On Friday, Jan. 4, Coach Maria Cirello achieved her 50th basketball win as a coach. The game was played against Verona, and West Essex won 33-32.

Coach Cirello was a basketball coach at Verona for two years before becoming coach at West Essex. When Cirello told her team about the win, it was a casual announcement, but she could sense her team’s excitement.

As a coach at West Essex, Cirello believes the best part of coaching is seeing the athletes develop their basketball skills over the course of the season.

“One of my favorite parts of coaching is seeing the girls improve and work together,” Cirello said. “The girls are great and I can’t say enough about them. They make it enjoyable.”

“Coach Cirello is dedicated, has heart and always brings energy to the team,” captain Brielle Krause said. “Coach Cirello is an excellent role model for young women, who leads by example through her positive, yet disciplined attitude.”

Coach Cirello takes pride in watching her athletes improve and appreciate the game of basketball.

Cirello finished the 2017-18 season with 59 wins to her name, but her focus remains on building a consistently program.