WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Coaches of youth sports strive to impart new skills, cooperation and an appreciation for athletic competition. At the high school varsity level, there’s another implicit concern: winning.
There’s always much to accomplish in a short window of time, and the work seems never done. Enter Joe Cerniglia, a name growing in familiarity at Hartford High School where he works as a mental coach.
Cerniglia, who was raised in Westchester, N.Y., then moved to Springfield, Vt., after high school graduation, has an extensive background in triathlon competition. His focus on the cerebral aspects of the demanding discipline laid the foundation for Cerniglia’s current-day work.
“I spent a lot of time alone with my thoughts at these Ironman races,” Cerniglia said during a phone interview Tuesday. “And it’s a difference-maker.”
Armed with a sports performance enhancement program he developed, Cerniglia made a pitch to the Hartford athletic department last spring. Cerniglia’s grant writer would pursue any related funding; his main concern at that point was gauging the level of interest from Hartford athletic director Jeff Moreno and the coaches he oversees.
Interest was expressed and Cerniglia, 58, was added to three Hurricanes coaching staffs: girls soccer, boys basketball and girls lacrosse. Certified by USA Triathlon, USA Cycling and as a Lifestyle Wellness coach, Cerniglia employs mindfulness to help players make improvements.
“There’s not one element that’s going to make you a phenomenal basketball player,” he said. “There’s skills, there’s the mental piece, there’s the social piece, it’s your family life, it’s how you eat, it’s how you sleep, it’s how you hydrate. It’s probably 20, 30 aspects that make you the athlete that you are.”
Hartford basketball coach Jeff Thomas handed the first 10-15 minutes of each practice session over to Cerniglia, who taught visualization and meditation techniques.
“I see kids that are more locked-in at practice; they’re more focused,” said Thomas, a tenured championship coach in the Upper Valley, who competed against Cerniglia during the 2019-20 season when the latter was a member of Springfield High’s coaching staff. “Sometimes you get out of school and you get right to practice. Those kids are still thinking about a million other things, so having that 10-15 minutes of Joe time has really made a big difference.”
Cerniglia is an everyday presence who also works with individuals on reinforcing their performance goals and mental toughness. During games, he talks to players who have been substituted out and helps them prepare to go back in whenever Thomas decides to call their number.
“You as the head coach, you don’t have too much time to go over and talk to (the student-athlete),” Thomas said. “If we didn’t have (Joe), when that kid does step back on the court, I don’t know if he’s ready mentally or not.
“Joe’s always talking about writing your own story, and I really like that. A kid comes (to) the bench, he’s all fired up because he’s got his fourth foul or whatever, and Joe goes over and says, ‘Well, how are you going to write this story?’ ”
Cerniglia has competed in more than 50 triathlons, including seven Ironmans. When he won a lottery spot for Ironman Hawaii after waiting 14 years, his hamstring was completely torn. Reparative surgery rendered him unable to train during the two months prior to the race, but it didn’t stop him from completing the mind-over-matter endeavor, an experience that helped shape him as a competitor and coach.
Cerniglia’s career also has been influenced by Hank Lange, a renowned multisport athlete and triathlon coach based in Brattleboro, Vt.
“I worked with (Lange) as athlete-coach, coach-mentor, and now we coach together on occasion, and I continue to work with him,” Cerniglia said. “He is like the guru, the who’s-who, of not only of coaching, I like to say the Xs and Os, but the mind.”
Cerniglia, who played organized basketball and baseball growing up, also proved to be an asset on Hartford’s girls soccer pitch last fall. The mental side of performance often takes a back seat to skill building and game planning, according to Hartford head coach Jeff Acker. But Cerniglia helped strike the balance, resulting in improved confidence among the players.
“The girls really responded to him,” Acker said. “He’s an upbeat, positive guy. He’s got a story that just is inspiring, and he makes you think that you can do more than you thought you could.
“You talk to Joe and, at the end of the conversation, you come out thinking, ‘You know what? Anything really is possible here, so let’s just make it happen.’ ”