A Big Victory

People sometimes obsess about “legacies” when they near the end of a long career, usually fruitlessly, because a person’s legacy is actually written every day, over years, in how well they did their job.

Still, take a moment to appreciate the victory that East Hampton Athletic Director Joe Vasile-Cozzo won in January, at the beginning of his last year in the job — one that, because of his perseverance, could very well prove to be his lasting effect on the South Fork’s scholastic sports, for the better.

Section XI’s Athletic Council agreed last month that Suffolk County high school sports will henceforth prioritize geography when pitting teams in various boys and girls sports against each other. Enrollment remains a factor, but the change will mean the easternmost teams won’t regularly be playing those in the west. That’s a very good thing, considering the inconvenience of those events, the strain on student-athletes and the logistics of traveling so far, so often.

The crucial point: Vasile-Cozzo fought this fight for years, and his own priority was the well-being of students, first and foremost. As the easternmost school on the South Fork, he saw the impact clearly, but the same issues arise at every school in the county that is forced to travel long distances on school nights. In the future, teens will be able to compete, but they’ll also be able to get a good night’s sleep and still have time to keep up with their studies. At the very least, the balance between sports and academics can begin to be restored.

It was always his contention that, in demanding so much of a time commitment from student-athletes, a lot were forced to choose — not just putting sports over best health practices, or school work, but also sacrificing multi-sport opportunities for some athletes. Opening the array of sports up to kids again is a prominent benefit.

And make no mistake, Vasile-Cozzo’s message wasn’t always a popular one, not with Section XI or among some local districts. But there are so many benefits, including one that might be missed: This will revive the natural rivalries that come from local kids playing in a “backyard brawl” with boys and girls they know, schools they are more than familiar with. Section XI has different priorities, so local matchups were often devoid of much drama, or played for lesser stakes. Now, East Hampton and Westhampton Beach, which have similar enrollment, will battle regularly, as will Southampton and Hampton Bays. That should be more fun for the athletes, coaches, parents and fans alike.

It also should be noted that Vasile-Cozzo’s predecessors as East Hampton athletic director, Chris Tracy and Dick Cooney, also fought the same fight and were stonewalled for years. It’s wonderful that, in his final year, the current AD was able to get a win that was elusive for so many years before. It’s got all the makings of a legacy, and it’s something for the region’s sports departments to celebrate.