The 2010 Glens Falls Golden Eagles will have three coaches this summer, in addition to seven-year head coach John Mayotte.
Former four-year outfield starter for the Skidmore Thoroughbreds, Matt Ferrari, will serve as a volunteer coach for the Glens Falls Golden Eagles baseball team. But that doesn’t mean he still won’t give a 110% coaching effort and he expects his players to do the same.
“I expect to be present for just about every commitment that comes with being an Assistant Coach in the NYCBL and specifically with the Golden Eagles,” Ferrari said. “Additionally, if any of the athletes desire additional coaching outside of normal practice/game times I will do everything possible to accommodate them.”
Always hustling and giving 110% effort serves as Ferrari coaching creed. During his playing days at Skidmore under head coach Ron Plourde, and other assistants such as Bob Bodgan, who will be working with the Golden Eagles baseball camps this summer, Ferrari learned how to approach the game of baseball.
“The concept of ‘team’ and attempting to achieve a goal toward something much more important than the individual is something I try to instill in all of my players,” Ferrari said.
As a collegiate athlete, Ferrari earned All-Conference and All-Region twice, a team Most Valuable Player Award in 2004, set a school record for hits (55) in a regular season and a career .342 average.
In his senior season at Skidmore, Ferrari led the Thoroughbreds in batting average (.333), at-bats (141), and hits (47), in addition to playing and starting in 40 games. That same season, Ferrari scored 26 runs, smashed eight doubles, knocked home 28 RBI, and totaled 55 bases.
As captain of the 2005 team, Ferrari helped Skidmore win the Liberty League Championship and appeared in NCAA Div. III Regionals.
Ferrari joins fellow first-year Golden Eagles coaches, pitching coach Patrick Carroll and assistant coach Joe Mercurio, in addition to Glens Falls head coach John Mayotte.
“I am familiar with Coach Mayotte and his coaching style through conversations with former assistant coaches of his,” Ferrari said. “Through them I have learned that Coach Mayotte has a passion for baseball that few can emulate. His attentiveness to detail and knowledge of the game are exceptional.”
The connection between Ferrari other current Golden Eagles coaches doesn’t stop with Head Coach John Mayotte and volunteer coach Bob Bogdan.
Ferrari played his first two collegiate summers alongside current Golden Eagles pitching coach Patrick Carroll in a local summer league in his Rochester hometown. Both also competed against one another while they were in college.
“I was excited to learn that Pat would be joining our staff,” Ferrari said. “I know he was a great player and has been coaching at the collegiate level for sometime since graduating from Ithaca.”
Though this will be Ferrari’s first experience with the NYCBL, he’s been an assistant coach at both the collegiate and high school level.
Ferrari had been aware of the NYCBL during his collegiate playing career, though there were fewer franchises than there are now.
“While I think playing in the league would have been a wonderful experience, I did play in various other collegiate leagues.” Ferrari said.
Most recently Ferrari coached at the collegiate level as an assistant for Catholic University (2009-2010), and at the high school level for Pittsford Sutherland HS (2005-2009). Immediately following graduation, Ferrari served as head coach for the McQuaid American Legion Team in Rochester.