Albion native inducted into NYS Athletic Administrators Assoc. Hall of Fame
Contributed Photo – Michael Monacelli
Albion native and former long time Caledonia-Mumford High varsity football coach and Athletic Director Michael Monacelli has been inducted into the New York State Athletic Administrators Association Hall of Fame.
“It came as quite a surprise when I was notified last fall,” said Monacelli who noted that there will be a Virtual induction ceremony next month in Saratoga.
Monacelli, who received his B.S. Degree at Eastern Kentucky University and his M.S. in Education degree and post masters studies in Educational Administration at SUNY Brockport, taught and coached at Cal-Mum for 44 years before retiring in 2014. He coached football for 39 years as served as Director of Athletics for 11 years.
During his 23 years as head football coach Cal-Mum compiled a won-loss record of 186- 50 which including winning four state championships and 10 Section V titles.
He previously has been inducted into the Section V Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Frontier Field Walk of Fame in Rochester in 2010.
In addition, he received the Gerald R. Ford Coaching Excellence and Power of Influence Award in 2004 from the American Football Coaches Association and American Coaches Foundation. Also in 2004, he was a nominee for the National High School Athletes Association Coach of the Year award.
He was a member of the Chapter 5 Executive Committee and an original member of the Chapter 5 Concussion Management Team.
The release announcing his induction notes that “Mike realized the need to have his district be on task with concussion protocols. He developed and implemented this new district policy. As a result of this, in May of 2010, Mike appeared before the House Committee on Education and Labor in Washington, D.C., presenting on how the districts’ concussion management policies were integrated into the school’s master plan. Caledonia-Mumford’s Concussion Management Protocols were eventually used as a template for local high schools as they developed their own.”
The release adds that “in his years as Director of Athletics, Mike developed and implemented new district policies: Coaching manuals, Middle School Athletic Policies and Procedures, Coaching Evaluations, Contest Management Procedures and Security Protocols.
“Caledonia-Mumford is a small district comparatively, but when I was asked to the Athletic Director position I saw a need to get us into the 21st century with our polices and protocols,” said Monacelli. “I was fortunate at the time to have school administrators backing my moves that allowed me to attend state and national conferences, take administrative classes, time off to be involved in local, state, and national level committees. Not many have the forward thinking to spend the money to have stipend personnel do this. I always brought back something that helped our district’s athletic program. And of course, helped the most important component of that – our student-athletes.”
“Being on the initial Section 5 Concussion Management Committee and then attending a conference presentation – I was able to bring back and institute our concussion management program in our district. One of the first in section 5,” he added. “Now it seems to be an everyday discussionable item – not so in 2008.”
“All the projects I was involved in I surely wasn’t seeking any accolades. Just trying to help our coaches and student-athletes be better and safer,” he said.
Over the years Monacelli has also been very active in the Caledonia-Mumford community having served as the village recreation director and as a member of the Lions Club, the Knights of Columbus and the Sons of the American Legion.
