The West Essex motto, ‘once a Knight, always a Knight,’ remains true for John Lisella, as he becomes the new Girls Volleyball coach. Lisella graduated from West Essex in 2012, where he played on the boys’ volleyball team under Coach Bryan McNaught. He continued his volleyball career at Rowan University before coaching the girls’ team at Morris Tech and the boys’ team in Lyndhurst. When Lisella heard of the opening at West Essex, it was a no-brainer that he would take the opportunity.
“Coming back to my alma mater is something I have always wanted to do,” Lisella said.
Coaching has always been within Lisella’s heart. He enjoys working with children and helping them become the best players they can be. At West Essex, he collaborates with Coach Greg Ruggerio, Stephanie Sorrentino and Tiffani Hamman, who assist in running practices and conditioning sessions. The team has nine seniors who have also emerged as leaders on the court.
“I love working with the kids and with the other coaches,” Lisella said. “It’s tough because I do not work in the building, but having the three coaches there to help has been great.”
The volleyball program received a large turnout in the summer, with around 60 people trying out to secure a spot on the team’s roster. Lisella split the tryouts into two groups: freshmen only and then sophomores, juniors and seniors together. A large group comes with tough decisions, but Lisella worked with his other coaches to make a final decision.
“Cutting is the worst thing to do as a coach,” Lisella said. “I think Coach McNaught did a great job getting the program in the right direction, and we’re just trying to keep up with that excellence he built.”
Lisella has enjoyed coaching the girls’ volleyball team in his first year in the program. Girls’ Volleyball has been a successful sport and program at West Essex, with many players dedicating themselves to offseason training to improve their skills year after year. The nine seniors helped make the coaching transition seamless. Being present at practices, showing up during games and working to create a smooth change in coaching have made Lasella’s job much easier.
“The girls came in day one and were ready to go,” Lisella said.
The team is in a competitive American division, which challenges Lisella as a coach to ensure his team is prepared to play the strongest opponents. Verona, Millburn and Livingston are schools that hold top seeds in the division. This season, the team had a huge success over Verona with a 2-1 win. For Lisella it does not matter who they play. He enters each match ready to play regardless of the team’s rankings. A positive atmosphere on and off the court is Lisella’s key to victory.
“My goal as a coach is to win,” Lisella said. “I want to win the first section tournament in school history. We are shooting high, but we have the talent to get there.”
When he is not coaching, Lisella can be found either teaching Physical Education or working at The Cannoli Shop in Fairfield. If not, he is found being a dad to his newborn son.
With an exciting and competitive journey ahead, Lisella brings his familiarity with the West Essex community and the game of volleyball to the court each match.
