Students, Teachers, Friends Come Out To Support Westhampton Beach Coach

Stephanie DiCapua, a current physical education teacher and coach on Staten Island, attributes much of her success and who she is as a student and person to her former Westhampton Beach head tennis coach, John Czartosieski. So when the State University of New York Athletic Conference women’s tennis All-Decade team member and conference MVP heard of the school district’s decision not to invite her former mentor back to the coaching helm following his retirement from teaching at the end of last school year, she was dumbfounded.

“He taught me to be ruthless in the classroom and on the tennis court,” Ms. DiCapua said during a August 23 Board of Education meeting where the decision was scheduled to be finalized with the appointment of head coaches for the 2021-22 school year, but was ultimately tabled following a motion by board member Stacy Rubio.

“I was not successful by chance,” Ms. DiCapua continued. “I had to work hard, and coach Ski taught me that. There were no cutting corners. I was well-prepared. He embodies all the qualities of a fantastic tennis coach. I wholeheartedly believe I owe a lot of my success to the preparation I received as a student-athlete under coach Ski.”

The four-time team captain and four-time team MVP at SUNY Cortland asked the board members why Mr. Czartosieski’s dedication and success no longer matter.

“I know how much of your heart and soul goes into your coaching and the sport, and how devoted you are to your student-athletes. You want to provide them with a positive experience in a sport that you love,” Ms. DiCapua said to Mr. Czartosieski, adding she knows firsthand the sense of community he created, even when working alongside him to help with a summer camp and coaching against him when she led the Hampton Bays girls tennis team in 2014. “He was always there to provide me with support and advice. To take this all away from him after 20-plus years of success is disgusting. I know his heart has to be breaking. After countless years of success with his teams, he should be honored, not punished.”

“What kind of message does this send?” Ms. Dicapua asked. “That when you work hard and produce success it doesn’t matter? That is shameful. This is incomprehensible. If you care about the students, you’d want them to have the best coach available to them.”

On July 25 Athletic Director Kathy Masterson told Mr. Czartosieski the district was “moving in a different direction” and that he would no longer be the tennis coach. The coach said he asked repeatedly for a concrete reason for what he calls an “arbitrary decision,” but said his questions have been ignored.

“There has never been any indication of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior on my part that would lead to me not be reappointed as varsity head coach,” he said. “My record and my results speak for themselves. I have put my heart and soul into this program. I believe I deserve to keep my position for just a few more years. That’s all I intended to do anyway.”

The coach has amassed well over 500 career victories coaching the Hurricanes boys and girls squads. He has won numerous league, division and Suffolk County titles, and even led the 2018 girls team to a Long Island championship, becoming the first in Suffolk County to do so. He’s worked with high-level student-athletes who have gone on to have successful college careers and become coaches at the high school and collegiate level.

“Teaching and coaching has been my calling, my passion and my career. Nothing gives me more joy,” Mr. Czartosieski said. “I’ve held the highest of standards for myself both ethically and morally. I’ve performed all of the responsibilities expected of me as a coach professionally and consistently during every season, yet I feel as though I’ve been punished. For what crime?”

He said he’s communicated professionally to all parent emails and texts, kept certifications for first aid, CPR and hazing current, submitted all of his paperwork in a timely manner and attended every awards dinner. He held up an envelope containing what he said was 21 years of spotless coaching evaluations from Ms. Masterson, but questioned why he never received evaluations for either of his last seasons.

“There has not been a single blemish anywhere in here. Anywhere. Yet, I’m told the district is moving in another direction,” said Mr. Czartosieski, who previously questioned if the decision was linked to his retirement from teaching. “Why is it OK for another fellow retiree to continue coaching, but not OK for me? This is nothing more than a double standard.”

The coach even pointed to a letter received from Ms. Masterson dated July 13 — just under two weeks prior to their meeting in which she broke the news — congratulating him and his boys tennis team for being the recipient of the scholar-athlete team award for the 2021 season, a feat he was used to reaching.

“Your commitment and dedication to the program is greatly appreciated, and you and your team should be proud of your achievements,” Ms. Masterson wrote in the letter. “Once again, congratulations and continued success.”

The mention of continued success is what puzzles him, and the decision not to retain him even with all of his prior success is what baffles many of those who came out to show support.

Mr. Czartosieski’s 55-year friend Christopher O’Brien, the head boys varsity soccer coach at Center Moriches who retired from teaching in that district a year ago, said what struck him about the decision was the lack of loyalty.

“Besides the fact that there was no reason given — what possibly could have happened — going in a different direction is a cop-out. It’s the most un-loyal of responses I could ever imagine,” Mr. O’Brien said. “John has showed loyalty to this district, to the students of this district, to the families of this district for over 27 years, and for him to be treated in this manner without a reasonable explanation is absurd and totally ridiculous. I implore you to reconsider this decision, which, in my opinion, has no grounds.”

Childhood friend Alan Czelatka said Mr. Czartosieski lives for tennis and his students.

“When we go out and we spend time together, what do we hear about from John? Tennis,” he said. “His students. The accomplishments. Some disappointment, at times. With his record and devotion, he has proven himself. His loyalty, his respect for the kids, the kids’ respect for him — that all speaks volume. You already have someone that’s good, someone that has proven himself, someone that’s been loyal. Why would you give that up? I don’t get it.”

Math teacher Julianne Mecca agreed.

“This man cares more about the children and his programs than anyone,” she said. “He’s one of a kind.”

Rose Anthony and Adam Kandell can attest to that. Both were prior students of Mr. Czartosieski, though not members of the tennis team, and have seen his dedication on both sides of his job.

“He has helped put up so many banners inside that gym, but it’s also, for him, all about the students and what they were growing into,” said Mr. Kandell, who was a member of the 1998 basketball team — one of the most successful in school history. “The minute we graduated, the history was pushed aside and nobody cared. The minute he handed in his retirement papers, he was forgotten about.”

“He was one of my favorite teachers. He always came in with a smile on his face,” Ms. Anthony added. “It’s an injustice to let somebody go that has clearly had a lasting impression on a lot of people. His record stands to speak for itself. I think that a lot of this has to do with community. You’re letting somebody go who wants to be a part of our community, and who has everything in his heart to be here for our community. We need more people like that.”