere face unique challenges in boosting athletic participation, according to Shea. Many students have external responsibilities, making it diffi cult to achieve high participation rates. Shea said they’re in the upper-30s for percentage of Revere High School students who play a sport. Despite this, the school has seen a positive trend in recent years. Certain sports like football, volleyball and soccer have witnessed high, consistent participation rates, while others, such as cross-country, baseball and golf, have seen a decline. “Football has done very well, numbers-wise, and boys’ soccer and girls’ soccer always have really good numbers,” Shea said. “The boys have well over 100 kids try out every year.” Over the years, some sports teams at Revere High School have faced challenges in maintaining their status. For instance, the varsity hockey team had to give up its host status due to a decline in participants. It now plays with a cooperative team of student-athletes from Malden, Everett and Mystic Valley. The school has experienced fluctuations in the number of participants for freshman teams in various sports. While there’s great participation at the middle school level, it doesn’t always translate to high school. As for the decision to move back to the Greater Boston League (GBL) a few years ago from the Northeastern Conference (NEC), that strategic move has proven benefi cial, especially for the girls’ teams. The GBL offers a more competitive and rewarding environment for Revere’s athletes. “Overall, I think it was a slam dunk for us,” Shea said. “We’ve had a lot of success, especially on the girls’ side, with winning GBL titles.” 1. On Sept. 1, 1897, the fi rst American subway opened in what city? 2. What percentage of the world’s tea is made in China: 1/3, 2/3 or 7/8? 3. How many Qs are in a Scrabble game? 4. On Sept. 2, 1935, composer George Gershwin signed the orchestral score of what opera that has the song “Summertime”? 5. How are erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets and plasma similar? 6. What state has a city called Beach: California, Michigan or North Dakota? 7. On Sept. 3, 1838, Frederick (Bailey) Douglass escaped from slavery; he chose his last name (Douglass) from a name in what poem by Sir Walter Scott? 8. Why did Bhutan ban high-altitude mountain climbing? 9. What is another word for corn? 10. Who has had several Dream Houses, a Motorhouse and a Folding Pretty House? Answers 11. September 4 is Labor Day; an old tradition said it is a faux pas to wear what color after Labor Day? 12. In Poor Richard’s Almanack, who stated, “No man e’er was glorious, who was not laborious”? 13. How are bunny ear, Christmas and pincushion similar? 14. On Sept. 5, 2001, scientists described observing energy fl ares – evidence of a black hole at the center of what? 15. On what old radio show would you fi nd “Bebopareebop Rhubarb Pie?” 16. New York and Texas both have pro sports team names that include what word? 17. On Sept. 6, 1997, what funeral after a car accident death was televised? 18. Do cats blink? 19. What Caribbean island’s two-word name includes a nickname for Christopher? 20. On Sept. 7, 1979, what sports cable network debuted? 1. Boston 2. 1/3 3. One 4. “Porgy and Bess” 5. They are components of blood. 6. North Dakota 7. “The Lady of the Lake” 8. To respect the local spiritual belief that the mountains are sacred 9. Maize 10. Barbie 11. White 12. Benjamin Franklin 13. They are types of cactus. 14. The Milky Way Galaxy 15. “A Prairie Home Companion” 16. Rangers 17. Princess Diana’s 18. They blink infrequently and do not close their eyes fully. 19. St. Kitts 20. ESPN

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