The NFHS is proud to name James Paccia of Tully Central School Tully, New York as the 2017-18 Boys Track & Field Coach of the Year!

"It's not about the coach, the win/loss record or the pride and representation of the school. It's about the athletes and their mental, physical, social and emotional development." - Coach James Paccia, Tully Central School

Coach Paccia's commitment to selflessness, his craft and his athletes is to be admired. The NFHS is proud to name him as the 2017-18 Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year!

School: Tully Central School

Seasons Coaching: 36 | State Championships: 17

Coaching Highlights: Tully High School Coach of the Year (2007, 2017)

Led his team to League Championships (2003-17)
Led his team to Sectional C1 Championships (2003-04, 2007-09, 2012-13, 2015-17)

Philosophy of Athletics

Coach Paccia believes that athletics is the holy grail of opportunity for development of young men and women. Given the right coaching and experience and with the right foundation blocks put in place early on (such as encouragement, skill development, teamwork, humility, work ethic, respect, self worth and confidence) young athletes can and will develop a love and appreciation of sports, along with an understanding of their role and ability to contribute individually and to the team. The right balance of hard work, conditioning, strength training and fun can give each member a life long appreciation for each other, the sport and personal fitness.

It's not about the coach, the win/loss record or the pride and representation of the school. it's about the athletes and their mental, physical, social and emotional development. If a coach can give them a healthy, life long desire to participate and challenge themselves to improve and inspire others,  along the way they will accomplish a great deal and it will carry over into every aspect of their lives.

Coaching track & field brings slightly different criteria as far as skill sets and technical knowledge. A coach has to not only understand the technique for a variety of very different events, but also tailor the training of individuals to perform safely at a high level in events that require specific knowledge, skill and manual dexterity. To manage all of this in a short season that often is unforgiving as far as weather requires a lot of hard work, planning and creativity on behalf of the coach. A coach at any level should strive to get the most out of every athlete. High expectations help athletes believe in themselves and their ability, help them learn how to deal with with success, anxiety, discomfort and defeat, humbly and respectfully.

He strives to never overwork his athletes so that they lose their love for the sport as they move to the next level. A Coach should care about each and every athlete that they have the privilege to coach and see the good in all no matter their age or ability. Learn carefully each athletes background and foster their individual character traits to build the team into a family. There is no way to explain all that goes into coaching athletics in a paragraph, but the understanding of the difference you can make and the responsibility to life development of the athletes that you coach warrants the utmost care. In the end, the friendships, thrills and rewards are amazing and make you proud to call yourself a coach.

See all of the 2017-18 National Coach of the Year recipients by viewing our press release.