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John Czartosieski, far left, led the Westhampton Beach girls tennis team to a Long Island Championship in 2018, the first team in Suffolk County to ever to do so.
John Czartosieski will not be returning as head coach of the Westhampton Beach varsity boys and girls tennis teams. FILE PHOTO
In a stunning move that is sure to send shockwaves through the varsity tennis circuit on Long Island, the Westhampton Beach School District has opted not to retain John Czartosieski as its varsity boys and girls tennis coach.
Czartosieski, who has coached within the district for 25 years, 22 of them at the varsity level, learned of the decision when he met with Westhampton Beach Athletic Director Kathy Masterson first thing Monday morning. Masterson confirmed the move, saying the district has decided to move in a different direction. All coaching positions are annual appointments and up for reevaluation every year.
Czartosieski amassed well over 500 career victories coaching both the boys and girls teams at Westhampton Beach. He has won numerous league, division and county titles, and even coached the 2018 girls team to a Long Island Championship, becoming the first team from Suffolk County to ever do so. He’s also worked with some top-notch players who have gone on to have successful college careers, some whom moved on to become successful college coaches.
What frustrated the 59-year-old Riverhead resident the most was the lack of reason given by Masterson — or anyone within the district for that matter.
“I was thrown for a loop. I was completely blindsided. There was never any indication that this was going to happen,” Czartosieski said on Tuesday morning. “I’ve received nothing but positive evaluations season after season. All I asked for was a reason. [Masterson] failed to provide one.
“I asked what was it that all of a sudden made me unqualified?” Czartosieski added. “I think my record speaks for itself. The division championships, the county championships, the Long Island Championship. I was in shock … in complete and total shock.”
Czartosieski officially retired from his mathematics teaching position he held in the district for 26 years on July 1. He said he filed all of the necessary paperwork and let the district know of his intentions to retire by February, as he was required to do. Czartosieski doesn't think his decision to retire from his teaching position should have had any bearing on his head coaching positions, and mentioned there are other coaches within the district who have been retired who still hold their coaching jobs.
In multiple social media posts, Czartosieski asked for support at the next Westhampton Beach Board of Education meeting on August 23, when the decision is expected to be officially voted on. He said he doesn’t have much recourse other than asking for residents to come out and support him.
Czartosieski said that he isn’t sure if he can take any legal action, but is mulling his options in that regard. In the meantime, he said he would be open to any coaching offers.
“I don’t know if that’s going to have an effect on what was a completely arbitrary decision that they made,” Czartosieski said of getting support at the upcoming board meeting. “I do know that no one from within the district has applied for my position, and of course these are one-year appointments, where I have to reapply. On the end-of-year evaluations it would ask if I would be interested in returning, and I always check ‘yes.’”
