By Michael Shen
“Disciplined, mentally tough, and carefree” are words that Coach Matt Lemancyzk would choose to describe himself. This season, Coach Lemancyzk became the coach of the girls’ junior varsity soccer team, which he describes as an “outstanding group of girls that work hard, play with heart, and are determined to get better each and every day.”
This is Coach Lemancyzk’s fourth year in the district as a physical education teacher at both South Middle and North High. Coach Lemancyzk has always loved playing sports. When he was younger, he played for a Double A minor league baseball team affiliated with and often used as a training ground for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Currently, Coach Lemancyzk works with the Long Island Whalers, a travel baseball team. Last year, Coach Lemancyzk coached the boys’  seventh grade basketball team at South Middle. Regardless of his involvement in all other sports, he loves soccer the most because it was his favorite sport growing up. To him, soccer is a game of teamwork and camaraderie.
Despite his involvement in many different sports, Coach Lemancyzk believes that being a disciplined coach means focusing on one thing at a time. His current goal is for his players to get better as both individuals and a team. The team has had a successful start to their season, beating North in their first game and recently beating Hicksville, a strong team.  To Coach Lemancyzk, what is more rewarding is that his players are always improving.
Photo by Betsy Tanenbaum