Blue Hills AD to receive MSSADA President’s Award

By Guest

By Judy Bass

Athletic Director Ed Catabia of Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton is the recipient of the President’s Award of Merit from the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association (MSSADA). The award is scheduled to be presented to Catabia in March 2019.

Blue Hills AD Ed Catabia with Principal Jill Rossetti

This honor is given for “length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to high school athletics at the local and state levels,” according to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s website.

Blue Hills Principal Jill Rossetti lauded Catabia enthusiastically. “We are so proud of Mr. Catabia for earning this MSSADA President’s Award of Merit,” she said. “Ed models leadership skills, flexibility, project management skills, problem-solving skills, a passion for athletics, sportsmanship, character, tenacity, heart, vision, and he always strives for continuous improvement of our athletic programs. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and one of the most humble.”

Catabia modestly deflected the credit for this accolade to others, citing the professionalism and diligence of all those around him — the coaches at Blue Hills, representatives from the three leagues that Blue Hills sports teams belong to (Mayflower League, Commonwealth Athletic Conference, and Mass. Vocational League) — as well as the wholehearted support he gets from Blue Hills Superintendent-Director James Quaglia and Principal Rossetti.

“The coaching staff we have now is very, very good,” Catabia said. “They deserve a lot of credit. They handle their teams incredibly well. We work together to benefit each student athlete and team. Working with Jill Rossetti is phenomenal. She’s a very good principal. She deserves a lot of credit. I thank Supt. Quaglia for giving me the opportunity [to be Blue Hills’ athletic director], especially after I retired [from teaching science at the school]. I am very appreciative of his support. The kids play the games. They deserve the credit.”

This is not the first prestigious recognition that Catabia has earned. He was chosen as the New England Patriots High School Football Coach of the Week in November 2011, an award that was presented by former Patriot Andre Tippett. That same year, Catabia received the Ted Damko Award from MSSADA for being the Athletic Director of the Year for an AD with under five years of service. In 2012, the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Interscholastic Football Officials chose him as its Robert Donovan Coach of the Year.

Catabia started his career at Blue Hills Regional in 1978 as a member of the teaching staff. He became AD in 2008 and is also the school’s head football coach.

Sports are an integral part of the culture at Blue Hills Regional. As Catabia has noted, “The fields and [playing] courts are an extension of the classroom.” From him on down, all of the school’s coaches are committed to ensuring that the student-athletes understand the importance of winning graciously — and if they lose, to do so with dignity — and of showing respect at all times for their opponents, coaches, spectators, and the rules of the game.

Reflecting on his long and tremendously successful career at Blue Hills, Catabia said, “I have no complaints at Blue Hills. I’ve met a lot of good people.”

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